A distinct Borrelia clade within the relapsing fever group from cat-infesting Haemaphysalis semermis Neumann 1901 (Acari: Ixodidae)

• Published in: VETERINARY RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
• Main Authors: Kazim, Abdul Rahman; Heo, Chong Chin; Shahrizal, Shezryna; Er, Yi Xian; Houssaini, Jamal; Veit, Alexandra; Muntau, Birgit; Tappe, Dennis; Muslim, Azdayanti; Low, Van Lun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SPRINGER 2025
• Subjects: Veterinary Sciences
• Online Access: https://www-webofscience-com.uitm.idm.oclc.org/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001355470900001
• ISSN: 0165-7380; 1573-7446
• DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10591-x

An undescribed relapsing fever group Borrelia species was detected in a male Haemaphysalis semermis tick infesting a rural cat in an indigenous population in Pahang National Park, Peninsular Malaysia. The 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed close similarity of this variant to several undescribed Borrelia species and Borrelia theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 0.58 to 0.72%. Furthermore, the flaB, gyrB, and the concatenated 16 S rRNA + flaB + gyrB sequence analyses demonstrated that this variant is distinctly separated from multiple undescribed Borrelia species, Borrelia miyamotoi, and B. theileri, with genetic distances ranging from 3.41 to 7.00%. This study not only reports the first Borrelia found in H. semermis but also suggests that it forms a distinct clade within the relapsing fever group in Peninsular Malaysia.