%0 Journal Article %A DU Chun-hong %A DUAN Xing-de %A GAO Zi-hou %A GONG Zheng-da %A HE Zhi-hai %A JIANG Bao-gui %A JIANG Jia-fu %A LIU Hong-bo %A SHAO Zong-ti %A SUN Yi %A WANG Fan %A YAO Ming-guo %A ZHANG Yun %T Detection and identification of Borrelia sinica in Ixodes ovatus from the border region of Yunnan province, China %D 2019 %R 10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2019.05.009 %J Chinese Journal of Vector Biology and Control %P 519-523 %V 30 %N 5 %X Objective To identify Borrelia species in ticks collected in Gengma Dai and Va Autonomous county of Yunnan province using molecular biology detection methods, and to provide a basis for the investigation of local Lyme disease. Methods DNA was extracted from individual free-living ticks collected in Gengma county of Yunnan province in April 2016, and Borrelia DNA was identified by nested-PCR amplification of the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region. Positive samples were further tested by 16S rRNA amplification and verified with the flagellin (FLA) gene. Results A total of 94 ticks belonging to 3 species were captured, and 14 ticks (14.89%) were positive for Borrelia. All Borrelia-positive ticks were Ixodes ovatus, and there was no significant difference in the rate of Borrelia positivity between sexes (χ2=0.746, P=0.388). Ixodes acutitarsus and Dermacentor auratus tested negative for Borrelia. The sequences of the three target gene fragments identified from Borrelia were 98%-99% homologous to those in B. sinica. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the bacterial species identified in this study clustered with B. sinica detected in Sichuan and Anhui provinces, China, and was close to B. japonica but distinct from B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, and B. valaisiana. Conclusion Ixodes ovatus collected from Gengma county carries B. sinica. The types and distribution of hosts and vectors of B. sinica and its pathogenicity in humans warrant further investigation. %U http://www.bmsw.net.cn/EN/10.11853/j.issn.1003.8280.2019.05.009