engleski

Lyme borreliosis infection in fat dormice (Glis glis) determined by PCR-RFLP

To determine whether some of the B. burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies associate with fat dormouse as a reservoir host, we investigated the prevalence of infection in questing animals. A total of 45 adult fat dormice (30 female and 15 male) were captured by hunters during their hunting season in the region of Gorski Kotar, Croatia. Dead animals were aseptically dissected and the urinary bladder tissue was used for isolation attempt and for the DNA extraction. Out of 45 DNA samlpes extracted from urinary bladder tissue we found 4 (8.88%) to be PCR positive. The RFLP analysis of the PCR product after cleavage with Dra and Msel distinguished between the three major genospecies: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii. All positive samples were typed as B. afzelii with a unique Dra or Msel pattern. The results of the analysis of urinary bladder tissue samples culture for the presence of Borelia were negative. Results showed a prevalence of the Borrelia infection among population of fat dormice indicated their epizootiological involvement as a reservoir of Borrelia spirochetes. Furthemore, this work is an initial step in the investigation of the molecular epidemiology/epizootiology of Lyme borreliosis in Croatia.

Lyme borreliosis; fat dormice; PCR-RFLP; Croatia

nije evidentirano