Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. in Ticks Removed from Persons, Texas,,U

[Guest guest]

Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. in Ticks

Removed from Persons, Texas,,USA.

 

Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Mar;16(3):441-6.

 

Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia spp. in Ticks Removed from

Persons, Texas, USA.

 

Williamson PC, Billingsley PM, Teltow GJ, Seals JP, Turnbough MA,

Atkinson SF.

 

University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth,

Texas, USA (P.C.

Williamson, P.M. Billingsley, J.P. Seals); Texas Department of

State Health Services, Temple, Texas, USA (G.J. Teltow); and

University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA (M.A. Turnbough,

S.F. Atkinson).

 

Data regarding the type, frequency, and distribution of

tick-borne pathogens and bacterial agents are not widely

available for many tick species that parasitize persons in the

southern United States. We therefore analyzed the frequency and

identity of pathogens and bacterial agents in ticks removed from

humans and subsequently submitted to the Texas Department of

State Health Services, Zoonosis Control Program, from October 1,

2004, through September 30, 2008. The data showed associations of

bacterial agents and potential vectors. Tick-related illnesses

may pose unidentified health risks in areas such as Texas, where

incidence of human disease related to tick bites is low but well

above zero and where ticks are not routinely suspected as the

cause of disease. Cause, treatment, and prevention strategies can

be better addressed through collecting sufficient data to

establish baseline assessments of risk.

 

http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pu

bmed & id=20202419 & retmode=ref & cmd=prlinks

PMID: 20202419 [PubMed - in process]