Broad range molecular detection methods identify only Borrelia spp. in erythema migrans biopsies and blood of tick-bitten patients

Philippe Pérot; Laura Tondeur; Sara Moutailler; Delphine Chrétien; Nicole Corre-Catelin; Muriel Vayssier-Taussat; Marc Eloit; Catherine Chirouze; Céline Cazorla; OHTICKS Consortium

doi:10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100886

Broad range molecular detection methods identify only Borrelia spp. in erythema migrans biopsies and blood of tick-bitten patients

One Health. 2024 Aug 30:19:100886. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100886. eCollection 2024 Dec.

Authors

Philippe Pérot^{1

2}, Laura Tondeur³, Sara Moutailler⁴, Delphine Chrétien^{1

2}, Nicole Corre-Catelin⁵, Muriel Vayssier-Taussat⁶, Marc Eloit^{1

2

7}, Catherine Chirouze^{8

9}, Céline Cazorla¹⁰; OHTICKS Consortium

Affiliations

¹ Pathogen Discovery Laboratory, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France.
² Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, The WOAH (OIE) Collaborating Center for the Detection and Identification in Humans of Emerging Animal Pathogens, F-75015 Paris, France.
³ Emerging Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
⁴ ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France.
⁵ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Clinical Investigation and Access to Research Bioresources (ICAReB) Platform, Paris, France.
⁶ Animal Health Division, INRAE, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
⁷ Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, F-94700 Maisons-Alfort, France.
⁸ Chrono-Environnement UMR6249, CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-25000 Besançon, France.
⁹ Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital of Besançon, F-25000, France.
¹⁰ Infectious Disease department, University Hospital of Saint Etienne, Avenue Albert-Raimond, 42055, Saint Etienne Cedex 02, France.

Abstract

In this multicenter study conducted in France, we challenged the hypothesis of the transmission of pathogens other than Borrelia spp. in 22 patients developing erythema migrans following a tick bite. Using a combination of high-throughput microfluidic PCRs and agnostic metagenomics on skin biopsies and blood samples, no microorganisms other than Borrelia spp. was found.

Keywords: Erythema migrans; Lyme disease; Metagenomics; Pathogen discovery; RT-PCR; Ticks.