Borrelia is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. It causes
borreliosis, a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted primarily by ticks
and some by lice, depending on the species. The 36 known species of
Borrelia are named after the French biologist Amédée Borrel.
Phylogeny The currently accepted taxonomy is based
on the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature and National
Center for Biotechnology Information and the phylogeny is based on 16S rRNA-based
LTP release 111 by 'The All-Species Living Tree' Project
Notes: ♦ Type strain lost or not available
♠ Strains found at the National Center for Biotechnology Information but not
listed in the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature
♥ Strains not lodged at National Center for Biotechnology Information or listed
in the List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature
Lyme disease Of the 36 known species of Borrelia, 12
are known to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by
ticks. The major Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia
burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii.
Direct tests include culture of Borrelia from skin, blood, or cerebrospinal fluid
and detection of genetic material by polymerase chain reaction in skin,
blood, or synovial fluid. Two-tiered serological testing is performed for
differential diagnosis of Borrelia infection. The first-tier tests detect
specific antibodies and include enzyme immunoassays and immunofluorescent
assays. Positive results for first-tier tests are confirmed using second-tier
testing. The second-tier consists of standardized immunoblotting, either by
using Western blots or blots striped with diagnostically important purified
antigens. Positive results for second-tier tests are confirmatory for
the presence of Borrelia infection. Relapsing fever
Relapsing fever borreliosis often occurs with severe bacteremia. B. recurrentis
is transmitted by the human body louse; no other animal reservoir of B.
recurrentis is known. Lice that feed on infected humans acquire the Borrelia
organisms that then multiply in the gut of the louse. When an infected louse
feeds on an uninfected human, the organism gains access when the victim
crushes the louse or scratches the area where the louse is feeding. B.
recurrentis infects the person via mucous membranes and then invades the
bloodstream. Other tick-borne relapsing infections
are acquired from other species, such as B. hermsii, B. parkeri, or B. miyamotoi,
which can be spread from rodents, and serve as a reservoir for the infection,
via a tick vector. B. hermsii and B. recurrentis cause very similar diseases,
although the disease associated with B. hermsii has more relapses and is
responsible for more fatalities, while the disease caused by B. recurrentis has
longer febrile and afebrile intervals and a longer incubation period.
References Further reading
Samuels DS; Radolf, JD. Borrelia: Molecular Biology, Host Interaction and
Pathogenesis. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-58-5.
Sayers et al. "Borrelia". National Center for Biotechnology Information
taxonomy database [2]. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
The All-Species Living Tree Project. "16S rRNA-based LTP release 111". Silva
Comprehensive Ribosomal RNA Database [3]. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
Guo, B.P.; Teneberg, S; Münch, R; Terunuma, D; Hatano, K; Matsuoka, K;
Angström, J; Borén, T; Bergström, S. "Relapsing fever Borrelia binds to
neolacto glycans and mediates rosetting of human erythrocytes". PNAS 106:
19280–19285. doi:10.1073/pnas.0905470106. PMC
2771742. PMID 19884498*McNeil, Donald. "New Tick-Borne Disease Is Discovered".
The New York Times. pp. D6. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
External links Borrelia genomes and related information
at PATRIC, a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded by NIAID
Borrelia Microbe Wiki Page NCBI Borrelia Taxonomy Browser
Walid MS, Ajjan M, Patel N: Borreliosis And Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis
Coinfection With Positive Rheumatoid Factor And Monospot Test: Case-Report.
The Internet Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2007; Volume 6, Number 1. [4]