Borrelia burgdorferi has minimal impact on the Lyme disease reservoir host Peromyscus leucopus

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Disease Ecology
• Immunology

Background:

• Vector-borne zoonotic diseases depend on host-vector interactions.
• Pathogen-induced host behavior changes can significantly impact disease transmission and human risk.
• Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, infects white-footed mice, a key reservoir host.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Borrelia burgdorferi infection on the immunological and behavioral responses of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus).
• To determine if pathogen-altered host behavior influences Lyme disease transmission dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Mimicked natural Borrelia burgdorferi infections in mice using Ixodes scapularis ticks.
• Monitored immunological markers, including white blood cell counts.
• Assessed behavioral changes through wheel-running activity measurements.

Main Results:

• Infected mice produced antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi but showed no significant increase in white blood cell counts compared to uninfected controls.
• No significant differences in wheel-running activity were observed between infected and uninfected mice.
• Borrelia burgdorferi infection had minimal impact on the overall field activity of white-footed mice.

Conclusions:

• Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi does not appear to substantially alter the behavior or immune status of white-footed mice.
• Lyme disease transmission is unlikely to be significantly influenced by pathogen-induced behavioral changes in this primary reservoir host.
• The epidemiology of Lyme disease is not complicated by altered reservoir host activity due to Borrelia burgdorferi infection.