Vector competence of Ixodes muris (Acari: Ixodidae) for Borrelia burgdorferi.
The vector competence of Ixodes muris (Bishopp & Smith) was determined for Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. Larval I. muris were fed on ICR outbred mice infected with the B-31 laboratory strain of B. burgdorferi. Replete larvae, at 5 d after feeding, were assayed for infection by culture in Barbour-Stoner-Kelly (BSK-H) media. Infection frequency in I. muris replete larvae was 66%. Resultant nymphs were fed on naive ICR outbred mice to determine the ability of I. muris to transmit infection. Infection frequency in fed nymphs declined to 38% and only 1/5 mice was positive for B. burgdorferi on ear biopsy culture. We demonstrated that I. muris is capable of acquiring and transmitting B. burgdorferi but is a relatively poor vector compared with I. scapularis (Say).
Dolan
M C
MC
Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
Lacombe
E H
EH
Piesman
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D007814:Larva; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D051379:Mice; D009758:Nymph / Q000382:microbiology