To identify potential vectors of Lyme disease in China, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect fla-gene DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi in various species of ticks. A 126-bp product defined by the specific primers was detected in all seven geographic strains of B. burgdorferi isolated from Ixodes persulcatus Schulze and Clethrionomys rufocanus Sundevall. When the PCR was applied to tick specimens stored in museum, the minimal positive rate of five pools (138 ticks) of I. persulcatus was 4.3%. Of twelve Ixodes granulatus Supino examined, 25.0% were positive. There was no evidence for B. burgdorferi in other species of ticks.
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1 July 1997
Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA by PCR in potential tick vectors of China
Panhe Zhang,
Rongman Xu,
Zhenguang Chen,
Jingsheng Zhang,
Wuchun Cao,
Qien Zhang
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Systematic and Applied Acarology
Vol. 2 • No. 1
July 1997
Vol. 2 • No. 1
July 1997
archival tick specimens
Borrelia burgdorferi
Lyme disease
PCR