Detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes nipponensis in Korea

Background This study investigated Borrelia species prevalence in ticks from vegetation, through a molecular method, in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea. Methodology/Principal findings A total of 484 ticks were collected through flagging and dragging in a suburban area of Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, in 2014. These ticks were morphologically identified and subjected to nested PCR, targeting Borrelia –specific CTP synthase ( pyrG ), outer surface protein A ( ospA ) and flagellin ( flaB ) genes. Molecular biological species identification of Borrelia -positive ticks was conducted via 16S rRNA PCR assays. Of the 484 ticks collected, 417 (86.2%) were identified as Haemaphysalis longicornis , 42 (8.7%) as H . flava , and 25 (5.2%) as Ixodes nipponensis . All the ixodid ticks containing Borrelia species bacteria were confirmed to be I . nipponensis adults, by both morphological and molecular methods. Of the 25 I . nipponensis ticks collected, four (16%) were positive for Borrelia species, three of which were B . afzelii and one B . miyamotoi . Conclusions/Significance Our study has shown the harboring of B . miyamotoi by I . nipponensis in South Korea. Morphological and molecular genetic analyses revealed that, in South Korea, I . nipponensis could potentially transmit B . miyamotoi to humans.