Whole-Genome Sequence of Borrelia garinii Strain 935T Isolated from Ixodes persulcatus in South Korea

Park

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. However, the distribution of Borrelia genospecies and the tissue detection rate of Borrelia in wild rodents have rarely been investigated. Here, we studied 27 wild rodents (Apodemus agrarius) captured in October and November 2016 in Gwangju, South Korea, and performed nested polymerase chain reaction targeting pyrG and ospA to confirm Borrelia infection. Eight rodents (29.6%) tested positive for Borrelia infection. The heart showed the highest infection rate (7/27; 25.9%), followed by the spleen (4/27; 14.8%), kidney (2/27; 7.4%), and lungs (1/27; 3.7%). The B. afzelii infection rate was 25.9%, with the highest rate observed in the heart (7/27; 25.9%), followed by that in the kidney and spleen (both 2/27; 7.4%). B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were detected only in the spleen (1/27; 3.7%). This is the first report of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection in wild rodents in South Korea. The rodent hearts showed a high B. afzelii infection rate, whereas the rodent spleens showed high B. garinii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection rates. Besides B. garinii and B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto may cause Lyme disease in South Korea.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

First report of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto detection in a commune genospecies in Apodemus agrarius in Gwangju, South Korea

Park

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

Detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes nipponensis in Korea

et al. 2019

Background This study investigated Borrelia species prevalence in ticks from vegetation, through a molecular method, in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea. Methodology/Principal findings A total of 484 ticks were collected through flagging and dragging in a suburban area of Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, in 2014. These ticks were morphologically identified and subjected to nested PCR, targeting Borrelia –specific CTP synthase ( pyrG ), outer surface protein A ( ospA ) and flagellin ( flaB ) genes. Molecular biological species identification of Borrelia -positive ticks was conducted via 16S rRNA PCR assays. Of the 484 ticks collected, 417 (86.2%) were identified as Haemaphysalis longicornis , 42 (8.7%) as H . flava , and 25 (5.2%) as Ixodes nipponensis . All the ixodid ticks containing Borrelia species bacteria were confirmed to be I . nipponensis adults, by both morphological and molecular methods. Of the 25 I . nipponensis ticks collected, four (16%) were positive for Borrelia species, three of which were B . afzelii and one B . miyamotoi . Conclusions/Significance Our study has shown the harboring of B . miyamotoi by I . nipponensis in South Korea. Morphological and molecular genetic analyses revealed that, in South Korea, I . nipponensis could potentially transmit B . miyamotoi to humans.

Borreliae Part 1: Borrelia Lyme Group and Echidna-Reptile Group

Trevisan

Cinco

Trevisini

et al. 2021

Biology

Borreliae are divided into three groups, namely the Lyme group (LG), the Echidna-Reptile group (REPG) and the Relapsing Fever group (RFG). Currently, only Borrelia of the Lyme and RF groups (not all) cause infection in humans. Borreliae of the Echidna-Reptile group represent a new monophyletic group of spirochaetes, which infect amphibians and reptiles. In addition to a general description of the phylum Spirochaetales, including a brief historical digression on spirochaetosis, in the present review Borreliae of Lyme and Echidna-Reptile groups are described, discussing the ecology with vectors and hosts as well as microbiological features and molecular characterization. Furthermore, differences between LG and RFG are discussed with respect to the clinical manifestations. In humans, LG Borreliae are organotropic and cause erythema migrans in the early phase of the disease, while RFG Borreliae give high spirochaetemia with fever, without the development of erythema migrans. With respect of LG Borreliae, recently Borrelia mayonii, with intermediate characteristics between LG and RFG, has been identified. As part of the LG, it gives erythema migrans but also high spirochaetemia with fever. Hard ticks are vectors for both LG and REPG groups, but in LG they are mostly Ixodes sp. ticks, while in REPG vectors do not belong to that genus.