Classification of spirochetes infecting man
Baranton, G.
La Revue du Praticien 39(15): 1287-1290
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0035-2640 PMID: 2740779 Document Number: 340893
The systematics od spirochetes must from now own fulfil the genomic criteria recently laid down. Formerly, these parasites were classified on the basis of various phenotypic features, among which the pathogenicity and epidemiological criteria played the predominant role. At present, the order of Spirochaetales is divided into two families: Spirochaetaceae and Leptospiraceae. Two of the four genera of Spirochaetaceae, Treponema and Borrelia, include species that are pathogenic to man. Among Leptospiraceae, only one genus, Leptospira, has pathogenic species. The phenotypic characteristics of the various taxons are detailed, the role of each actor (causative agent, vector, reservoir) in the main pathological complexes and the progress of genotypic studies are briefly described.