Molecular Identification and Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Lizards in the Southeastern United States

Lyme borreliosis (LB) group spirochetes, collectively known as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, are distributed worldwide. Wild rodents are acknowledged as the most important reservoir hosts. Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of B. burgdorferi sensu lato in the eastern United States, and in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 71; no. 5; pp. 2616 - 2625
Main Authors:	Clark, Kerry, Hendricks, Amanda, Burge, David
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01-05-2005
Subjects:	Animals Bacteriology Base Sequence Biological and medical sciences Borrelia andersonii Borrelia bissettii Borrelia burgdorferi Borrelia burgdorferi - classification Borrelia burgdorferi - genetics Borrelia burgdorferi - growth & development Culture Media Disease Reservoirs Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology Infections Ixodes scapularis Lacertilia Lizards - microbiology Lyme disease Microbiology Molecular Sequence Data Pathogenicity, virulence, toxins, bacteriocins, pyrogens, host-bacteria relations, miscellaneous strains Phylogeny Polymerase Chain Reaction Public health Public Health Microbiology Reptiles & amphibians Ticks - microbiology United States North America America Florida South Carolina USA Infection Borrelia burgdorferi Prevalence Spirochaetaceae Spirochaetales Bacteria Identification
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Summary:	Lyme borreliosis (LB) group spirochetes, collectively known as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, are distributed worldwide. Wild rodents are acknowledged as the most important reservoir hosts. Ixodes scapularis is the primary vector of B. burgdorferi sensu lato in the eastern United States, and in the southeastern United States, the larvae and nymphs mostly parasitize certain species of lizards. The primary aim of the present study was to determine whether wild lizards in the southeastern United States are naturally infected with Lyme borreliae. Blood samples obtained from lizards in Florida and South Carolina were tested for the presence of LB spirochetes primarily by using B. burgdorferi sensu lato-specific PCR assays that amplify portions of the flagellin (flaB), outer surface protein A (ospA), and 66-kDa protein (p66) genes. Attempts to isolate spirochetes from a small number of PCR-positive lizards failed. However, PCR amplification and sequence analysis of partial flaB, ospA, and p66 gene fragments confirmed numerous strains of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, including Borrelia andersonii, Borrelia bissettii, and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, in blood from lizards from both states. B. burgdorferi sensu lato DNA was identified in 86 of 160 (54%) lizards representing nine species and six genera. The high infection prevalence and broad distribution of infection among different lizard species at different sites and at different times of the year suggest that LB spirochetes are established in lizards in the southeastern United States.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, 4567 St. Johns Bluff Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224. Phone: (904) 620-2840. Fax: (904) 620-2848. E-mail: kclark@unf.edu.
ISSN:	0099-2240 1098-5336
DOI:	10.1128/AEM.71.5.2616-2625.2005