Identifying the reservoir hosts of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in California: the role of the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus).
We investigated the role of the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) as a reservoir host of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. A survey of 222 western gray squirrels in California showed an overall prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection of 30%, although at a county level, prevalence of infection ranged from 0% to 50% by polymerase chain reaction. Laboratory trials with wild-caught western gray squirrels indicated that squirrels were competent reservoir hosts of the Lyme disease bacterium and infected up to 86% of feeding Ixodes pacificus larvae. Infections were long-lasting (up to 14 months), which demonstrated that western gray squirrels can maintain B. burgdorferi trans-seasonally. Non-native eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were infrequently infected with B. burgdorferi.
Salkeld
Daniel J
DJ
Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, and Office of Laboratory Animal Care, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA. dsalkeld@nature.berkeley.edu
Leonhard
Sarah
S
Girard
Yvette A
YA
Hahn
Nina
N
Mun
Jeomhee
J
Padgett
Kerry A
KA
Lane
Robert S
RS
D000818:Animals; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012589:Sciuridae / Q000382:microbiology*