Biology of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne obligate parasite whose normal reservoir is a variety of small mammals. Although infection of these natural hosts does not lead to disease, infection of humans can result in Lyme disease as a consequence of the human immunopathologic response to B burgdorferi. Consistent with the pathogenesis of Lyme disease, bacterial products that allow B burgdorferi to replicate and survive seem to be primarily what is required for the bacterium to cause disease in a susceptible host. This article describes the basic biology of B burgdorferi and reviews some of the bacterial components required for infection of and survival in the mammalian and tick hosts.
Tilly
Kit
K
Laboratory of Zoonotic Pathogens, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
Rosa
Patricia A
PA
Stewart
Philip E
PE
D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology