TY  - JOUR
A1  - Steinbrink, Antje
A1  - Brugger, Katharina
A1  - Margos, Gabriele
A1  - Kraiczy, Peter
A1  - Klimpel, Sven
T1  - The evolving story of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato transmission in Europe
T2  - Parasitology research
N2  - Beside mosquitoes, ticks are well-known vectors of different human pathogens. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lyme borreliosis (Eurasia, LB) or Lyme disease (North America, LD) is the most commonly occurring vector-borne infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia which are transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes. The reported incidence of LB in Europe is about 22.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually with a broad range depending on the geographical area analyzed. However, the epidemiological data are largely incomplete, because LB is not notifiable in all European countries. Furthermore, not only differ reporting procedures between countries, there is also variation in case definitions and diagnostic procedures. Lyme borreliosis is caused by several species of the Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex which are maintained in complex networks including ixodid ticks and different reservoir hosts. Vector and host influence each other and are affected by multiple factors including climate that have a major impact on their habitats and ecology. To classify factors that influence the risk of transmission of B. burgdorferi s.l. to their different vertebrate hosts as well as to humans, we briefly summarize the current knowledge about the pathogens including their astonishing ability to overcome various host immune responses, regarding the main vector in Europe Ixodes ricinus, and the disease caused by borreliae. The research shows, that a higher standardization of case definition, diagnostic procedures, and standardized, long-term surveillance systems across Europe is necessary to improve clinical and epidemiological data.
KW  - Borrelia
KW  - Ixodes
KW  - Lyme borreliosis
KW  - Lyme disease
KW  - Tick
KW  - Tick-borne diseases
KW  - Spirochetes
Y1  - 2022
UR  - http://publikationen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/86246
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-862468
SN  - 1432-1955
VL  - 121.2022
IS  - 3
SP  - 781
EP  - 803
PB  - Springer
CY  - Berlin ; Heidelberg
ER  -