Diversity and host specificity of Borrelia burgdorferi's outer surface protein C (ospC) alleles in synanthropic mammals, with a notable ospC allele U absence from mixed infections.

Abstract excerpt

Interactions among pathogen genotypes that vary in host specificity may affect overall transmission dynamics in multi-host systems. Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme disease, is typically transmitted among wildlife by Ixodes ticks. Despite the existence of many alleles of B. burgdorferi's sensu stricto outer surface protein C (ospC) gene, most human infections are caused by a small number of ospC...

Topics

• Animals
• Humans
• Borrelia burgdorferi
• Borrelia
• Alleles
• Coinfection
• Lyme Disease
• Ixodes
• Antigens, Bacterial
• Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins