Investigation of Borrelia spp. in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) at the border crossings between China and Russia in Heilongjiang Province, China

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the precise species of tick vector and the Borrelia spirochete pathogen at the Heilongjiang Province international border with Russia.@*METHODS@#In this study, ticks were collected from 12 Heilongjiang border crossings (including grasslands, shrublands, forests, and plantantions) to determine the rate and species type of spirochete-infected ticks and the most prevalent spirochete genotypes.@*RESULTS@#The ticks represented three genera and four species of the Ixodidae family [Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis concinna and Haemaphysalis japonica]. Ixodes persulcatus had the highest amount of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection of 25.6% and the most common species of Borrelia isolated from Ixodes persulcatus was Borrelia garinii, strain PD91.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Our results suggest that Borrelia garinii PD91-infected Ixodes persulcatus may be the principal cause of Lyme disease in the border crossing areas of Heilongjiang Province.