Borrelia

Borrelia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Bacteria;
Phylum:	Spirochaetes;
Class:	Spirochaetes;
Order:	Spirochaetales;
Family:	Spirochaetaceae;
Genus:	Borrelia;
Species
	Borrelia afzelii; Borrelia anserina; Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia garinii; Borrelia hermsii; Borrelia recurrentis; Borrelia valaisiana; etc.;

Template:Seealso Template:Seealso Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Borrelia is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete class. It is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted primarily by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. There are 37 known species of Borrelia.

Borreliosis (Lyme disease)

Of the 37 known species of Borrelia, 12 of these species are known to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The major Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia valaisiana.

Relapsing fever

Other Borrelia species cause relapsing fever such as Borrelia recurrentis, caused by the human body louse. No animal reservoir of B. recurrentis exists. Lice that feed on infected humans acquire the Borrelia organisms that then multiply in the gut of the louse. When an infected louse feeds on an uninfected human, the organism gains access when the victim crushes the louse or scratches the area where the louse is feeding. B. recurrentis infects the person via mucous membranes and then invades the bloodstream.

Other tick-borne relapsing infections are acquired from other species, such as Borrelia hermsii or Borrelia Parkeri, which can be spread from rodents, and serve as a reservoir for the infection, via a tick vector. Borelia hermsii and Borrelia recurrentis cause very similar diseases although the disease associated with Borrelia hermsii has more relapses and is responsible for more fatalities, while the disease caused by B. recurrentis has longer febrile and afebrile intervals and a longer incubation period.

Gallery

"Black-legged ticks", Ixodes scapularis, also referred to as I. dammini, are found on a wide rage of hosts. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]
Female “Lone star tick” From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]
Dorsal view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]
Dorsal view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]
White tail deer during a Lyme disease field investigation. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]
White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, which is a host of ticks thatare known to carry the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, responsible for Lyme disease. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL). ^[1]