Passage of Borrelia burgdorferi through diverse Ixodid hard ticks causes distinct diseases: Lyme borreliosis and Baggio-Yoshinari syndrome

Baggio-Yoshinari syndrome is an emerging, tick-borne, infectious disease recently discovered in Brazil. This syndrome is similar to Lyme disease, which is common in the United States of America, Europe and Asia; however, Brazilian borreliosis diverges from the disease observed in the Northern Hemisphere in its epidemiological, microbiological, laboratory and clinical characteristics. Polymerase chain reaction procedures showed that Baggio-Yoshinari syndrome is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto spirochete. This bacterium has not yet been isolated or cultured in adequate culture m...