Anaplasmataceae and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the sand lizard Lacerta agilis and co-infection of these bacteria in hosted Ixodes ricinus ticks

The current study showed that 23 of 171 examined sand lizards Lacerta agilis were PCR positive for Anaplasmataceae. The nucleotide sequences of the several selected PCR products showed 100% homology with Anaplasma spp. found in Ixodes ricinus collected in Tunisia and Morocco (AY672415 - AY672420). 1.2% of lizard collar scale samples were PCR positive for B. lusitaniae. In addition, 12 of 290 examined I. ricinus were PCR positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. and 82 were PCR positive for Anaplasmatacea. The number of ticks per lizard and the number of ticks PCR positive for both microorganisms per lizard were strongly correlated. Moreover, we found a significant correlation between numbers of ticks infected with Anaplasmataceae and with B. burgdorferi s.l. living on the same lizard. However, there was no significant correlation between detection of both bacteria in the same tick.To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Anaplasmataceae DNA and additionally the second report of B. burgdorferi s.l DNA detection in the sand lizard.One of the most widespread bacterium transmitted by ticks is Borrelia burgdorferi s. l., an agent of Lyme borreliosis [1,2]. Reservoirs of B. burgdorferi s.l. are vertebrates and special associations between Borrelia strains and particular groups of vertebrate hosts have been reported [3]. B. lusitaniae was the most common strain detected in lizard species and in ticks feeding on them [4-6].Ticks are the main vector of other microorganisms, such as intracellular bacteria from the family Anaplasmataceae [7,8], which attract the attention of public health professionals worldwide. One of the most important species of this family is Anaplasma phagocytophilum which causes human anaplasmosis (HA), formerly known as a human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) [9,10]. A. phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium infecting the neutrophils of various mammalian species [9]. Anaplasmataceae are maintained in nature by transmission betwe