| Borrelia recurrentis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Photomicrographic view of a culture specimen showing Borrelia recurrentis bacteria | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Kingdom: | Pseudomonadati |
| Phylum: | Spirochaetota |
| Class: | Spirochaetia |
| Order: | Spirochaetales |
| Family: | Borreliaceae |
| Genus: | Borrelia |
| Species: | B. recurrentis |
| Binomial name | |
| Borrelia recurrentis (Lebert, 1874) Bergey et al., 1925 | |
Borrelia recurrentis is a species of Borrelia , a spirochaete bacterium associated with relapsing fever. [1] [2] B. recurrentis is usually transmitted from person to person by the human body louse. [3] Since the 1800s, the body louse has been known as its only known vector. [4]
B. recurrentis DNA was found in 23% of head lice from patients with louse-borne relapsing fever in Ethiopia. Whether head lice can transmit these bacteria from one person to another remains to be determined. [4]
It is notable for its ability to alter the proteins expressed on its surface, which causes the "relapsing" characteristic of relapsing fever. [5]
