Spirochetes Clinical Microbiology Review 216
ORGANISM PATHOGENICITY LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS OTHER
Borrelia recurrentis
Borrelia burgdorferi
Treponema pallidum
subspecies pallidum
Leptospira interrogans
Transmitted by ticks & lice.
Most commonly reported tick-borne
infection in U.S. Vector = Ixodestick.
Worldwide.
Zoonotic disease. Transmitted by urine
of infected animal. Organism in blood
& CSF during first week, then urine.
Relapsing fever
Lyme disease (erythema
chronicum migrans,
neurological & cardiac
abnormalities, arthritis)
Syphilis
Weil’s disease (infectious
jaundice, leptospirosis)
Giemsa- or Wright-stained blood
smears.
Grows on modified Kelly medium.
Serology is most common method.
Doesn’t grow on artificial media.
Darkfield microscopy, fluorescent
stain. Serology is most common
method.
Culture. Growth = turbidity below
surface of semisolid Fletcher’s
medium. Hold cultures for 6 wk.
Serological tests, PCR.
