BR: we are used to think of Bb only with cysts /L-forms and spirochaete = 2 forms.
But: "Borrelia burgdorferi strain B31 carries at least 12 linear and 9 circular plasmids that seem to be in a constant state of rearrangement, recombination, and deletion."
----------------------------------- We think that Borrelia strains are all INDEPENDENT from each other, but:
" Recombination occurs both within and between strains, as some versions of the ospC and ospD genes are mosaics composed from different B. burgdorferi lineages.
The linear plasmids in particular are subject to a high level of sequence scrambling through a process of reverse telomere resolution.
Linear chromosomes with telomeric ends are the rule in eukaryotes but are extraordinarily rare in bacteria. " ----------------------------------------
Some people think that Borrelia burgdorferi is a new bacteria but:
"Genomic dwarfism and host dependence appears to be nothing new for B. burgdorferi, as it contains one of the smallest fractions of inactivated pseudogenes known among bacteria, indicating that the contraction of its chromosome took place in the distant evolutionary past."
---------------------- We think that lyme started in Lyme, USA, was discovered by W. Burgdorferi but:
..." the disorder (disease) had been present in Europe for a long time (more than 100 years ago!!!), mainly as a dermatological and neurological disorder, in contrast with the original rheumatological presentation in the USA.
Furthermore, many years before, several European scientists had linked this disorder to an infectious agent transmitted by a tick bite."
1949 a Swedish suggested that a spirochaete shall be involved in EM rashes, meningitis etc...
Treatment with antibiotic (Penicillin) started in 1949!! ----------------
There is much more, specially on ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE.
Studies today think of Bb as a separate being, but as Bb can exchange genetic parts from other microbes, it can learn resistance from E.coli, Staphilococcus aureus etc.
It is thought that Bb is only resistant to 2 antibiotics today.
But the way studies are done ignore that Bb can recombine genes quite easily.