B. burgdorferi

Short for Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease. Once the full name of a bacterium has been given, it is customary to refer to it in its short form. For example, “Borrelia burgdorferi…is responsible for Lyme disease, which can lead to debilitating symptoms in humans….Estimates from prior studies of ticks infected with B. burgdorferi in Mendocino County are higher.”

A group of bacteria that are helical spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. Some species of Borrelia cause relapsing fever in humans and animals. For example, Borrelia burgdorferi causes Lyme disease. Named after Amedee Borrel (1867-1936), French bacteriologist.