Diversity and distribution of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete < i > Borrelia turicatae < /i >

by Aparna Krishnavajhala, Brittany A. Armstrong, Alexander R. Kneubehl, Sarah M. Gunter, Julie Piccione, Hee J. Kim, Rosa Ramirez, Ivan Castro-Arellano, Walter Roachell, Pete D. Teel, Job E. LopezBorrelia turicatae is a causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in the subtropics and tropics of the United States and Latin America. Historically,B.turicatae was thought to be maintained in enzootic cycles in rural areas. However, there is growing evidence that suggests the pathogen has established endemic foci in densely populated regions of Texas. With the growth of homelessness in the state and human activity in city parks, it was important to implement field collection efforts to identify areas whereB.turicatae and its vector circulate. Between 2017 and 2020 we collectedOrnithodoros turicata ticks in suburban and urban areas including public and private parks and recreational spaces. Ticks were fed on na ïve mice and spirochetes were isolated from the blood. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on eight newly obtained isolates and included previously reported sequences. The four chromosomal loci targeted for MLST were 16S ribosomal RNA (rrs), flagellin B (flaB), DNA gyrase B (gyrB), and the intergenic spacer (IGS). Given the complexity ofBorrelia genomes, plasmid diversity was also evaluated. These studies indicate that the IGS locus segregatesB.turicatae into four genomic types and plasmid diversity is extensive between isolates. Furthermore,B.turicatae...
Source: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases - Category: Tropical Medicine Authors: Source Type: research