Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: September 1, 2013
Borrelia burgdorferi Strain-Specific Differences in Mouse Infectivity and Pathology.
Annabelle Pfeifle1,2, Rose Anderson-Duvall1,2, Levi A Tamming1,2
1Centre for Oncology, Radiopharmaceuticals and Research, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada and World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
Different Borrelia burgdorferi strains cause varying Lyme disease severity in mice. Strain Bb16-126 led to high heart infection and carditis, while JD1 showed minimal cardiac impact. Strain diversity impacts disease and informs diagnostics and vaccines.
Area of Science:
- * Microbiology
- * Immunology
- * Infectious Diseases
Background:
- * Lyme disease (LD) presents diverse symptoms in humans.
- * Strain variation in *Borrelia burgdorferi* (Bb) is suspected to influence LD clinical manifestations.
- * Understanding strain-specific pathogenesis is crucial for effective disease management.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To assess the infectivity, bacterial load, pathology, and immunogenicity of five *B. burgdorferi* sensu stricto strains.
- * To evaluate the impact of different infectious doses on disease outcomes in a mouse model.
- * To explore the role of *B. burgdorferi* strain diversity in disease pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- * Infection of female C3H/HeN mice with five *B. burgdorferi* strains (297 Ah130, Bb16-54, B31-A3, Bb16-126, JD1) at three doses (104, 105, 106 spirochetes).
- * Evaluation of infectivity, tissue bacterial burden (heart, joint), pathology (carditis, lymph node hyperplasia), and antibody responses (C6 peptide ELISA).
Main Results:
- * Bb16-126 and JD1 strains demonstrated 100% infectivity across all doses.
- * Bb16-126 induced the highest cardiac bacterial load and carditis; JD1 showed minimal cardiac impact.
- * B31-A3 had the highest abundance in the tibiotarsal joint; all strains caused lymph node hyperplasia, with JD1 showing the greatest increase.
- * All strains induced significant anti-C6 IgM and IgG titers, with B31-A3 eliciting the highest IgM response.
Conclusions:
- * *Borrelia burgdorferi* strain diversity significantly influences pathogenesis and disease outcomes in a mouse model.
- * Specific strains exhibit distinct tissue tropism and pathological effects, particularly in the heart and joints.
- * Findings highlight the need for strain-specific approaches in developing diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines for Lyme disease.
