Scientists find new tick-borne disease [Borrelia miyamotoi]

To the Editor:

Borrelia miyamotoi, a spirochete that is genetically related to the species of borrelia that cause relapsing fever, has been detected in all tick species that are vectors of Lyme disease.1,2 It was detected in Ixodes scapularis ticks from Connecticut in 2001 and subsequently has been detected in all areas of the United States where Lyme disease is endemic. The first human cases of B. miyamotoi infection were reported in Russia in 2011.3 We now provide evidence of B. miyamotoi infection and the prevalence of this infection among people in the United States.