How Does Borrelia Burgdorferi Evade the Body's Defenses

Question

How does Borrelia burgdorferi evade the body's defenses?
A) It has a polysaccharide capsule.
B) It has manganese-containing enzymes.
C) It is capable of antigenic variation.
D) It has a polysaccharide capsule and antiphagocytic proteins.
E) It is capable of antigenic variation and has manganese-containing enzymes.

Accepted Answer

Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease, evades the body's immune system through antigenic variation, which allows it to change its surface proteins and avoid detection. Additionally, it utilizes manganese-containing enzymes instead of iron-containing ones, which helps it evade the immune system's strategy of limiting iron availability to pathogens.