Intrauterine transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi in dogs.
To determine whether intrauterine transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi could exist in dogs, 10 female Beagles were inoculated intradermally with approximately 1,000 B burgdorferi on day 1 of proestrus; inoculation was repeated every 2 weeks during the gestation period. Ten female control Beagles were similarly inoculated with phosphate-buffered saline solution. Prior to the start of the study, all females and 3 males used for breeding were seronegative for B burgdorferi on the basis of results of the indirect fluorescent antibody test and immunoblot (western analysis. Similarly, results of culture of blood for B burgdorferi were negative. All 20 of the females were bred naturally. Blood samples were collected weekly for serologic testing and culture. Blood samples were obtained from live pups on day 1 of life, then weekly until pups were 6 weeks old when they were euthanatized. Tissues were obtained for culture and testing by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of 10 spirochete-inoculated (SI) females, 8 became infected with B burgdorferi as evidenced by spirochete culture results and/or PCR-detected B burgdorferi DNA in the tissues of females or their pups. Of the 10 SI females, 8 delivered litters (3 to 7 pups) that had at least 1 neonatal or 6-week-old pup with B burgdorferi DNA-positive tissues (by PCR), and spirochetes were cultured from tissues from pups of 2 litters.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Gustafson
J M
JM
Department of Medical Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine 53706.
Burgess
E C
EC
Wachal
M D
MD
Steinberg
H
H
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000382:microbiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial