Marshfield Clinic 2006: Coinfections acquired from ixodes ticks.

CALIFORNIALYME 2006-10-23 18:04:53

1: Clin Microbiol Rev. 2006 Oct;19(4):708-27. Links
Coinfections acquired from ixodes ticks.
Swanson SJ, Neitzel D, Reed KD, Belongia EA.
Epidemiology Research Center (ML2), Marshfield Clinic Research
Foundation, 1000 North Oak Ave., Marshfield, WI 54449.
belongia.edward@marshfieldclinic.org.

The pathogens that cause Lyme disease (LD), human anaplasmosis, and
babesiosis can coexist in Ixodes ticks and cause human coinfections.
Although the risk of human coinfection differs by geographic location,
the true prevalence of coinfecting pathogens among Ixodes ticks remains
largely unknown for the majority of geographic locations. The
prevalence of dually infected Ixodes ticks appears highest among ticks
from regions of North America and Europe where LD is endemic, with
reported prevalences of majority of tick-borne coinfections occur among humans with diagnosed
LD. Humans coinfected with LD and babesiosis appear to have more
intense, prolonged symptoms than those with LD alone. Coinfected
persons can also manifest diverse, influenza-like symptoms, and
abnormal laboratory test results are frequently observed. Coinfecting
pathogens might alter the efficiency of transmission, cause cooperative
or competitive pathogen interactions, and alter disease severity among
hosts. No prospective studies to assess the immunologic effects of
coinfection among humans have been conducted, but animal models
demonstrate that certain coinfections can modulate the immune response.
Clinicians should consider the likelihood of coinfection when pursuing
laboratory testing or selecting therapy for patients with tick-borne
illness.

PMID: 17041141 [PubMed - in process]