Biopsy of canine ear tissue for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi following Ixodes dammini feeding.
A punch biopsy method was developed to detect and cultivate Borrelia burgdorferi from canine ear tissue. The biopsy procedure was sensitive in that spirochetes were detected in 100% of the dogs upon which infected ticks had fed. B. burgdorferi could be cultured as early as 6 days after tick feeding at which time the organisms could not be concurrently recovered from peripheral blood. The ear punch biopsy provides a reliable method for sampling live canines and should prove useful for detecting early B. burgdorferi infection and for monitoring duration of non-disseminated infection. Additionally, the procedure will aid in the development of an animal model for evaluation of preventive and therapeutic treatment modalities.
Bosler
E M
EM
New York State Department of Health, Health Sciences Center, State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Evans
R D
RD
Schneider
E M
EM
D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D004431:Ear, External / Q000382:microbiology*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology