First report of <it>Borrelia burgdorferi</it> sensu lato in two threatened carnivores: the Marbled polecat, <it>Vormela peregusna</it> and the European mink, <it>Mustela lutreola</it> (Mammalia: Mustelidae)

Abstract

Abstract Background Lyme disease is a widespread cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by species belonging to the genus Borrelia. It is transmitted from animal reservoir hosts to humans through hard - ticks of genus Ixodes which are vectors of the disease. Case presentation Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection was identified in a marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna, and two European minks, Mustela lutreola, from Romania, by PCR. RFLP revealed the presence of a single genospecies, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Conclusions This is the first report of the Lyme disease spirochetes in the two mentioned hosts.

Keywords

• <it>Borrelia burgdorferi</it> s.s
• First report
• <it>Mustela lutreola</it>
• <it>Vormela peregusna</it>
• Romania