OBJECTIVETo detect and study the types of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks and rodents from Da Xing-An Mountains Forest areas of China.

METHODSNested PCR was performed to amplify 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer of B. burgdorferi. Positive products were analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), specimens showing unique RFLP profile were sequenced and analysed.

RESULTS1336 Ixodes persulcatus, 144 Dermacento silvarum, 144 Haemaphysalis concinna and 145 rodents of 9 species were collected from 16 sections of Da Xing-An Mountains Forest areas of China. Specific fragments were amplified from 293 I. persulcatus and 6 D. silvarum and 5 rodents of 4 species. B. burgdorferi was not detected in H. concinna. Among the positively tested I. persulcatus, 209 contained B. garinii genospecies and 45 contained B.afzelii genospecies based on RFLP. Moreover, B.garinii genospecies consisted of B. garinii 20047 and B. garinii NT29. 17 adult I. persulcatus were simultaneously infected with B. garinii 20047 and B. garinii NT29. Nine adult I. persulcatus were simultaneously infected with B. garinii 20047 and B. afzelii. Four adult I. persulcatus were simultaneously infected with B. garinii 20047 and B. garinii NT29 and B. afzelii. Two D. silvarum were infected with B. garinii 20047, 1 D. silvarum with B. garinii 20047, 2 D. silvarum with B. afzelii. 3 rodents were infected with B. garinii 20047 while 2 rodents were infected with B. garinii NT29. Mixed infection was not found in D. silvarum and rodents. In addition, nine I. persulcatus and one D. silvarum specimens showed unique RFLP pattern. Data from sequential analysis showed that they all belonged to B. garinii. PCR-SSCP profiles of 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer of B. burgdorferi in the positive specimens exceeded 36 types; B. garinii 20047 showed 16 types while B. garinii NT29 showing 11 types, B. afzelii showing 9 types. SSCP profiles of the specimens coinfected with multiple B. burgdorferi was relatively complex.

CONCLUSIONThe infection of B. burgdorferi was found in the ticks and rodents in Da Xing-An Mountains Forests areas. The infection rate of I. persulcatus was high. B. garinii was predominant genospecies, and the population of B. burgdorferi was heterogeneous in the area. Mixed infections of different B. burgdorferi genospecies in ticks were found. I. persulcatus and Clethrionomys rufocanus were possibly served as major vector and major host for B. burgdorferi, respectively, suggesting that further study is needed to confirm the coinfection in humans and animals in this region.