A reanalysis of the data presented in the Letter by Esteve-Gassent et al. indicates that the flaB sequences associated with Texas tick specimens are identical to the published Borrelia burgdorferi B31 flaB sequence, except for apparent sequence errors near the ends of their recently released sequences. Our reanalysis, which is now published as a Letter to the Editor by Norris, Barbour, Fish, and Diuk-Wasser (http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/8/1/310/abstract), provides further evidence that the positive PCR results obtained by Dr. Esteve-Gassent and colleagues are due to contamination of their samples with the positive control strain B. burgdorferi B31.
Competing interests
The author of this comment declares that he has no competing interests.
Response to Esteve-Gassent et al.
10 June 2015
A reanalysis of the data presented in the Letter by Esteve-Gassent et al. indicates that the flaB sequences associated with Texas tick specimens are identical to the published Borrelia burgdorferi B31 flaB sequence, except for apparent sequence errors near the ends of their recently released sequences. Our reanalysis, which is now published as a Letter to the Editor by Norris, Barbour, Fish, and Diuk-Wasser (http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/content/8/1/310/abstract), provides further evidence that the positive PCR results obtained by Dr. Esteve-Gassent and colleagues are due to contamination of their samples with the positive control strain B. burgdorferi B31.
Competing interests
The author of this comment declares that he has no competing interests.