Typing of Borrelia Relapsing Fever Group Strains

Abstract

Partial sequencing of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer showed two to four genotypes each for Borrelia hermsii and B. turicatae, both relapsing fever agents transmitted by argasid ticks, and for B. miyamotoi and B. lonestari, transmitted by ixodid ticks. Field surveys of Ixodes ticks in Connecticut and Sweden showed limited local diversity for B. miyamotoi.

Keywords

• Borrelia infections
• Lyme disease, relapsing fever, soft ticks
• hard ticks
• rRNA operon
• intergenic region
• p66 outer membrane protein gene, dispatch