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Eisen L. Vector competence studies with hard ticks and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes: A review. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101359. [PMID: 32067949 PMCID: PMC7127979 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Use of emerging technology allowing for identification of genetic material from pathogens and endosymbionts in ticks collected from humans, domestic animals, wildlife, or the environment has resulted in an avalanche of new data on tick-microorganism associations. This rapidly growing stream of new information is a tremendous resource but also presents challenges, including how detection of pathogen genetic material in ticks should best be interpreted. There is a tendency in the more recent published literature to incorrectly use the term “vector” based on detection of pathogen genetic material from tick species not experimentally confirmed to serve as vectors of the pathogen in question. To serve as a vector of a horizontally maintained pathogen, such as a Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) Lyme borreliosis spirochete, the tick species in question must be capable of acquiring the pathogen while feeding in the larval or nymphal stage on an infectious host, maintaining it transstadially through the molt, and then transmitting the pathogen to a naïve host while feeding in the subsequent nymphal or adult stage. This review examines the experimental evidence for and against species of hard (ixodid) ticks from different genera to serve as vectors of B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes. Of the 18 Ixodes species ticks evaluated to date, 13 were experimentally confirmed as vectors of B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes. These studies focused primarily on the three major Lyme borreliosis agents: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. In striking contrast, none of 8 tick species from other genera (1 Amblyomma species, 5 Dermacentor species, and 2 Haemaphysalis species) evaluated to date were unequivocally experimentally confirmed as vectors of B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes. The strength of the evidence for or against each tick species to serve as a vector of B. burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes is discussed together with key knowledge gaps and research challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
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Romano D, Stefanini C, Canale A, Benelli G. Artificial blood feeders for mosquito and ticks-Where from, where to? Acta Trop 2018; 183:43-56. [PMID: 29625092 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito and tick feeding activity represent a key threat for humans, livestock, pets and wildlife worldwide. Rearing these vectors in laboratory conditions is extremely important to investigate basic facets of their biology, vector competence, new control strategies, as well as mechanisms of pesticide resistance. However, the use of animals or humans to provide blood for hematophagous arthropod feeding poses a strict limit to these researches, due to the accidental transmission of diseases, ethical problems concerning animal welfare, as well as expensive and time-consuming animal rearing procedures. The use of devices to artificially feed arthropod vectors can importantly leverage progresses in parasitology and entomology. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about artificial feeding of mosquitoes and ticks, focusing on key concepts and case studies about the design and fabrication of blood feeding devices. From a technical standpoint, the literature analyzed here showed little standardization of materials used for fabricating membrane interfaces, as well as in the strategy used to heat the "biomimetic host". In addition, a lack of uniform methods to design an architecture merging complex and realistic cues with an easy-to-assemble approach have been found. Some commercial products are available, but they are quite expensive, thus hard to reach for many laboratories, especially in developing countries. An important challenge for future research is represented by the introduction of automation and bioinspired engineered solutions in these devices, improving the effectiveness of blood-feeding systems by increasing their host-mimicking features. Automation can reduce labor costs and provide interesting solutions - in line with the 3R principle "reduce, replace and refine" - aimed to minimize the employ of experimental animals in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Romano
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Cesare Stefanini
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy; Department of Biomedical Engineering and Robotics Institute, Khalifa University, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, UAE
| | - Angelo Canale
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Benelli
- The BioRobotics Institute, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy; Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Hart T, Yang X, Pal U, Lin YP. Identification of Lyme borreliae proteins promoting vertebrate host blood-specific spirochete survival in Ixodes scapularis nymphs using artificial feeding chambers. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1057-1063. [PMID: 29653905 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis, the most common vector-borne illness in Europe and the United States, is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex and transmitted by Ixodes ticks. In humans, the spirochetes disseminate from the tick bite site to multiple tissues, leading to serious clinical manifestations. The ability of spirochetes to survive in ticks during blood feeding is thought to be essential for Lyme borreliae to be transmitted to different vertebrate hosts. This ability is partly attributed to several B. burgdorferi proteins, including BBA52 and Lp6.6, which promote spirochete survival in nymphal ticks feeding on mice. One of the strategies to identify such proteins without using live animals is to feed B. burgdorferi-infected ticks on blood via artificial feeding chambers. In previous studies, ticks were only fed on bovine blood in the feeding chambers. In this study, we used this chamber model and showed that I. scapularis ticks will not only acquire bovine blood but human and quail blood as well. The latter two are the incidental host and an avian host of Lyme borreliae, respectively. We also investigated the roles that BBA52 and Lp6.6 play in promoting spirochete survival in nymphal ticks fed on human or quail blood. After feeding on human blood, spirochete burdens in ticks infected with an lp6.6-deficient B. burgdorferi were significantly reduced, while bba52-deficient spirochete burdens in ticks remained unchanged, similar to the wild-type strain. No strain showed a change in spirochete burdens in ticks fed on quail blood. These results indicate that Lp6.6 plays a role for B. burgdorferi in nymphs fed on human but not quail blood. Such information also demonstrates that the artificial feeding chamber is a powerful tool to identify B. burgdorferi proteins that promote vertebrate host blood-specific spirochete survival in I. scapularis ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Xiuli Yang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park and Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.
