A core genome MLST scheme for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato improves insights into the evolutionary history of the species complex.

Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) based on eight genes has become the method of choice for Borrelia typing and is extensively used for population studies. Whole-genome sequencing enables studies to scale up to genomic levels but necessitates extended schemes. We have developed a 639-loci core genome MLST (cgMLST) scheme for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.

Combining short- and long-read sequencing unveils geographically structured diversity in .

is an emerging tick-borne human pathogen in the Northern hemisphere. The aim of the current study was to compare whole genome sequences of isolates from different continents. Using a combination of Illumina and PacBio platforms and a novel genome assembly and plasmid typing pipeline, we reveal that the 21 sequenced isolates and publically available genomes from North America, Asia, and Europe form genetically distinct populations and cluster according to their geographical origin, where distinct species are endemic.

Seroprevalence, seroconversion and seroreversion of specific IgG antibodies in two population-based studies in children and adolescents, Germany, 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2017.

BackgroundLyme borreliosis (LB), caused by (), is the most common tick-borne infection in Germany. Antibodies against are prevalent in the general population but information on temporal changes of prevalence and estimates of seroconversion (seroincidence) and seroreversion are lacking, especially for children and adolescents.AimWe aimed at assessing antibodies against and factors associated with seropositivity in children and adolescents in Germany.

The evolving story of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato transmission in Europe.

Beside mosquitoes, ticks are well-known vectors of different human pathogens. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lyme borreliosis (Eurasia, LB) or Lyme disease (North America, LD) is the most commonly occurring vector-borne infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia which are transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes. The reported incidence of LB in Europe is about 22.

Mobile Colistin Resistance Genetic Determinants of Non-Typhoid Isolates from Russia.

Polymyxin resistance, determined by genes located on plasmid DNA, currently poses a high epidemiological threat. Non-typhoid (NTS) are one of the key pathogens causing diarrheal diseases. Here, we report the isolation and whole genome sequencing of multidrug colistin-resistant/susceptible isolates of non-typhoid serovars carrying genes.

Dynamics of -Specific Antibodies: Seroconversion and Seroreversion between Two Population-Based, Cross-Sectional Surveys among Adults in Germany.

Lyme borreliosis (LB) caused by spp. is the most common human tick-borne disease in Europe. Although seroprevalence studies are conducted in several countries, rates of seroconversion and seroreversion are lacking, and they are essential to determine the risk of infection.

First Cases of Natural Infections with in Two Dogs and a Cat from Europe.

Canine cases of relapsing fever (RF) borreliosis have been described in Israel and the USA, where two RF species, and , can cause similar clinical signs to the in dogs and cats reported from Israel, including fever, lethargy, anorexia, thrombocytopenia, and spirochetemia. In this report, we describe the first clinical cases of two dogs and a cat from Spain (Cordoba, Valencia, and Seville) caused by the RF species Spirochetes were present in the blood smears of all three animals, and clinical signs included lethargy, pale mucosa, anorexia, cachexia, or mild abdominal respiration. Laboratory findings, like thrombocytopenia in both dogs, may have been caused by co-infecting pathogens (i.

Longitudinal study of prevalence and spatio-temporal distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks from three defined habitats in Latvia, 1999-2010.

Members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex are known to cause human Lyme borreliosis.

Whole genome sequencing of Borrelia miyamotoi isolate Izh-4: reference for a complex bacterial genome.

Background: The genus Borrelia comprises spirochaetal bacteria maintained in natural transmission cycles by tick vectors and vertebrate reservoir hosts. The main groups are represented by a species complex including the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and relapsing fever group Borrelia. Borrelia miyamotoi belongs to the relapsing fever group of spirochetes and forms distinct populations in North America, Asia, and Europe.

Host dispersal shapes the population structure of a tick-borne bacterial pathogen.

Birds are hosts for several zoonotic pathogens. Because of their high mobility, especially of longdistance migrants, birds can disperse these pathogens, affecting their distribution and phylogeography. We focused on Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which includes the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis, as an example for tick-borne pathogens, to address the role of birds as propagation hosts of zoonotic agents at a large geographical scale.

sp. nov., a novel species of the complex, occupying a basal position to North American species.

species are vector-borne parasitic bacteria with unusual, highly fragmented genomes that include a linear chromosome and linear as well as circular plasmids that differ numerically between and within various species. Strain CA690, which was cultivated from a questing nymph in the San Francisco Bay area, CA, was determined to be genetically distinct from all other described species belonging to the complex. The genome, including plasmids, was assembled using a hybrid assembly of short Illumina reads and long reads obtained via Oxford Nanopore Technology.

Ixodes inopinatus in northern Germany: occurrence and potential vector role for Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in comparison with Ixodes ricinus.

In 2014, a new tick species, Ixodes inopinatus, was described, which is closely related to Ixodes ricinus. So far, I. inopinatus has been found in Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Austria, and southern Germany.

Population structure of Borrelia turcica from Greece and Turkey.

Borrelia turcica, a member of the reptile-associated Borrelia clade, is vectored by Hyalomma aegyptium. The only suggested reservoir hosts of B. turcica are tortoises of the genus Testudo.

First investigations on serum resistance and sensitivity of Borrelia turcica.

Borrelia turcica is a reptile-associated Borrelia species that is vectored by the hard tick Hyalomma aegyptium. Tortoises of the genus Testudo represent the principal host of adult H. aegyptium, while immature stages are less host-specific and can be found on various vertebrates and even on humans.

Comparison of methods for economic and efficient tick and Borrelia DNA purification.

DNA purification is a critical step in the processing of samples for molecular diagnosis and/ or identification of pathogens via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Especially when handling vectors like ticks, purifying the DNA always poses a challenge. In this study, we compared factors that may have an influence on DNA extraction namely commercially available DNA extraction kits vs alkaline hydrolysis for DNA extraction.

Core genome phylogenetic analysis of the avian associated Borrelia turdi indicates a close relationship to Borrelia garinii.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato comprises a species complex of tick-transmitted bacteria that includes the agents of human Lyme borreliosis. Borrelia turdi is a genospecies of this complex that exists in cryptic transmission cycles mainly between ornithophilic tick vectors and their avian hosts. The species has been originally discovered in avian transmission cycles in Asia but has increasingly been found in Europe.

Shifts in Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) geno-species infections in Ixodes ricinus over a 10-year surveillance period in the city of Hanover (Germany) and Borrelia miyamotoi-specific Reverse Line Blot detection.

Background: Lyme borreliosis caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) complex is still the most common tick-borne disease in Europe, posing a considerable threat to public health. The predominant vector in Europe is the widespread hard tick Ixodes ricinus, which also transmits the relapsing fever spirochete B. miyamotoi as well as pathogenic Rickettsiales (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp.

Association of Borrelia and Rickettsia spp. and bacterial loads in Ixodes ricinus ticks.

In recent years, awareness of coinfections has increased as synergistic or antagonistic effects on interacting bacteria have been observed. To date, several reports on coinfections of ticks with Rickettsia and Borrelia spp. are available.