title: Diversity within Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies in Switzerland by recA gene sequence.
abstract: A total of 874 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected in Switzerland to investigate the genetic diversity of the Borrelia population. We integrated to the RT-PCR method the DNA sequence analysis of a 162-bp fragment of the recA gene. Five genospecies were detected: Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., Borrelia garinii, Borrelia valaisiana, and Borrelia lusitaniae. A heterogeneous distribution was observed within the B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies. The most prevalent and diverse genospecies found in Switzerland was Borrelia afzelii, which might suggest a rapid evolution of this genospecies.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Cantonale di Microbiologia, Via Mirasole 22A, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casati
authors.forename: Marco V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gern
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Piffaretti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004285:Dogs; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009758:Nymph / Q000382:microbiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011938:Rec A Recombinases