Detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes nipponensis in Korea

Abstract

Background

This study investigated Borrelia species prevalence in ticks from vegetation, through
a molecular method, in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea.

Methodology/Principal
Findings

A total of 484 ticks were collected through flagging and
dragging in a suburban area of Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, in 2014.
These ticks were morphologically identified and subjected to nested PCR,
targeting Borrelia–specific CTP
synthase (pyrG), outer surface
protein A (ospA) and flagellin (flaB) genes. Molecular biological
species identification of Borrelia-positive
ticks was conducted via 16S rRNA PCR assays. Of the 484 ticks collected, 417
(86.2%) were identified as Haemaphysalis
longicornis, 42 (8.7%) as H. flava,
and 25 (5.2%) as Ixodes nipponensis. All
the ixodid ticks containing Borrelia
species bacteria were confirmed to be I.
nipponensis adults, by both morphological and molecular methods. Of the 25 I. nipponensis ticks collected, four (16%)
were positive for Borrelia species, three
of which were B. afzelii and one B. miyamotoi.

Conclusions/Significance

Our study has
shown the harboring of B. miyamotoi by
I. nipponensis in South Korea, for
the first time. Morphological and molecular genetic analyses revealed that, in
South Korea, I. nipponensis could potentially
transmit B. miyamotoi to humans.