BORRELIA IN PIGEONS - NO SEROLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERIINFECTION

In order to clarify the supposed involvement of urban pigeons (Columba livia livia) in the epidemiology of Lyme disease, the presence of ant ibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia anserina in pigeons' sera, collected in 12 areas of northern and central Italy, was evalua ted. This evaluation was carried our using a classic immunofluorescenc e assay (IFA), a surface immunofluorescence assay (SIFA) and a standar d Western Blot (WE) assay. A total of 104 out of 3,186 (3.26%) serum s amples were positive for both spirochetes when tested by IFA, with tit res ranging from 1/40 to 1/1280. All positive specimens showed the sam e or a higher reactivity against B. anserina than against B. burgdorfe ri. Of the IFA positive samples, 30 were tested by WE and SIFA to eval uate further the specificity of the antibody response, i.e. to try to clarify against which spirochete the antibodies were raised. The prese nce of antibodies against the 23 kDa protein exclusive to B. anserina, and against epitopes which are not surface exposed and which are comm on to B. anserina and B. burgdorferi, was assessed by WE and SIFA. No serological evidence that B. burgdorferi can infect pigeons was found.