RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Infection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato of small mammals in Yunnan Province, China JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 714980 DO 10.1101/714980 A1 Zhi-hai He A1 Bao-gui Jiang A1 Zi-hou Gao A1 Zong-ti Shao A1 Yun Zhang A1 Zheng-xiang Liu A1 Yu-qiong Li A1 En-nian Pu A1 Li Tang A1 Ming-guo Yao A1 Na Jia A1 Michael E. von Fricken A1 Jia-fu Jiang A1 Wu-chun Cao A1 Chun-hong Du YR 2019 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/07/25/714980.abstract AB Background Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferisensulato (BBSL) which is usually found in wild and domestic mammals worldwide. Human cases of B. burgdorferi infections have been identified in China, but little direct surveillance of potential rodent reservoirs has been performed in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China. Yunnan Province is a tropical area with a diverse topographic range and sustains a high biodiversity of small mammals that could potentially play an important role in the transmission of a variety of B. burgdorferigenospecies.Methods 3659 small mammals were captured in 159 sample siteslocated 23 countries inYunnan Province and screened for BBSL infection by nested PCR based on 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer gene of BBSL.Univariate and multivariate forward stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to access the association between infections and related risk factors.Results Infection with BBSL was confirmed in 3.99%(146/3659) of small mammals. Significant differences in prevalence rates of BBSL were observed at varying landscape types and altitudes.Small mammals in forested areas had higher prevalence rates than other landscape types as did small mammals found at altitudes greater than 2500 meters. The 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacergene revealed that there were 5 genotype of BBSL, including B. afzelii, B. burgdorferisensustricto, B.japonica, B.gariniiand B.valaisiana, which demonstrate the genetic diversity and regional distribution.Conclusions There exists a wide distribution and genetic diversity of endemic BBSL in Southwestern China, warranting further investigations and monitoring of clinical disease in individuals presenting with symptoms of Lyme disease in these areas.Author summary Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (BBSL) which is usually found in wild and domestic mammals worldwide. Human cases of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infections have been identified in China, but little direct surveillance of potential rodent reservoirs has been performed in Southwestern China. This study documents potential small mammal reservoir hosts collected from a large of sample sites from different landscape types and altitudes, with PCR and sequencing identifying the wide distribution and genetic diversity of endemic Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Southwestern China. This was the first report that B. japonica was detected in Apodemus draco and Niviventer excelsior in China. This study adds to body of literature on Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in China. This work will provide insight regarding small mammals to target for surveillance and we access the association between gender, developmental stage of rodents, environmental landscape and altitude to better prevent human exposure.