USING REAL-TIME PCR FOR URGENT DETECTION AND PROPHYLAXIS OF TICK-BORNE INFECTIONS

Abstract

The urgent detection of tick-borne pathogens in attached ticks or in human blood followed by the prophylaxis of infection with specific immunoglobulin and/or antibiotics is one of the most reliable measures to prevent human disease. The aim of this work was to evaluate the usability of real-time PCR (RT-PCR) assay in early detection of tick-borne infections. Using commercial RT-PCR assay (Amplisens, Russia) we studied 361 Ixodes persulcatus ticks, 33 Dermacentor sp. ticks and 448 samples of human blood delivered by people attacked by ticks in Irkutsk region during 2013-2014for presence of DNA/RNA of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B.b.s.l.), Anaplsma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis/E. muris. The ELISA assay and direct microscopy were used to validate the detection of TBEV and B.b.s.l. respectively. The highest prevalence of tick-borne infections was observed for I. persulcatus ticks - 6,9; 23,8; 6,9; and 11,9 % for TBEV, B.b.s.l., A. phagocytophillum and E. chaffeensis/E. muris respectively. The Dermacentor sp. ticks were less frequently infected with abovementioned pathogens - 3,0; 6,1; 3,0 and 9,1 % respectively. The prevalence of infection in blood samples was lowest and comprised 2,5; 4,2; 2,2 and 4,5 % respectively. Mixed infections were documented in 6,5 % of ticks and 0,7 % of human blood samples. The testing of blood samples in ELISA and testing of ticks in ELISA and direct microscopy corresponded to the results, obtained by RT-PCR. Thus, RT-PCR is valuable and reliable approach for urgent detection and prophylaxis of tick-borne infections.

Keywords

• ixodid ticks
• tick-borne encephalitis
• lyme disease
• human monocytic ehrlichiosis
• human granulocytic anaplasmosis
• diagnostics
• preventive treatment
• pcr