Dispersal of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi to salivary glands of feeding nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).
Salivary gland explant cultures from 3/16 (19%) of unfed nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say contained Lyme disease spirochetes, increasing to a maximum of 14/16 (88%) at 72 h of tick feeding. Homogenates of tick salivary glands did not produce infection in laboratory white mice unless harvested from ticks attached for > or = 60 h. Dispersal of spirochetes to the salivary glands appears to occur during the act of tick feeding, thus affecting the ability of ticks to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi.
Piesman
J
J
Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
D000818:Animals; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating; D008193:Lyme Disease; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009758:Nymph / Q000382:microbiology; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000382:microbiology; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology