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Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
08:23

Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research

Published on: August 31, 2013

Lyme borreliosis: a relapsing fever-like disease?

W Burgdorfer1, T G Schwan

  • 1Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, Montana.

Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. Supplementum
|January 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Borrelia burgdorferi causes prolonged spirochetemia in mice, with fluctuating spirochete concentrations sufficient to infect ticks. This cyclical pattern may relate to antigenic variation in Lyme borreliosis.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Veterinary Science

Background:

  • Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne illness caused by Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Understanding the dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in animal reservoirs is crucial for disease control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the duration and concentration of spirochetemia caused by Borrelia burgdorferi in white-footed mice.
  • To assess the infectivity of Borrelia burgdorferi from infected mice to ticks.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory mice were inoculated with Borrelia burgdorferi.
  • Mice were exposed to Ixodes dammini ticks for up to three months.
  • Ticks were evaluated for spirochetal infection using direct immunofluorescence.

Main Results:

  • All infected mice showed circulating spirochetes for at least three months.
  • Spirochete concentrations fluctuated, leading to alternating percentages of infected ticks.
  • These fluctuations suggest episodes of mild and heavy spirochetemia.

Conclusions:

  • Borrelia burgdorferi causes prolonged spirochetemia in mice, characterized by cyclical high and low spirochete concentrations.
  • This prolonged, cyclical spirochetemia likely contributes to the transmission of Lyme disease.
  • Antigenic variation in Borrelia burgdorferi may be responsible for the cyclical nature of the infection.

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