We report a case of tick-borne relapsing fever caused by Borrelia persica in a traveler returning to Switzerland from central Asia. After the disease was diagnosed by blood smear microscopy, the causative Borrelia species was confirmed by shotgun metagenomics sequencing. PCR and sequencing techniques provide highly sensitive diagnostic tools superior to microscopy.
Keywords: Borrelia persica; Borrelia species; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Tick-borne relapsing fever; bacteria; central Asia; microscopy; shotgun metagenomics; vector-borne infections.