Detection of Asian-Type from Inhabiting Tver Province (Russia): A Sympatric Region for and .

, a hard tick-borne relapsing fever agent, was sampled in and ticks from the Tver province in Russia (a sympatric region of both tick species) and examined by TaqMan-PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene. was detected in 4 out of 168 ticks: 2 out of 58 ticks (infection rate 2.9%) and 2 out of 110 ticks (1.8%). The agent was identified as on the basis of the 16S and 23S rDNA intergenic spacer and glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase gene sequencing analyses. Interestingly, the genes sequences detected from one tick were identical to those of Asian-type from This tick was identified as by sequencing analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1. The results suggest that the ticks were infected with Asian-type in a sympatric region for and