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The importance of lizards and small mammals as reservoirs for B orrelia lusitaniae in P ortugal
Author(s) -
Norte Ana Cláudia,
Alves da Silva António,
Alves Joana,
Silva Luís Pascoal,
Núncio M. Sofia,
Escudero Raquel,
Anda Pedro,
Ramos Jaime A.,
Lopes de Carvalho Isabel
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
environmental microbiology reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.229
H-Index - 69
ISSN - 1758-2229
DOI - 10.1111/1758-2229.12218
Subject(s) - enzootic , biology , zoology , ecology , virology , virus
Summary B orrelia lusitaniae is a pathogen frequent in the M editerranean area. Apart from lizards, evidence for birds and small mammals as competent reservoirs for this genospecies has been occasional. We collected questing ticks, skin biopsies and I xodes sp. ticks feeding on lizards, birds and small mammals in a B . burgdorferi s.l. (sensu lato) enzootic area to assess their importance in the maintenance of B . lusitaniae . B orrelia lusitaniae was the most prevalent genospecies in questing ticks and was commonly found in larvae feeding on P sammodromus algirus . One biopsy infected with B . lusitaniae was collected from the tail of one P odarcis hispanica , which suggests systemic infection. I xodes ricinus larvae feeding on A podemus sylvaticus were infected with B . lusitaniae but with a lower prevalence. Our results reinforce the importance of lizards as reservoirs for B . lusitaniae , suggesting that P . algirus, in particular, acts as main reservoir for B . lusitaniae in P ortugal.