title: Susceptibility of mice (Mus musculus) to repeated infestation with Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks.
abstract: Laboratory mice, Mus musculus (L.), BALB/c strain, were assessed for their ability to develop resistance to repeated infestation by Amblyomma americanum (L.) ticks. Mice were infested five consecutive times with A. americanum nymphs. No decrease in tick viability was seen after five infestations, suggesting that BALB/c mice do not develop immune-mediated resistance to A. americanum. In contrast, tick viability was significantly reduced in the second infestation of a New Zealand White rabbit, a laboratory animal known to develop resistance to A. americanum.
authors.affiliation: Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Loftis
authors.forename: Danielle E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D026863:Ixodidae; D051379:Mice / Q000469:parasitology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*