Borrelia

Borrelia is a genus of spiral-shaped bacteria transmitted mainly by ticks or lice. Its species cause Lyme disease and several forms of relapsing fever.

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Spirochaete: A thin, flexible bacterium with a helical shape and internal flagella that enable movement. Borrelia belongs to this bacterial group, whose internal flagella drive its corkscrew motion.
Lyme disease: A multisystem infection caused by Borrelia bacteria and transmitted by infected ticks. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species cause Lyme disease, its most widespread human illness.
Antigenic variation: A pathogen’s alteration of exposed molecules to evade recognition by the host immune system. Relapsing-fever Borrelia repeatedly changes surface antigens, allowing successive waves of infection.
Treponema pallidum: A spirochaete bacterium that causes syphilis. Unlike Borrelia, it is not typically transmitted by ticks or lice.
Periplasmic flagellum: A flagellum located between a bacterium’s inner and outer membranes. These internal flagella rotate within Borrelia’s cell envelope to propel it through viscous tissues.
Relapsing fever: A bacterial illness marked by recurring episodes of fever, commonly caused by Borrelia species. Many Borrelia species cause relapsing fever, with transmission routes varying by species.
VlsE: A variable surface lipoprotein expressed by Borrelia burgdorferi during mammalian infection. Its sequence variation helps Lyme disease Borrelia persist despite antibody responses.
Leptospira: A genus of spirochaete bacteria that includes agents of leptospirosis. Leptospira usually spreads through animal urine and contaminated water, unlike arthropod-borne Borrelia.
Tick: A blood-feeding arachnid that can transmit pathogens between animal and human hosts. Ticks transmit Lyme disease Borrelia and several tick-borne relapsing-fever species.
Borrelia recurrentis: A Borrelia species transmitted by body lice that causes louse-borne relapsing fever. This species is the distinctive louse-borne member of a largely tick-associated genus.