Borrelia recurrentis Characterization and Comparison with Relapsing-Fever, Lyme-Associated, and Other Borrelia spp.

Abstract excerpt

Borrelia recurrentis, the cause of louse-borne relapsing fever, has until recently been considered noncultivable, which has prevented characterization of this spirochete. We successfully cultivated 18 strains from patients with louse-borne relapsing fever and present the initial characterization of these isolates. Electron microscopy revealed spirochetal cells with pointed ends, an average wavelength of 1.8...