@article{Banović2023,

title = {Emerging tick-borne spotted fever group rickettsioses in the Balkans},

author = {Pavle Banović and Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez and Angélique Foucault-Simonin and Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez and Alejandra Wu-Chuang and Clemence Galon and Verica Simin and Dragana Mijatović and Ivana Bogdan and Belkis Corona-González and Liani 

 Coronado Báez and Joanna Kulisz and Aneta Woźniak and Zbigniew Zając and Dasiel Obregón and Sara Moutailler and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105400},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-05},

urldate = {2023-01-05},

journal = {Infection, Genetics and Evolution},

volume = {107},

abstract = {The impact of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) on human health has increased in the last decades, since the incidence of emerging and re-emerging infectious and zoonotic tick-borne diseases has increased worldwide. Tick-borne rickettsiae of the Spotted Fever group (SFGR) are considered as emerging pathogens that can infect humans and cause a variety of non-specific clinical symptoms. Here, we report nine cases of atypical tick-borne diseases (9/460; 1.95%) that occurred over a period of four months (from 15 April 2021 to 16 August 2021) in Serbia, from which five cases were classified as confirmed SFGR infection, two cases as probable SFGR infection and two cases as suspected SFGR infection. Within cases of confirmed SFGR infection, R. helvetica was detected as the causative agent in two cases. The most common clinical finding was non-expanding persistent circular redness, followed by eschar and enlargement of regional lymph nodes, and pain at lesion site. Rickettsia outer membrane protein B (ompB) and citrate synthase (gltA) gene fragments were amplified from clinical samples and ticks attached to patients and IgG reacting with Rickettsia conorii antigen were detected in sera samples of patients, which are highly suggestive of exposure to SFGR. Surveillance and monitoring of rickettsial diseases in Serbia should continue and extended to new areas due to the increasing trend of clinical infections caused by SFGR in the country.},

keywords = {rickettsia, Serbia, tick-borne diseases, ticks},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Banović2022c,

title = {Differential detection of tick-borne pathogens in human platelets and whole blood using microfluidic PCR},

author = {Pavle Banović and Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas and Dragana Mijatović and Angélique Foucault-Simonin and Verica Simin and Ivana Bogdan and Dasiel Obregon and Lourdes Mateos-Hernández and Sara Moutailler and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106756},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-23},

journal = {Acta Tropica},

abstract = {The tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) with adhesive phenotype can use platelets for dissemination and colonization of distant tissues and organs, and it has been shown that they can be found concentrated in the platelet fraction of blood. This study shows the differential presence of TBPs in samples of human platelet fraction (n = 68), whole blood samples (n = 68) and ticks collected (n = 76) from the same individuals, using an unbiased high-throughput pathogen detection microfluidic system. The clinical symptoms were characterized in enrolled patients. In patients with suspected TBP infection, serological assays were conducted to test for the presence of antibodies against specific TBPs. Tick species infesting humans were identified as Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata. Eight patients developed local skin lesions at the site of the tick bite including non-specific lesions, itching sensation at the lesion site, and eschar. Most common TBPs detected in platelet fraction were Borrelia spielmanii and Rickettsia sp., followed by Borrelia afzelii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Multiple infections with three TBPs were detected in platelet fraction. In whole blood, most common TBPs detected were Anaplasma spp. and A. phagocytophilum, followed by Rickettsia spp. and B. afzelii. In ticks, the most common TBP detected was Rickettsia spp., followed by Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma spp. Overall, nine different pathogens with variable prevalence were identified using species-specific primers, and the most common was Rickettsia helvetica. In three patients, there were no coincidences between the TBPs detected in whole blood and tick samples. Only in one patient was detected A. phagocytophilum in both, whole blood and tick samples. These results suggest the unequal detection of TBPs in whole blood, platelet fraction and ticks collected, from the same individual. The results justify the use of both whole blood and platelet fraction for molecular diagnosis of TBPs in patients.},

keywords = {platelets, rickettsia, Serbia, tick-borne diseases},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Charles2021,

title = {Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective},

author = {Roxanne A. Charles and Sergio Bermúdez and Pavle Banović and Dasiel Obregon and Adrian Alberto Díaz-Sánchez and Belkis Corona-González and Eric Marcel Charles Etter and Islay Rodríguez González and Abdul Gaffar and Abdul Jabbar and Sara Moutailler and Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz},

editor = {Mária Kazimírová},

url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/10/1273},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10101273},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-09-27},

journal = {Pathogens},

volume = {10},

number = {10},

abstract = {Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and

domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit

and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs),

especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layered manner, including all components

of the chain of infections, following the ‘One Health’ tenets. The implementation of such an approach

requires coordination among major stakeholders (such as veterinarians, physicians, acarologists,

and researchers) for the identification of exposure and infection risks and application of effective

prevention measures. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the epidemiology of

tick-borne diseases in Central America and the Caribbean and the challenges associated with the

implementation of ‘One Health’ surveillance and control programs in the region.},

keywords = {Caribbean, Central America, One Health, tick-borne diseases, ticks},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}