A distinct Borrelia clade within the relapsing fever group from cat-infesting Haemaphysalis semermis Neumann 1901 (Acari: Ixodidae)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2025
Abstract
An undescribed relapsing fever group Borrelia species was detected in a male Haemaphysalis semermis tick infesting a rural cat in an indigenous population in Pahang National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. The 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed close similarity of this variant to several undescribed Borrelia species and Borrelia theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 0.58 to 0.72%. Furthermore, the flaB, gyrB, and the concatenated 16 S rRNA + flaB + gyrB sequence analyses demonstrated that this variant is distinctly separated from multiple undescribed Borrelia species, Borrelia miyamotoi, and B. theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 3.41 to 7.00%. This study not only reports the first Borrelia found in H. semermis but also suggests that it forms a distinct clade within the relapsing fever group in Peninsular Malaysia.
Keywords
Relapsing fever, Tick-borne diseases, Ecology, Ectoparasite
Divisions
Parasit,tidrec
Funders
Benrhard-Nohct Institute for Tropical Medicine,Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM),Sungai Buloh campus, Malaysia,Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine
Publication Title
Veterinary Research Communications
Volume
49
Issue
1
Publisher
Springer
Publisher Location
VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS