Molecular Characterization of a Novel Relapsing Fever Borrelia Species from the Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) in New Mexico, USA

Irina Goodrich; Clifton McKee; Gabriele Margos; Michael Kosoy

doi:10.7589/JWD-D-21-00148

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25 July 2022 Molecular Characterization of a Novel Relapsing Fever Borrelia Species from the Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) in New Mexico, USA

Irina Goodrich, Clifton McKee, Gabriele Margos, Michael Kosoy

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J. of Wildlife Diseases, 58(3):646-651 (2022). https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-21-00148

Abstract

The Borrelia genus comprises vector-borne, spirochete bacteria infecting vertebrates worldwide. We characterized a novel relapsing fever Borrelia species from a desert cottontail (Syvilagus audubonii) from New Mexico, US, using an established multilocus sequence analysis approach. Phylogenetic analysis of the flagellin gene (flaB) and four other protein-coding loci (clpX, pepX, recG, rplB) grouped the novel Borrelia species with hard tick relapsing fever borreliae Borrelia lonestari, Borrelia theileri, and Borrelia miyamotoi. The identity of the vectors and other vertebrate hosts, geographic distribution, and zoonotic potential of this novel Borrelia species deserve further investigation.

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Irina Goodrich, Clifton McKee, Gabriele Margos, and Michael Kosoy "Molecular Characterization of a Novel Relapsing Fever Borrelia Species from the Desert Cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii) in New Mexico, USA," Journal of Wildlife Diseases 58(3), 646-651, (25 July 2022). https://doi.org/10.7589/JWD-D-21-00148

Received: 10 September 2021; Accepted: 6 April 2022; Published: 25 July 2022

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