Table 4 Primers and probes used for genus-specific quantitative real time PCR, species-specific conventional PCR and generation of plasmid standards

IGS-MGB Borrelia for

TCC TAG GCA TTC ACC ATA GAC T

IGS-MGB Borrelia rev

TGG CAA AAT AGA GAT GGA AGA T

IGS-MGB Borrelia probe

6-FAM-ATT ACT TTG ACC ATA TTT-MGBNFQ

rpoB B. burgdorferi s.s. for*

CTG TTG GTG AGC TTC TTA CT

rpoB B. burgdorferi s.s. rev*

TCT ACC ATA ATG AGT ATA ATG C

rpoB B. afzelii for*

AGA GTG CGT TCT GTT GGC

rpoB B. afzelii rev*

TCT ACC ATA ATG AGT ATA ATG T

rpoB B. garinii for*

GTG CGT TCT GTT GGG GAG

rpoB B. garinii rev*

AGT CCC CCT GGT CCA AGG

rpoB B. valaisiana for*

AGG AGA GTA CGT TCT GTT GGA

rpoB B. valaisiana rev*

ATA ATG GAC GTC TCT TAC TTC A

ospA B. spielmanii for

CAG TAG ATG TAC CTG GGG AAC TT

ospA B. spielmanii rev

GCT TTT ACG CCT TCC AGT ACA

ITS2-MGB Ixodes for

TGC GTC GTA GCC TTC

ITS2-MGB Ixodes rev

AAC GGC ATT CCC CTA C

ITS2-MGB Ixodes probe

6-VIC-TCT AAG ACC TTC GCG-MGBNFQ