The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts

The spirochete Borrelia garinii , one of three genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu lato ( B. burdorferi s.l.) that can cause Lyme disease in humans, has recently been isolated from seabirds from a colony in Newfoundland, Canada. Previous records of B. garinii in seabirds suggest that it has been end...

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Main Authors: Muzaffar, SB, Smith, RP, Jones, IL, Lavers, J, Lacombe, EH, Cahill, BK, Lubelczyk, CB, Rand, PW
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: University of California Press 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890
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spelling ftunivtasecite:oai:ecite.utas.edu.au:82890 2023-05-15T13:12:20+02:00 The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts Muzaffar, SB Smith, RP Jones, IL Lavers, J Lacombe, EH Cahill, BK Lubelczyk, CB Rand, PW 2012 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002 http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890 en eng University of California Press http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890/1/82890 - The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii.pdf http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002 Muzaffar, SB and Smith, RP and Jones, IL and Lavers, J and Lacombe, EH and Cahill, BK and Lubelczyk, CB and Rand, PW, The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts, Studies in Avian Biology, 42 pp. 23-30. ISSN 0197-9922 (2012) [Refereed Article] http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890 Environmental Sciences Environmental Science and Management Conservation and Biodiversity Refereed Article PeerReviewed 2012 ftunivtasecite https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002 2019-12-13T21:47:42Z The spirochete Borrelia garinii , one of three genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu lato ( B. burdorferi s.l.) that can cause Lyme disease in humans, has recently been isolated from seabirds from a colony in Newfoundland, Canada. Previous records of B. garinii in seabirds suggest that it has been endemic in seabird colonies in the greater North Atlantic since at least the early 1990s. We determined the prevalence of B. garinii in different seabird hosts from colonies in the northwest Atlantic. We recorded B. garinii from Gannet Islands, Labrador, and Gull Island, Newfoundland, Canada, in Atlantic Puffins ( Fra-tercula arctica ), Herring Gulls ( Larus argentatus ), Common Murres ( Uria aalge ), and Razorbills ( Alca torda ). Prevalence of infections varied between years and within and among species. Ticks from Atlantic Puffins had a prevalence ranging from 10.3 to 36.4%, although the highest prevalence was noted in Herring Gulls (37.5%) in 2005. Earlier studies from the same localities failed to find evidence of B. garinii , suggesting a recent arrival of the spirochete into the northwest Atlantic. B. garinii is closely related to European strains of the spirochete, and its likely source is from areas of endemicity in the Bothnian Gulf and the northeast Atlantic seabird colonies where seabirds, songbirds, and two different tick species come in close proximity. Phylogenetic studies suggest a gradual movement of the European strains into seabird colonies in the northeast Atlantic with subsequent spread into the North and northwest Atlantic colonies. Atlantic Puffins seem to be suitable reservoirs, although other abundant species such as Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres ( Uria lomvia ) may be involved in B. garinii dynamics. Further work is urgently needed to help document the ecology and spread of this spirochete of importance to human health. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alca torda Newfoundland North Atlantic Northeast Atlantic Northwest Atlantic Uria aalge Uria lomvia uria eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania) Canada Gannet Islands ENVELOPE(-56.536,-56.536,53.941,53.941) Gull Island ENVELOPE(-55.315,-55.315,49.533,49.533) Newfoundland 23 30
institution Open Polar
collection eCite UTAS (University of Tasmania)
op_collection_id ftunivtasecite
language English
topic Environmental Sciences
Environmental Science and Management
Conservation and Biodiversity
spellingShingle Environmental Sciences
Environmental Science and Management
Conservation and Biodiversity
Muzaffar, SB
Smith, RP
Jones, IL
Lavers, J
Lacombe, EH
Cahill, BK
Lubelczyk, CB
Rand, PW
The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
topic_facet Environmental Sciences
Environmental Science and Management
Conservation and Biodiversity
description The spirochete Borrelia garinii , one of three genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu lato ( B. burdorferi s.l.) that can cause Lyme disease in humans, has recently been isolated from seabirds from a colony in Newfoundland, Canada. Previous records of B. garinii in seabirds suggest that it has been endemic in seabird colonies in the greater North Atlantic since at least the early 1990s. We determined the prevalence of B. garinii in different seabird hosts from colonies in the northwest Atlantic. We recorded B. garinii from Gannet Islands, Labrador, and Gull Island, Newfoundland, Canada, in Atlantic Puffins ( Fra-tercula arctica ), Herring Gulls ( Larus argentatus ), Common Murres ( Uria aalge ), and Razorbills ( Alca torda ). Prevalence of infections varied between years and within and among species. Ticks from Atlantic Puffins had a prevalence ranging from 10.3 to 36.4%, although the highest prevalence was noted in Herring Gulls (37.5%) in 2005. Earlier studies from the same localities failed to find evidence of B. garinii , suggesting a recent arrival of the spirochete into the northwest Atlantic. B. garinii is closely related to European strains of the spirochete, and its likely source is from areas of endemicity in the Bothnian Gulf and the northeast Atlantic seabird colonies where seabirds, songbirds, and two different tick species come in close proximity. Phylogenetic studies suggest a gradual movement of the European strains into seabird colonies in the northeast Atlantic with subsequent spread into the North and northwest Atlantic colonies. Atlantic Puffins seem to be suitable reservoirs, although other abundant species such as Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres ( Uria lomvia ) may be involved in B. garinii dynamics. Further work is urgently needed to help document the ecology and spread of this spirochete of importance to human health.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Muzaffar, SB
Smith, RP
Jones, IL
Lavers, J
Lacombe, EH
Cahill, BK
Lubelczyk, CB
Rand, PW
author_facet Muzaffar, SB
Smith, RP
Jones, IL
Lavers, J
Lacombe, EH
Cahill, BK
Lubelczyk, CB
Rand, PW
author_sort Muzaffar, SB
title The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
title_short The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
title_full The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
title_fullStr The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
title_full_unstemmed The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
title_sort trans-atlantic movement of the spirochete borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts
publisher University of California Press
publishDate 2012
url https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890
long_lat ENVELOPE(-56.536,-56.536,53.941,53.941)
ENVELOPE(-55.315,-55.315,49.533,49.533)
geographic Canada
Gannet Islands
Gull Island
Newfoundland
geographic_facet Canada
Gannet Islands
Gull Island
Newfoundland
genre Alca torda
Newfoundland
North Atlantic
Northeast Atlantic
Northwest Atlantic
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
uria
genre_facet Alca torda
Newfoundland
North Atlantic
Northeast Atlantic
Northwest Atlantic
Uria aalge
Uria lomvia
uria
op_relation http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890/1/82890 - The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii.pdf
http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002
Muzaffar, SB and Smith, RP and Jones, IL and Lavers, J and Lacombe, EH and Cahill, BK and Lubelczyk, CB and Rand, PW, The Trans-Atlantic Movement of the Spirochete Borrelia garinii : the role of ticks and their seabird hosts, Studies in Avian Biology, 42 pp. 23-30. ISSN 0197-9922 (2012) [Refereed Article]
http://ecite.utas.edu.au/82890
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1525/california/9780520272378.003.0002
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