Abstract
We document the first record of Borrelia americana in Canada. This Borrelia was detected in an avian coast tick, Ixodes auritulus (Acari: Ixodidae), collected from a Varied Thrush, Ixoreus naevius, along coastal British Columbia. Using real-time PCR and DNA sequencing of the flagellin gene, we determined that the borrelial amplicon from the I. auritulus nymph was 99% homologous with B. americana type strain SCW-41. Because patients infected with B. americana can be seronegative for Lyme disease, medical professionals should be willing to pursue molecular analyses and consider treatment for patients with Lyme disease-like symptoms.
Highlights
Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that transmit a diverse array of protozoan, viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens [1]
We provide the first account of B. americana in Canada
B. americana has been detected in songbird-transported ticks, which indicates this Borrelia could well be widely dispersed across North America
Summary
Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that transmit a diverse array of protozoan, viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens [1]. These tick-borne microorganisms cause pernicious diseases in animals, including humans. The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner is typically carried and transmitted by several hard-bodied ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) [2]. In North America, at least 9 B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies are characterized, namely B. americana, B. andersonii, B. bissettii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), B. californiensis, B. carolinensis, B. garinii, B. kurtenbachii, and B. mayonii [3]-[10]. Lyme disease has been diagnosed in over 80 countries [15]
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