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Taxonomy of Borrelia organisms associated
with Lyme disease |
With the growing recognition of antigenic variants and different
species of Borrelia that are associated with LD in different
parts of the world, a change in nomenclature has appeared in the
literature.
- Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto refers to the specific
strains associated with classical LD.
- There is clear evidence of antigenic variation among even
just these sensu stricto isolates. Hence, future vaccine
development may have to take antigenic variation into account.
- Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato refers to the LD group
of related Borrelia organisms as a whole.
- Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii are genospecies
associated primarily with neurologic LD and chronic skin disease
("acrodermatitis"), respectively, in Europe
and Japan.
- Borrelia lonestari is the cause of "southern
tick-associated rash syndrome" in the U.S..
