Similarities in murine infection and immune response to Borrelia bissettii and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.

ABSTRACT: In 1982, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss) was identified as the aetiological agent of Lyme disease. Since then an increasing number of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) species have been isolated in the United States. To date, many of these species remain understudied despite mounting evidence associating them with human illness. Borrelia bissettii is a spirochaete closely related to B. burgdorferi that has been loosely associated with human illness. Using an experimental murine infection model, we compared the infectivity and humoral immune response with a North American isolate of B. bissettii and B. burgdorferi using culture, molecular and serological methods. The original B. bissettii cultures were unable to infect immunocompetent mice, but were confirmed to be infectious aft

SUBMITTER: Leydet BF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5974290 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature