title: Pathogenic analysis of Borrelia garinii strain SZ isolated from Northeastern China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) have been identified from patients and animals worldwide. Genospecies-related dissemination of disease has been reported. The present study aimed to elucidate the pathogenicity of infections caused by B. garinii SZ isolated in China. B. burgdorferi B31 and B. afzelii BO23 were used for comparison.
  
  
  METHODS
  Spirochete load in blood and tissue samples of infected mice were measured by minor groove binder-based real-time polymerase chain reaction. The kinetics of spirochete dissemination and disease severity were assessed in BALB/c mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pattern of bacterial load differed between the three genospecies. The B. garinii SZ strain is highly pathogenic and can trigger multi-system pathological damage in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spirochete dissemination, persistence, tissue tropism and disease severity varied significantly, suggesting that different genospecies may play an important role in the pathogenicity and development of clinical diseases.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Grazing Animal Diseases MOA, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou 730046, China.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhijie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jidong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Youquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guiquan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Jifei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jianxun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002681:China; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012720:Severity of Illness Index