The key roles of selection and migration in the ecology of Lyme borreliosis.

The roles of selection and migration of B. burgdorferi s. l. were studied. Questing adult Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected across Europe and analysed for infection with B. burgdorferi s. l. Analysis of the genospecies in individual ticks showed that B. garinii and B. valaisiana segregate from B. afzelii. Segregation of bird- and rodent-associated Borrelia genotypes can be explained by the operation of complement-mediated selection in the midgut of the feeding tick. Phylogenetic analyses of B. burgdorferi s. l. indicate high rates of migration for bird-associated genotypes. Altogether, it is emerging that the ecology of Lyme borreliosis is largely host-driven and that selection and migration are major forces shaping the population structures of B. burgdorferi s. l.