Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi, B. miyamotoi, and Powassan Virus in Residents Bitten by Ixodes Ticks, Maine, USA

Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 Apr;25(4):804-807. doi: 10.3201/eid2504.180202.

Abstract

We conducted a serosurvey of 230 persons in Maine, USA, who had been bitten by Ixodes scapularis or I. cookei ticks. We documented seropositivity for Borrelia burgdorferi (13.9%) and B. miyamotoi (2.6%), as well as a single equivocal result (0.4%) for Powassan encephalitis virus.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia miyamotoi; Ixodes scapularis; Maine; POWV; Powassan virus; United States; bacteria; deer ticks; meningitis/encephalitis; seroprevalence; tick bites; ticks; vector-borne infections; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Borrelia burgdorferi* / isolation & purification
  • Borrelia* / isolation & purification
  • Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne* / isolation & purification
  • Humans
  • Ixodes / microbiology*
  • Ixodes / virology*
  • Maine / epidemiology
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Tick Bites / microbiology
  • Tick Bites / virology
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / microbiology*
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / transmission
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / virology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Borrelia miyamotoi