Query: NC_001318:377039 Borrelia burgdorferi B31, complete genome
Lineage: Borrelia burgdorferi; Borrelia; Spirochaetaceae; Spirochaetales; Spirochaetes; Bacteria
General Information: This organism is the causative agent of Lyme disease, a multisystemic disease that is considered to be the most prevalent tick-born disease in North America and Europe. This organism was isolated from Ixodes scapularis in 1982. The bacterium is a microaerophilic spirochete that contains seven periplasmic flagella per cell end.
Subject: NC_009749:221311 Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica FTA, complete genome
Lineage: Francisella tularensis; Francisella; Francisellaceae; Thiotrichales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: Isolated from an immunocompetent 56-year old male with bacteremic pneumonia in France. Francisella tularensis is a non-motile, aerobic, rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium and is the causative agent of tularemia. This organism was first identified by Edward Francis as the causative agent of a plague-like illness that affected squirrels in Tulare county in California in the early part of the 20th century. The organism now bears his name. The disease, which has been noted throughout recorded history, can be transmitted to humans by infected ticks or deerflies, infected meat, or by aerosol, and thus is a potential bioterrorism agent. This organism has a high infectivity rate, and can invade phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells, multiplying rapidly. Once within a macrophage, the organism can escape the phagosome and live in the cytosol. It is an aquatic organism, and can be found living inside protozoans, similar to what is observed with Legionella.