Borrelia

Borrelia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Bacteria Phylum: Spirochaetes Class: Spirochaetes Order: Spirochaetales Family: Spirochaetaceae Genus: Borrelia
Species
Borrelia afzelii Borrelia anserina Borrelia burgdorferi Borrelia garinii Borrelia hermsii Borrelia recurrentis Borrelia valaisiana etc.

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Evidence Based Medicine
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List of terms related to Borrelia

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Borrelia is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete class. It is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted primarily by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. There are 37 known species of Borrelia.

Borreliosis (Lyme disease)

Main article: Lyme disease

Of the 37 known species of Borrelia, 12 of these species are known to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The major Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia valaisiana.

Relapsing fever

Main article: Relapsing fever

Other Borrelia species cause relapsing fever such as Borrelia recurrentis, caused by the human body louse. No animal reservoir of B. recurrentis exists. Lice that feed on infected humans acquire the Borrelia organisms that then multiply in the gut of the louse. When an infected louse feeds on an uninfected human, the organism gains access when the victim crushes the louse or scratches the area where the louse is feeding. B. recurrentis infects the person via mucous membranes and then invades the bloodstream.

Other tick-borne relapsing infections are acquired from other species, such as Borrelia hermsii or Borrelia Parkeri, which can be spread from rodents, and serve as a reservoir for the infection, via a tick vector. Borelia hermsii and Borrelia recurrentis cause very similar diseases although the disease associated with Borrelia hermsii has more relapses and is responsible for more fatalities, while the disease caused by B. recurrentis has longer febrile and afebrile intervals and a longer incubation period.

Gallery

• 

  "Black-legged ticks", Ixodes scapularis, also referred to as I. dammini, are found on a wide rage of hosts. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

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  Female “Lone star tick” From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

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  Dorsal view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

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  Dorsal view of the “soft tick” Carios kelleyi. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

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  White tail deer during a Lyme disease field investigation. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

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  White-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, which is a host of ticks thatare known to carry the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, responsible for Lyme disease. From Public Health Image Library (PHIL).

Treatment

Antimicrobial Regimen

• Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever

• Preferred regimen: Doxycycline 100 mg PO twice daily for 5-10 days
• Alternative regimen: Erythromycin 500 mg PO four times a day for 5-10 days
• NOTE: If meningitis/encephalitis present, use Ceftriaxone 2 g IV q12h for 14 days

• Louse-Borne Relapsing Fever

• Preferred regimen: single dose Tetracycline 500 mg PO
• Alternative regimen: single dose Erythromycin 500 mg PO

• Lyme disease

• Early Lyme Disease

• Erythema migrans

• Preferred regimen: Doxycycline 100 mg twice per day for 10-21 days OR Amoxicillin 500 mg 3 times per day for 14-21 days OR Cefuroxime axetil 500 mg twice per day for 14-21 days
• Pediatric regimen (1): (children <8 years of age) Amoxicillin 50 mg/kg per day in 3 divided doses [maximum of 500 mg per dose] OR Cefuroxime axetil 30 mg/kg per day in 2 divided doses （maximum of 500 mg per dose)
• Pediatric regimen (2):（children ≥8 years of age）Doxycycline 4 mg/kg per day in 2 divided doses（maximum of 100 mg per dose）

• Lyme meningitis and other manifestations of early neurologic Lyme disease

• Preferred regimen:

• Lyme carditis

• Preferred regimen:

• Borrelial lymphocytoma

• Preferred regimen:

• Late Lyme Disease

• Lyme arthritis

• Preferred regimen:

• Late neurologic Lyme disease

• Preferred regimen:

• Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans

• Preferred regimen:

• Coinfection

• Preferred regimen:

• Post–Lyme Disease Syndromes

• Preferred regimen:

External links

• Borrelia Microbe Wiki Page
• NCBI Borrelia Taxonomy Browser