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Gern, Lise

Nom
Gern, Lise
Affiliation principale
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Ancien.ne collaborateur.trice
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https://libra.unine.ch/handle/123456789/303

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  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Ixodes ricinus density, and distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection along an altitudinal gradient
    (2004)
    Jouda, Fatima
    ;
    Perret, Jean-Luc
    ;
    Gern, Lise 
    In this study, we measured the phenology of Ixodes ricinus ticks and their infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) simultaneously along an altitudinal gradient to assess the impact of climate on the phenology of ticks and on their infection with B. burgdorferi sl. From 1999 to 2001, free-living I. ricinus ticks were collected monthly by flagging vegetation at three different altitudes (620, 740, and 900 in above sea level) on the slope of a mountain in Chaumont (Neuchatel, Switzerland). I. ricinus ticks were examined for the presence of B, burgdorferi sl by using direct fluorescent antibody assay and isolation of spirochetes. Borrelia species were characterized by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment-length polymorphism. Tick density and tick phenology varied with altitude. Although the peak tick density decreased and the onset of ticks was delayed with altitude, the phenology, vas much more stable among years at the highest altitudes than at the lowest. The prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection in nymphs and adults decreased with altitude. The prevalence of infection differed significantly among years, and it was significantly higher in adults (30%) than in nymphs (21%). B. burgdorferi infection in adults was positively related with adult density, but this was not observed for nymphs. Five B. burgdorferi sl genospecies were successfully : B. garinii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana, and B. lusitaniae. Mixed isolate infections were obtained from five of 140 infected ticks. The greatest diversity in Borrelia species was observed at the lowest altitude where all five Borrelia species were present, whereas at the two highest altitudes, B. lusitaniae was not observed.
  • Publication
    Métadonnées seulement
    Influence of climate on the proportion of Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adults questing in a tick population
    (2004)
    Perret, Jean-Luc
    ;
    Rais, Olivier 
    ;
    Gern, Lise 
    We studied the relationship between climate and Ixodes ricinus L. tick behavior by following every day the proportion of ticks questing in a tick population placed in polyamide mesh-delimited arenas in the field. Simultaneously, the phenology of the questing density of nymphs and adults was studied by sampling ticks in a close location. At any time during the year, the proportion of questing adults was significantly higher (mean 24%) than the proportion of questing nymphs (mean 12%). The proportion of questing nymphs and adults decreased stepwise with time. The proportion of. questing adults partially recovered after each decrease. In contrast, the proportion of questing nymphs was strongly reduced during a single short period in June and did not recover even partially. Decrease in the proportion of questing ticks was strongly related either to a peak in saturation deficit or to a drop in maximal relative humidity. No increase in the proportion of questing nymphs was observed in the arenas during autumn, although an autumn peak of nymphs was observed at the sampling location close to the arenas. This suggests that the autumn peak of nymphs observed in nature was due to newly emerged spring-fed larvae and not to reactivated spring active nymphs.
  • Publication
    Accès libre
    Ixodes ricinus Density, and Distribution and Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Infection Along an Altitudinal Gradient
    (2004)
    Jouda, Fatima
    ;
    Perret, Jean-Luc
    ;
    Gern, Lise 
    In this study, we measured the phenology of Ixodes ricinus ticks and their infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) simultaneously along an altitudinal gradient to assess the impact of climate on the phenology of ticks and on their infection with B. burgdorferi sl. From 1999 to 2001, free-living I. ricinus ticks were collected monthly by flagging vegetation at three different altitudes (620, 740, and 900 m above sea level) on the slope of a mountain in Chaumont (Neuchâtel, Switzerland). I. ricinus ticks were examined for the presence of B. burgdorferi sl by using direct fluorescent antibody assay and isolation of spirochetes. Borrelia species were characterized by polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment-length polymorphism. Tick density and tick phenology varied with altitude. Although the peak tick density decreased and the onset of ticks was delayed with altitude, the phenology was much more stable among years at the highest altitudes than at the lowest. The prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection in nymphs and adults decreased with altitude. The prevalence of infection differed significantly among years, and it was significantly higher in adults (30%) than in nymphs (21%). B. burgdorferi infection in adults was positively related with adult density, but this was not observed for nymphs. Five B. burgdorferi sl genospecies were successfully isolated: B. garinii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana, and B. lusitaniae. Mixed infections were obtained from five of 140 infected ticks. The greatest diversity in Borrelia species was observed at the lowest altitude where all five Borrelia species were present, whereas at the two highest altitudes, B. lusitaniae was not observed.
  • Publication
    Accès libre
    Early detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in Balb/c mice by co-feeding Ixodes ricinus ticks
    (2003)
    Hu, Chang Min
    ;
    Cheminade, Yves
    ;
    Perret, Jean-Luc
    ;
    Weynants, Vincent
    ;
    Lobet, Yves
    ;
    Gern, Lise 
    In Europe, Borrelia burgdorferi is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus to animals and human. When infected and uninfected ticks co-feed on a host, spirochetes are transmitted from ticks to animal and also to uninfected ticks. Here, we used uninfected ticks to co-feed with infected ticks on mice to evaluate this method to detect early infection in mice. A total of 128 mice were challenged by infected nymphs placed in capsules glued on the back of the mice. Three days later uninfected larvae were added in the capsule to co-feed with infected nymphs and were examined for Borrelia infection after natural detachment. Infection in mice was also determined by xenodiagnosis and by spirochete isolation from ear skin biopsy and back skin biopsy taken at the tick attachment site one month after infection. A total of 111 mice were found to be infected by at least one of these four methods. Borrelia infection was observed in 95% of mice by the co-feeding method, in 92% of mice by xenodiagnosis, in 69% and in 68% of mice by cultivation of ear and back skin biopsies, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the co-feeding method is a very sensitive method which can be used to detect very early infection in mice infected by tick bites.