Borrelia afzelii

Classification

Higher order taxa:

Kingdom: Bacteria, Phylum: Spirochaetes, Class: Spriochaetes, Order: Spirochaetales, Genus: Spirochaetaceae, Species: Borrelia

Species

Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia lonestari, Borrelia recurrentis

Description and Significance

Borrelia afzelli is considered a new species of the Genus Borrelia. Diseases linked to this species of Borrelia are Lyme disease and Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA). In understanding the structure and function of this pathogen, the easier it will be to treat people with the diseases it causes.

Its phenotype include, motile, nonsporulating, spirally-shaped, aerobe, pathogen. This is a gram negative bacterium and is generally transmitted through ticks. Being that is spirally-shaped, allows it to penetrate deep into its hosts avoiding recognition of an immune response.