Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii andBorrelia afzelii in Ixodes ricinus ticks from southern Bohemia using monoclonal antibodies

The prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s. l.) in 761 Ixodes ric inus ticks collected in different localities of southern Bohemia was invest igated.-The minimum infection rate of nymphs, males and females as determin ed:by dark-field microscopy was 4.8 % in 1997. The total B. burgdorferi pre valence determined in ticks in 1998 was 11.04 %. A significant local variab ility of the prevalence of B. burgdorferi was not found. Nine isolates were identified at a genospecies level by immunoblotting with prepared monoclon al antibodies (Mabs). The most prevalent genospecies in ricks was B. burgdo rferi sensu stricto (s. s.) (6 strains). Two tick isolates reacted with Mab s specific to both B. garinii and B. afzelii and one isolate was detected a sa mixed culture of B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. garinii. Considerable variab ility in protein composition among the strains obtained was found to exist. Five B. burgdorferi genospecies-specific Mabs were prepared and used for t he identification of spirochaete isolates. Mabs 9B8 and 6C5 reacted with Os pA and OspB proteins of B. burgdorferi sis., while 4D7 and 1D11 recognised OspA protein of B. garinii and 9D2 specifically reacted with the OspB prote in of B. afzelii. In addition, Mab 5H4 reacted with flagellin of all the ab ove-mentioned genospecies of B. burgdorferi s. l.