Borrelia kurtenbachii sp. nov., a widely distributed member of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex in North America

Abstract

Lyme borreliosis group spirochaetes are parasitic bacteria transmitted by vector ticks of the genus Ixodes and distributed mainly between 40° and 60° northern latitudes. Since Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (hereinafter, B. burgdorferi) was described in the north-eastern USA during the early 1980s, an increasing diversity has been noted within the species complex. Here, we describe a novel genomic species, Borrelia kurtenbachii sp. nov. (type strain 25015(T) = ATCC BAA-2495(T) = DSM 26572(T)), that is prevalent in transmission cycles among vector ticks and reservoir hosts in North America. Confirmation of the presence of this species in Europe awaits further investigation.