Borrelia burgdorferi Osp A Background Information Lyme disease is a vector-borne, multisystem inflammatory disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by the bite of ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex. B. burgdorferi is divided into at least 11 species including Borrelia garinii. B. garinii is one of the two major strains found in Europe and is gram-negative and helical in shape. The neurological symptoms of Lyme Disease such as back and leg pains and partial facial paralysis are caused by B. garinii which usually resides in the cerebrospinal fluid of infected mammals. Outer surface protein A and B (Osp A and B) as well as the cell bound proteoglycans are involved in the attachment of B. garinii to neuronal cells. Patients infected with B. garinii tend to be older with skin lesions often located on the trunk. B. garinii has a shorter incubation time compared with other Borrelia strains, and it is more often associated with certain local systemic symptoms and abnormal liver function.
