Borrelia hermsii
| Borrelia hermsii | |
|---|---|
| Borrelia hermsii (green) on red blood cells | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Spirochaetota |
| Class: | Spirochaetia |
| Order: | Spirochaetales |
| Family: | Borreliaceae |
| Genus: | Borrelia |
| Species: | B. hermsii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Borrelia hermsii (Davis, 1942) Steinhaus, 1946
| |
Borrelia hermsii is a spirochete bacterium representing the endemic causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in eastern regions of North America (more specifically, the eastern United States, and British Columbia region of Canada). It is spread by the soft-bodied tick Ornithodoros hermsi. Human infections characteristically occur among campers and people temporarily lodging in wooden accommodations in proximity to rodents. Human disease is usually relatively mild with low fever.[1]
Epidemiology
B. hermsii is endemic to regions of the U.S. with high elevation (whereas B. turicatae is endemic to low-lying regions such as Texas and Florida).[2]
Borrelia hermsii express a surface protein called FhbA. This protein evades the immune system by binding to FH and FHL-1, which are regulators of the complement system. This prevents the immune system from attacking bacteria. The FhbA is a surface-exposed lipoprotein that encodes for a single-genetic locus. It has a high affinity for binding to FH and recombinant FH. It has an important role in bacterial survival and therefore can be used for diagnosis- FhbA genes are mingled with majority of relapsing fever clade. [3]
References
- ^ "Dictionnaire médical de l'Académie de Médecine". www.academie-medecine.fr. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Relapsing Fever - Infectious Diseases". MSD Manual Professional Edition. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Guérin, Mickaël; Vandevenne, Marylène; Brans, Alain; Matagne, André; Marquant, Rodrigue; Prost, Elise; Octave, Stéphane; Avalle, Bérangère; Maffucci, Irene; Padiolleau-Lefèvre, Séverine (December 2024). "Production, purification, and quality assessment of borrelial proteins CspZ from Borrelia burgdorferi and FhbA from Borrelia hermsii". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 108 (1): 1-14. doi:10.1007/s00253-024-13195-2. PMC 11266248.