Genetic diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi in California
By Linda on Jan 12, 2011 in Infections | comments(0)
Excerpt:
In North America, Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne disease caused by
infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. We studied the genetic
diversity of LB spirochetes in north-coastal Californian residents.
Spirochete DNA was detected in 23.7% (27/114) of study subjects using a PCR
protocol optimized for increased sensitivity in human sera. Californians
were most commonly infected with B. burgdorferi ospC genotype A, a globally
widespread spirochete associated with high virulence in LB patients.
Sequence analysis of rrf-rrl and p66 loci in 11% (3/27) of PCR-positive
study subjects revealed evidence of infection with an organism closely
related to B. bissettii. This spirochete, heretofore associated with LB only
in Europe, is widely distributed among ticks and wildlife in North America.
Further molecular testing of sera from residents in LB-endemic areas is
warranted to enhance our understanding of the geographic distribution and
frequency of occurrence of B. bissettii-like infections.
