These spirochetes have been found in seabirds and penguins they have been documented in the Subarctic and Arctic regions especially since ticks can adapt to very cold environments (-22 degrees Fahrenheit) all the while carrying the Borrelial bacteria. These “reservoirs” include many ground-dwelling mammals, lizards, large animals such as bear and elk, as well as farm animals, and our beloved pets (cats and dogs). The ticks (which are infected with the spirochetes) drop off the birds just in time to find a new reservoir. Not only do we see this play out internationally, but within North America as well when the birds migrate north to south and back north again. (The white-footed mouse and deer are definitely not the only ones.) Birds are very involved in widely disseminating these microorganisms throughout the world (primarily via their migration routes). It is known that the Ixodes genus of tick is the most common and most well studied arthropod to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi (among other Borrelia species).īorrelia burgdorferi is capable of living in a multitude of environments and is known to use up to 300 different animal species as their hosts. 32) More research still needs to be done regarding these other insect vectors and their ability to transmit the bacterium. “Transmission to humans has been documented from biting flies (Connecticut and Germany), from mites (Russia), and to hamsters by mosquitoes.” (Buhner p. Here is a rather unsettling piece of information Borrelia species (yes, there are several of them) have not only been found in ticks, but also in mosquitoes, biting flies, mites, fleas, and in arthropod feces. In other words arthropods (such as ticks) are the transport vehicles for these little “parasite-like” bacteria. Vectors are typically biting insects that spread microbial pathogens from one animal (host) to another. It resides inside of arthropods such as ticks (aka. Borrelia burgdorferi cannot live without a host. They were even found in “Otzi the iceman” who was discovered in 1991 in the Tyrolean Alps and lived 5,300 years ago. Spirochetes are ancient bacteria and have been around for billions of years. who isolated the spirochetes from the Ixodes tick. This unusual bacterium was discovered in 1981 under the microscope of Willy Burgdorfer Ph.D. Under the microscope it looks like a very active little worm with many hairs (flagella) that support its rapid motility and chemotactic properties. I also want to mention that there is hope out there for those who are affected by Chronic Lyme disease.īorrelia burgdorferi is an anaerobic (meaning it dislikes oxygen) gram-negative spirochete, which literally means, coiled hair. Some of this information may sound a little scary, however knowledge is empowering and there are ways we can protect ourselves from this highly adept pathogen. Within this article, I will discuss the characteristics of this bacterium and its stealth abilities to invade the human host, briefly discuss co-infections that can exist alongside Lyme disease, laboratory testing for this microorganism, post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS), as well as the infamous Chronic Lyme disease.
An entire book can be written about the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, that is the cause of Lyme disease however I will try to be as concise as possible and include the most pertinent and applicable information for the reader.
In this newsletter I will be covering the topic of Lyme disease.
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