In a podcast available on the Pasteur Institute’s website, which can be listened to in French, CNRS researcher Sébastien Bontangalo discusses questions such as how certain bacteria “sense” their environment, how they “know” where they are within it, and how they modify their genetic program in order to establish a transmissible infection. The conversation also highlights how these mechanisms—shared by many pathogens—may open up new possibilities for the development of future therapies.
In the podcast, Sébastien Bontangalo also provides insight into research on Lyme disease, a tick-borne infectious disease, and explains why scientific research is essential for improving the understanding, prevention and diagnosis of this illness.
What is Lyme disease and how does it spread?
Lyme disease, also called Lyme borreliosis is a bacterial disease caused by a spiral-shaped bacterium, the Borrelia burgdorferi. This disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick. The bite is often painless, and the tick can remain attached to the skin for several days without being noticed. Not all ticks carry the disease, but those that do can transmit it.
This infection is a public health problem, with tens of thousands of new cases each year in France. The contamination is linked to our ecosystems. Climate change, for example, is expanding the range of infected ticks and prolonging their active period, thus increasing the risk of transmission. Furthermore, changes in biodiversity, such as the disappearance of certain animal reservoirs, can increase the risk of contact between humans and infected ticks.
The symptoms of the disease progress through several stages. A tick bite may initially cause a red rash to appear around the area, called erythema migrans. If left untreated, the bacteria responsible can spread throughout the body and cause flu-like symptoms (fever, headache, fatigue), then more serious damage, including neurological (facial paralysis, meningitis), joint (arthritis) or cardiac issues.
The importance of research on vector-borne diseases
Vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease pose numerous challenges to researchers. The work of Sébastien Bontangalo on Borrelia burgdorferi, has allowed for a better understanding of how the bacterium adapts to its environment. In particular, it studied how the bacterium perceives osmolarity (salt concentration) in the tick’s digestive tract. When the salt concentration drops, the bacterium receives a signal that a new blood meal is taking place and prepares to migrate to the tick’s salivary glands to infect the new host.
This nuanced understanding of infection mechanisms shared by many Pathogens Including Yersinia pestis (the plague agent) on which he is currently working opens up promising avenues for the development of new treatments and preventative measures.
By understanding how these bacteria adapt their genetic program, research at the Pasteur Institute in Lille aims to develop strategies to better combat them, whether by targeting the weaknesses of pathogenic bacteria or by developing an effective vaccine. To discover other exciting research, delve into our report on research at the Pasteur Institute in Lille.
What are the therapeutic and preventative approaches?
Le Lyme disease diagnosis remains a major challenge, particularly because the erythema migrans, the most visible symptom, does not appear is some cases. Furthermore, current serological tests may lack sensitivity, particularly for strains of Borrelia/Lyme disease circulating in Europe.
If detected early, the disease is usually successfully treated with an antibiotic therapy (such as doxycycline or amoxicillin). However, if the disease is diagnosed late, the antibiotic treatment can be more difficult and sometimes requires intravenous antibiotic therapy. In some cases, patients have remaining symptoms even after treatment, highlighting the urgent need to improve diagnosis and management.
Prevention remains the best protection against disease. It is essential to educate the public on the correct actions to take, such as:
- Wearing long, light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks.
- Using tick repellents on skin and clothing.
- Carefully inspecting your body and scalp after a walk in the forest or in tall grass.
- Removing a tick as quickly as possible using a tick remover or fine tweezers.
Research continues to explore new avenues to understand the specificities of different strains and develop more reliable diagnostic tools.
Supporting research: a vital issue
Scientific research is essential to addressing major public health challenges. In the case of Lyme disease the stakes are high: better understanding the bacterium, improving diagnostic tools, developing new treatments, and strengthening prevention. The French government’s commitment, with a budget of €10 million allocated in 2023, is a crucial step in supporting these efforts.
The work on the Infectious diseases and vector-borne diseases at the Pasteur Institute in Lille, whether it concerns the plague or Lyme disease, allow for better preventing this disease and other emerging diseases. Supporting research means investing in our ability to cope with tomorrow’s health crises. It is thanks to these efforts that we will not only be able to treat, but also better understand and prevent them.
source: https://pasteur-lille.fr/en/actualites/maladie-lyme/
(C) Lyme Borreliosis Foundation
