Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
08:23

Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research

Published on: August 31, 2013

13.3K

[The Less Frequent Tick-borne Infections in Central Europe]

Rainer Weber1,2

  • 1mediX Praxis Altstetten, Schweiz.

Therapeutische Umschau. Revue Therapeutique
|October 28, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Tick-borne infections are rising in Central Europe, with less common pathogens like Anaplasma and Babesia emerging. Clinicians must suspect these diseases even without a known tick bite, especially in vulnerable patients.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Entomology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Tick-borne infections are increasing in Central Europe due to expanding vector ranges and emerging pathogens.
  • This review details less frequent tick-borne pathogens, including Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia miyamotoi, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Ehrlichia, Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia, relapsing fever spirochetes, and tick-borne viruses.

Approach:

  • Focuses on a clinical and geographic approach to tick-borne infections in Central Europe.
  • Considers travel-associated infections and highlights the role of various tick species beyond Ixodes.
  • Emphasizes the importance of a thorough patient history, including profession, leisure activities, travel, and immune status.

Key Points:

  • Clinical manifestations are often nonspecific, necessitating a high index of suspicion for tick-borne diseases, even without a reported tick exposure.
  • Less than 50% of infected individuals recall a tick bite.
  • Immunocompromised and splenectomized individuals are at higher risk for severe and life-threatening outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Clinicians should consider tick-borne illnesses in patients with unexplained fever, rash, or neurological symptoms.
  • Awareness of less common tick-borne pathogens and their varied presentations is crucial for timely diagnosis and treatment.
  • Proactive patient history taking is essential for identifying potential exposures and risk factors.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Controlled Human Exposure Model for Tick Research and Lyme Disease Studies04:47

Author Spotlight: Controlled Human Exposure Model for Tick Research and Lyme Disease Studies

Published on: December 1, 2023

725
Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing07:21

Tick Microbiome Characterization by Next-Generation 16S rRNA Amplicon Sequencing

Published on: August 25, 2018

12.9K

Related Concept Videos

Sexually Transmitted Infections01:26

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
396
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes01:30

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes

Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased...
76
Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis01:25

Endocarditis II: Clinical Features of Infective Endocarditis

Endocarditis can present various clinical features depending on the causative organism and the patient's underlying health conditions. Initially, the clinical features of infective endocarditis develop gradually, presenting with nonspecific symptoms that can be easily mistaken for other illnesses.General SymptomsEarly symptoms of infective endocarditis are fever, chills, weakness, malaise, fatigue, and weight loss. These symptoms reflect the systemic nature of the infection and the body's...
22
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
86