Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae): vectors for Lyme disease spirochetes in Romania

In this study 1,868 questing Ixodes ricinus ticks (nymphs and adults), collected in six sites from three counties--Giurgiu, Sibiu, and Tulcea--in Romania, were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by reverse line blot (RLB) for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato presence. The bacteria were found in 18% of the investigated ticks. The prevalence of infection did not differ significantly between nymphs (19.1%) and adults (15.4%). Three B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies were detected: B. afzelii (61.1%), B. garinii (31.2%), and B. valaisiana (7.7%). No mixed infections were detected. The highest infection prevalence in nymphs was detected at Cristian (Sibiu County)--22.0%, whereas in adults it was at Comana (Giurgiu County)--19.8%. This preliminary study provides evidence that Lyme disease spirochetes are present in various regions of Romania, and at a relatively high prevalence in their vectors, thus posing a risk of infection to human subjects in the areas infested by ticks.