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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: August 31, 2013
Borrelia burgdorferi genes selectively expressed in ticks and mammals
1Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine. PO Box 208031, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8031, USA. desilvam@biomed.med.yale.edu
Abstract:
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Recent studies have focused on how the Lyme disease bacterium overcomes the challenges faced by an organism that depends on a vector-borne life style. These studies indicate that the spirochete expresses different surface proteins at different stages of its life. Here, Aravinda de Silva and Erol Fikrig review the evidence for differential gene expression and discuss the implications of these findings for the Lyme disease vaccine that is currently being tested in human trials.
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