[Study of the antigenic makeup of strains of Borrelia anserina, Sakharoff, 1891, of the Surnevo and Pamoukchii serotypes].

An antigen analysis of Borrelia anserina strains, belonging to two serotypes, was carried out for the first time by means of direct immunofluorescence microscopy, gel diffusion after Ouchterlony, immunoelectrophoresis as modified by Scheidegger, and whole serum macroagglutination reaction. It was found that the spirochetes of the strain Rouen of Pamoukchii serotype possess eight surface antigens, and those of strain Surnevo I of the same serotype have 6. The two strains were found to have as many as four common surface antigens, on the one hand, and two type-specific antigens each, on the other. Strain Rouen has a heat-resistant type-specific antigen, probably of a polysaccharide nature. Two of the surface antigens of strain Rouen were found to be more deeply bound in strain Surnevo I.