BACKGROUND In Africa, relapsing fever borreliae are neglected arthropod-borne pathogens causing mild to deadly septicemia and miscarriage. The closely related Borrelia crocidurae, Borrelia duttonii, Borrelia recurrentis and Borrelia hispanica are rarely diagnosed at the species level, hampering refined epidemiological and clinical knowledge of the relapsing fevers. It would be hugely beneficial...

A hallmark of acute relapsing fever borreliosis is severe bacteremia. Some Borrelia species, such as B. duttonii and B. crocidurae, associate with erythrocytes and induce aggregation recognized as erythrocyte rosetting. Erythrocyte rosettes contribute to disease severity by increased tissue invasiveness (such as invasion of CNS and encephalitis), hemorrhaging, and reduced blood flow in affected...

Relapsing fever spirochetes are tick- and louse-borne pathogens that primarily afflict those in impoverished countries. Historically the pathogens have had a significant impact on public health, yet currently they are often overlooked because of the nonspecific display of disease. In this review, we discuss aspects of relapsing fever (RF) spirochete pathogenesis including the: (1) clinical mani...

Analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) of bacteria is a commonly used chemotaxonomic technique. Application of this methodology to spirochaetes associated with Lyme borreliosis revealed distinct clusters corresponding to three genetically distinguished groups: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and the VS461 group. However, B. garinii formed a common group with B. hermsii...

Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), is caused by several species of Borrelia spirochetes, which are transmitted to humans through the bites of Ornithodoros spp. soft ticks. Wild rodents and insectivores are common reservoir hosts. TBRF is responsible for recurring fever associated with spirochetemia. The epidemiology of TBRF has not been well documented in South America where three endemic ticks...

Lyme disease and relapsing fever are caused by various Borrelia species. Lyme disease borreliae, the most common vector-borne pathogens in both the U.S. and Europe, are transmitted by Ixodes ticks and disseminate from the site of tick bites to tissues leading to erythema migrans skin rash, arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis. Relapsing fever borreliae, carried by ticks and lice, trigger r...

Relapsing fever is a worldwide, endemic disease caused by several spirochetal species belonging to the genus Borrelia. During the recurring fever peaks, borreliae proliferate remarkably quickly compared to the slow dissemination of Lyme disease Borrelia and therefore require efficient nutrient uptake from the blood of their hosts. This study describes the identification and characterization of ...