Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Mar;49(3):945-54. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01689-10. Epub 2010 Dec 22.
In North America, Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a tick-borne disease caused by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. We studied the genetic diversity of LB spirochetes in north-coastal California residents. Spirochete DNA was detected in 23.7% (27/114) of the study subjects using a PCR protocol optimized for increased sensitivity in human sera. Californians were most commonly infected with B. burgdorferi ospC genotype A, a globally widespread spirochete associated with high virulence in LB patients. Sequence analysis of rrf-rrl and p66 loci in 11% (3/27) of the PCR-positive study subjects revealed evidence of infection with an organism closely related to B. bissettii. This spirochete, heretofore associated with LB only in Europe, is widely distributed among ticks and wildlife in North America. Further molecular testing of sera from residents in areas where LB is endemic is warranted to enhance our understanding of the geographic distribution and frequency of occurrence of B. bissettii-like infections.
在北美洲，莱姆病（LB）是一种由伯氏疏螺旋体感染引起的蜱传疾病。我们研究了北加州沿海居民中 LB 螺旋体的遗传多样性。使用针对人血清中提高灵敏度的 PCR 方案，在 23.7%（27/114）的研究对象中检测到螺旋体 DNA。加利福尼亚人最常感染 B. burgdorferi ospC 基因型 A，这是一种在 LB 患者中与高毒力相关的全球广泛存在的螺旋体。在 11%（3/27）的 PCR 阳性研究对象的 rrf-rrl 和 p66 基因座的序列分析中，发现了与与 B. bissettii 密切相关的感染证据。这种以前仅在欧洲与 LB 相关的螺旋体，在北美的蜱和野生动物中广泛分布。有必要对地方性 LB 地区居民的血清进行进一步的分子检测，以提高我们对 B. bissettii 样感染的地理分布和发生频率的理解。
