Borrelia burgdorferi infection in Ixodes ricinus from habitats in Denmark

A total of 2647 ticks of the genus Ixodes was sampled by flagging the vegetation in thirty-one sites in eastern Jutland, Denmark. All ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus Linnaeus. A total of 317 ticks (202 nymphs and 115 adults) from three different sites were examined for the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson et al. by indirect fluorescent antibody staining; the frequency of infection varied from 7% to 22%. It is concluded that I. ricinus, known to be the most common tick in Denmark, is the vector largely responsible for the transmission of B. burgdorferi in this country.