Background: The Department of Medical Entomology’s website acknowledges that Lyme Disease is the “most frequently reported human tick-borne infection worldwide”, it goes on to say that “it has been reported from every continent (except Antarctic), although doubt remains as to whether it occurs in the southern hemisphere in general, and in Australia in particular”. This doubt is based on the fact that - “In 1988 at Westmead Hospital, a multidisciplinary investigation of putative LD in coastal New South Wales began, encompassing clinical, serological, vector and reservoir host studies.” These components - clinical, serological, vector and reservoir host studies - are examined individually.
Reservoir Host Studies
From the study: “A small number (17) of native vertebrate animals were sampled by ear punch biopsy for culture and PCR investigation but there was no evidence of borreliae”.
The reservoir host studies limitations speak for themselves with only 17 animals tested.
Westmead Website: “None of the mammal species identified as reservoir hosts in the northern hemisphere are present in Australia”.
I am honestly at a loss to understand how this statement can be made. Mammals that have been identified as reservoir hosts in the northern hemisphere include:
Rodentia: Rats, mice, shrew and voles (small rodent resembling mice: aka meadow/field mice), squirrels
Lagomorphs : Hares and rabbits
The primary reservoir host in America is the whitefooted mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). To get specific: It is a mammal, belonging to the rodentia species of the Muridae family. Whilst we do not have any whitefooted mouse in Australia, “ 22 % of Australian mammal species are all in the rat and mouse family, Muridae” (1).
This includes the Australian Long-haired Rat (Rattus villosissimus: Muridae family). In 1962 these rats were the subject of a study in north-west Queensland in which a new species of borrelia was identified and subsequently called Borrelia Queenslandica (2).
Also, in 1959 a CSIRO study of Australian animals reported that borrelia was found in the blood of cattle, kangaroos, bandicoots and rodents (3).
The DMEs website brushes over these two studies, “There are reports of spirochaetes in Australian native animals, and a local mammal could be a reservoir host for an indigenous spirochaete…” , With no indication of these studies in the further readings/reference section they do not give the implications of this research enough respect or consideration. Which is – if there are borrelia in the animals in the Australian environment, then there must be a capable vector maintaining that infection.
The following identifies some of the mammal species that are present in Australia, and have been found to be reservoir hosts for borrelia in the northern hemisphere:
Black Rats (Rattus Rattus)
This species of rats was introduced into Australia and is “spread throughout much of coastal Australia and is most commonly seen in urban environments” (4,5). Black Rats have been shown to be competent reservoir hosts in Bulgaria and Germany (6,7).
House mouse (Mus musculus : sub species mus m musculus, mus m domesticus)
House mouse have a worldwide distribution. Early zooarchaeological evidence (8) suggests they were introduced into Australia late in the 18th century, around the time of the first European settlers. They are currently spread throughout Australia (9). Mus Musculus was shown to be a competent reservoir/maintenance host of borrelia within the environment in Bulgaria(6).
The Brown/ European Hare (Lepus europaeus)
The hare has been shown to be a competent reservoir host in Sweden (10) “European Hares were successfully introduced to mainland Australiain the 1860s. They were first introduced to Westernport Bay, Victoria, in 1862. Hares transported in the 1930s became established in pockets at Townsville, Ayr and Mackay, Queensland.” “They are currently established in a crescent extending from near Ceduna in South Australia, through Victoria and most of New South Wales to as far north as Cairns in north-eastern Queensland” (11).
To be continued.....
Reservoir Host Studies
From the study: “A small number (17) of native vertebrate animals were sampled by ear punch biopsy for culture and PCR investigation but there was no evidence of borreliae”.
The reservoir host studies limitations speak for themselves with only 17 animals tested.
Westmead Website: “None of the mammal species identified as reservoir hosts in the northern hemisphere are present in Australia”.
I am honestly at a loss to understand how this statement can be made. Mammals that have been identified as reservoir hosts in the northern hemisphere include:
Rodentia: Rats, mice, shrew and voles (small rodent resembling mice: aka meadow/field mice), squirrels
Lagomorphs : Hares and rabbits
The primary reservoir host in America is the whitefooted mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). To get specific: It is a mammal, belonging to the rodentia species of the Muridae family. Whilst we do not have any whitefooted mouse in Australia, “ 22 % of Australian mammal species are all in the rat and mouse family, Muridae” (1).
This includes the Australian Long-haired Rat (Rattus villosissimus: Muridae family). In 1962 these rats were the subject of a study in north-west Queensland in which a new species of borrelia was identified and subsequently called Borrelia Queenslandica (2).
Also, in 1959 a CSIRO study of Australian animals reported that borrelia was found in the blood of cattle, kangaroos, bandicoots and rodents (3).
The DMEs website brushes over these two studies, “There are reports of spirochaetes in Australian native animals, and a local mammal could be a reservoir host for an indigenous spirochaete…” , With no indication of these studies in the further readings/reference section they do not give the implications of this research enough respect or consideration. Which is – if there are borrelia in the animals in the Australian environment, then there must be a capable vector maintaining that infection.
The following identifies some of the mammal species that are present in Australia, and have been found to be reservoir hosts for borrelia in the northern hemisphere:
Black Rats (Rattus Rattus)
This species of rats was introduced into Australia and is “spread throughout much of coastal Australia and is most commonly seen in urban environments” (4,5). Black Rats have been shown to be competent reservoir hosts in Bulgaria and Germany (6,7).
House mouse (Mus musculus : sub species mus m musculus, mus m domesticus)
House mouse have a worldwide distribution. Early zooarchaeological evidence (8) suggests they were introduced into Australia late in the 18th century, around the time of the first European settlers. They are currently spread throughout Australia (9). Mus Musculus was shown to be a competent reservoir/maintenance host of borrelia within the environment in Bulgaria(6).
The Brown/ European Hare (Lepus europaeus)
The hare has been shown to be a competent reservoir host in Sweden (10) “European Hares were successfully introduced to mainland Australiain the 1860s. They were first introduced to Westernport Bay, Victoria, in 1862. Hares transported in the 1930s became established in pockets at Townsville, Ayr and Mackay, Queensland.” “They are currently established in a crescent extending from near Ceduna in South Australia, through Victoria and most of New South Wales to as far north as Cairns in north-eastern Queensland” (11).
To be continued.....
The details are yet to be uploaded to the individual website segments: For the full review - in a downloadable PDF format : please click here Research Link
