Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Borrelia from Lyme Borreliosis and Relapsing Fever Groups in Ixodidae Ticks in the Russian Far East

Pathogens · Published 2026-07-22 · DOI 10.3390/pathogens15070775

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Authors (11)

Yuliya Sabitova, Vera Rar, Valeria Fedorets, Yana Igolkina, Tamara Epikhina, Aleksey Nikitin, Yulia Verzhutskaya, Valentina Kolesnikova, Natalia Gordeiko, Natalya Pukhovskaya, Nina Tikunova

Abstract

Ixodidae ticks are vectors of pathogenic spirochetes from the <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> sensu lato (s.l.) complex and the relapsing fever (RF) group. The Russian Far East is endemic for borrelioses, yet data on the distribution and genetic diversity of <i>Borrelia</i> spp. in this region remain scarce. We examined 3107 Ixodidae ticks (<i>Ixodes</i> spp., <i>Haemaphysalis</i> spp., and <i>Dermacentor silvarum</i>), collected from two mainland provinces and five islands of the Russian Far East in 2005–2023. A total of 86 <i>Borrelia afzelii</i>, 297 <i>Borrelia bavariensis</i>, 81 <i>Borrelia garinii</i>, 44 <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i>, and 33 unclassified RF borreliae were identified. <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> s.l. and <i>B. miyamotoi</i> were strongly associated with <i>Ixodes</i> spp., whereas unclassified RF borreliae were associated with <i>Haemaphysalis</i> spp. Among <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.l. isolates, <i>B. afzelii</i> and <i>B. bavariensis</i> were found significantly more frequently in <i>I. persulcatus</i> compared to <i>I. pavlovskyi</i>, whereas <i>B. garinii</i> was significantly more common in <i>I. pavlovskyi</i>. Genetic characterization of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.l. revealed high haplotypic diversity, particularly within <i>B. bavariensis</i> and <i>B. garinii</i>. Among RF borreliae, all <i>B. miyamotoi</i> isolates were highly conserved and belonged to the Asian type. In contrast, unclassified RF borreliae were genetically variable and clustered with RF borreliae previously found in <i>Haemaphysalis</i> and <i>Rhipicephalus</i> ticks. The obtained results expand the understanding of the distribution and genetic diversity of <i>Borrelia</i> spp. in the Russian Far East.

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Publication details

Year
2026

Citation

Sabitova, Y., Rar, V., Fedorets, V., et al. (2026). Distribution and Genetic Diversity of Borrelia from Lyme Borreliosis and Relapsing Fever Groups in Ixodidae Ticks in the Russian Far East. Pathogens. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15070775

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