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Differentiation, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato Virulence Gene, Ospc, And The Overwintering Survivability Of The Tick Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, Melissa Beth Stone
Differentiation, Distribution, And Diversity Of The Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato Virulence Gene, Ospc, And The Overwintering Survivability Of The Tick Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, Melissa Beth Stone
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
The causative agents of Lyme disease, or Lyme Borreliosis, are spirochetes in the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex that are transmitted by ticks in the genus Ixodes. Certain B. burgdorferi s.l. genotypes are more likely to cause invasive, disseminated infection in humans, and the gene, ospC, has been identified as a molecular marker that can be used to predict virulence. ospC is the most polymorphic locus in the B. burgdorferi s.l. genome, and different alleles have been assigned to Major ospC Groups based on sequence dissimilarity. Issues with the Major ospC Group definition and nomenclature are pervasive in …