A Novel <i>flaB</i> Gene-Based Profiling Approach for the Rapid and Accurate Detection of <i>Borreliella</i> and <i>Borrelia</i> Species in Ticks.

ABSTRACT: The increasing incidence of tick-borne diseases in Europe necessitates the development of accurate and high-throughput molecular tools for detecting pathogens in tick populations. In this study, we present a novel flaB gene-based profiling method for the detection and identification of Borrelia and Borreliella species in Ixodes ricinus ticks, combining newly designed primers with next-generation sequencing (NGS). The method was evaluated alongside conventional nested PCR targeting the flaB gene, as well as microbial profiling based on the V4 region of the rrs gene, using tick DNA extracted from 1088 specimens pooled into 94 samples. Our results demonstrate that the flaB gene-based profiling approach was the highest-performing out of the thre

SUBMITTER: Taylor AD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12114648 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature