Molecular polymorphism of the Lyme disease agent Borrelia garinii in northern Europe is influenced by a novel enzootic Borrelia focus in the North Atlantic

Lyme disease Borrelia species are distributed in temperate areas of North America and Eurasia. To elucidate the distribution of borreliae in subarctic regions, strains isolated from Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes uriae ticks found on islands in the northern Atlantic and Baltic Sea were molecularly characterized. All isolates were verified as Borrelia garinii by 16S rRNA gene analysis and immunoblotting with monoclonal antibodies specific for the outer surface proteins A and C. Three ribotypes (RTs) of B. garinii were delineated. I. ricinus complex-associated RT1 was phenotypically most heterogeneous. Two newly identified ribotypes were shared by different tick species and conformed to two established OspA serotypes. RT2 was restricted to the islands in the northern Baltic Sea, whereas RT3 was recovered also from ticks found in the North Atlantic. In conclusion, molecular polymorphism of the studied borrelia isolates suggests a complex enzootic potential of B. garinii in northern Europe and implies a novel, seabird tick I. uriae-associated enzootic focus of Lyme disease borreliae in the North Atlantic.

Olsen, BjörnDepartment of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden (författare)
Fingerle, VDepartment of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden (författare)
Bonnedahl, JonasDepartment of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden(Swepub:liu)jonbo68 (författare)
Wilske, BDepartment of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden (författare)
Bergström, SvenDepartment of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden (författare)
Department of Microbiology, Umeå University, Sweden (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Journal of Clinical MicrobiologyWashington, DC, United States : American Society for Microbiology34:2, s. 364-3680095-11371098-660X

Av författaren/redakt...: Bunikis, J; Olsen, Björn; Fingerle, V; Bonnedahl, Jonas; Wilske, B; Bergström, Sven

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