Characterization and Identification of Borrelia Isolates as Borrelia valaisiana in Taiwan and Kinmen Islands

Toshiyuki Masuzawa; Ming-Jeng Pan; Teruki Kadosaka; Midori Kudeken; Nobuhiro Takada; Yasuhiro Yano; Yasuyuki Imai; Yasutake Yanagihara

Characterization and Identification of Borrelia Isolates as Borrelia valaisiana in Taiwan and Kinmen Islands

Toshiyuki Masuzawa, Ming-Jeng Pan, Teruki Kadosaka, Midori Kudeken, Nobuhiro Takada, Yasuhiro Yano, Yasuyuki Imai, Yasutake Yanagihara

Author information

Toshiyuki Masuzawa
Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka
Ming-Jeng Pan
Department of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University
Teruki Kadosaka
Department of Parasitology, Aichi Medical University
Midori Kudeken
Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka
Nobuhiro Takada
Department of Immunology and Medical Zoology, Fukui Medical University
Yasuhiro Yano
Department of Immunology and Medical Zoology, Fukui Medical University
Yasuyuki Imai
Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka
Yasutake Yanagihara
Department of Microbiology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka
Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila

Keywords: Borrelia valaisiana, Flagellin, 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer, Lyme disease, 16S rRNA gene, Taiwan

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2000 Volume 44 Issue 12 Pages 1003-1009

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Abstract

Eleven pure cultures of Borrelia from 3 species of wild rodents (Apodemus agrarius, Mus formosanus, Rattus losea) captured in Taichung, located in the center of Taiwan island, and on Kinmen Island were characterized. Five isolates showed restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of 5S-23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer sequences identical to those of strains 5MT and 10MT, identified as Borrelia valaisiana, which were isolated in the southern tip of South Korea. Although the remaining six isolates showed novel RFLP patterns, these isolates showed more similarity to members of B. valaisiana from Korea, Japan and Europe based on 16S rRNA gene and flagellin gene sequences. This led us to speculate that transmission and proliferation of this type of borrelia occurred between Taiwan and the southern part of South Korea.

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