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Blood transfusion transmission of the tick‐borne relapsing fever spirochete B orrelia miyamotoi in mice
Author(s) -
Krause Peter J.,
Hendrickson Jeanne E.,
Steeves Tanner K.,
Fish Durland
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/trf.12879
Subject(s) - relapsing fever , virology , biology , blood transfusion , transmission (telecommunications) , immunology , medicine , electrical engineering , engineering
Background B orrelia miyamotoi , a recently discovered relapsing fever spirochete, occurs in hard‐bodied ticks wherever L yme disease is endemic. Human infection is associated with relapsing fever and can cause meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients. A few cases of transfusion transmission of other relapsing fever spirochete species have been reported but none for B . miyamotoi . Our objective was to determine whether B . miyamotoi transfusion transmission could occur in a murine transfusion model. Herein, we report transfusion transmission of B . miyamotoi through fresh or stored red blood cells ( RBC s) in a mouse model. Study Design and Methods Inbred mice were transfused with B . miyamotoi –infected murine blood that was either freshly collected or stored for 7 days before transfusion. Recipient blood was then longitudinally examined after transfusion by smear and wet mount for evidence of spirochetemia. Results Motile spirochetes were observed in immunocompromised ( SCID ) mouse recipients for 28 days after transfusion of both fresh and stored murine B . miyamotoi –infected RBC s. Transient spirochetemia was observed in immunocompetent DBA /2 and C 57 BL /6 mice, with spirochete clearance occurring within 5 days after transfusion. Conclusion These data demonstrate that transfusion transmission of B . miyamotoi can occur in mice and suggest that it also may occur in humans.