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Groshong AM, Blevins JS. Insights into the biology of Borrelia burgdorferi gained through the application of molecular genetics. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2014; 86:41-143. [PMID: 24377854 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800262-9.00002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the vector-borne bacterium that causes Lyme disease, was first identified in 1982. It is known that much of the pathology associated with Lyme borreliosis is due to the spirochete's ability to infect, colonize, disseminate, and survive within the vertebrate host. Early studies aimed at defining the biological contributions of individual genes during infection and transmission were hindered by the lack of adequate tools and techniques for molecular genetic analysis of the spirochete. The development of genetic manipulation techniques, paired with elucidation and annotation of the B. burgdorferi genome sequence, has led to major advancements in our understanding of the virulence factors and the molecular events associated with Lyme disease. Since the dawn of this genetic era of Lyme research, genes required for vector or host adaptation have garnered significant attention and highlighted the central role that these components play in the enzootic cycle of this pathogen. This chapter covers the progress made in the Borrelia field since the application of mutagenesis techniques and how they have allowed researchers to begin ascribing roles to individual genes. Understanding the complex process of adaptation and survival as the spirochete cycles between the tick vector and vertebrate host will lead to the development of more effective diagnostic tools as well as identification of novel therapeutic and vaccine targets. In this chapter, the Borrelia genes are presented in the context of their general biological roles in global gene regulation, motility, cell processes, immune evasion, and colonization/dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M Groshong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Jon S Blevins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
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Gonsioroski AV, Bezerra IA, Utiumi KU, Driemeier D, Farias SE, da Silva Vaz I, Masuda A. Anti-tick monoclonal antibody applied by artificial capillary feeding in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus females. Exp Parasitol 2012; 130:359-63. [PMID: 22366320 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2012.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Revised: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The tick Rhipicephalus microplus is an ectoparasite harmful to livestock, a vector of disease agents that affects meat and milk production. However, resistance to acaricides reflects the need for alternative tick control methods, among which vaccines have gained increasing relevance. In this scenario, monoclonal antibodies can be used to identify and characterize antigens that can be used as vaccine immunogens. Capillary tube artificial feeding of partially engorged R. microplus females with monoclonal antibodies against proteins from the gut of tick were used to test the effects of immunoglobulins in the physiology of the parasite. The results of artificial feeding showed that female ticks over 25mg and under 60 mg in weight performed better in the artificial feeding process, with a 94-168% weight increase after 24h of feeding. Results showed that artificial feeding of ticks proved to be a viable technique to study the effects of antibodies or drugs in the physiology of the parasite. One monoclonal antibody (BrBm2) induced decreased oviposition. Moreover, the antigen recognized by BrBm2 was identified as a 27-kDa protein and immunolabeled on digestive vesicles membranes of digestive cells of partially and fully engorged females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Varella Gonsioroski
- Centro de Biotecnologia do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, C.P. 15005, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Bonnet S, Jouglin M, Malandrin L, Becker C, Agoulon A, L'hostis M, Chauvin A. Transstadial and transovarial persistence of Babesia divergens DNA in Ixodes ricinus ticks fed on infected blood in a new skin-feeding technique. Parasitology 2006; 134:197-207. [PMID: 17076925 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182006001545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2006] [Revised: 07/21/2006] [Accepted: 07/25/2006] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Although Babesia divergens is the the principal confirmed zoonotic Babesia sp. in Europe, there are gaps in our knowledge of its biology and transmission by the tick Ixodes ricinus. In order to reproduce the part of the parasite cycle that occurs in the vector, an in vitro animal skin feeding technique on blood containing in vitro cultivated B. divergens was developed. Parasite DNA was detected in all samples of salivary glands of nymphs and adults that had fed on parasitized blood as larvae and nymphs, respectively, indicating acquisition as well as a transtadial persistence of B. divergens. PCR performed on eggs and larvae produced by females that had fed on parasitized blood demonstrated the existence of a transovarial transmission of the parasite. Gorging B. divergens infected larvae on non-infected gerbils showed persistance of the parasite over moulting into the resulting nymphs. These results indicate that the parasitic stages infective for the vector (i.e. the sexual stages) can be produced in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first report of artificial feeding of I. ricinus via membrane as well as in vitro transmission of B. divergens to its vector. The opportunities offered by the use of such a transmission model of a pathogen by I. ricinus are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Bonnet
- UMR ENVN/INRA 1034, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes, Interactions Hôte-Parasite-Milieu, Atlanpole-La Chantrerie, B.P. 40706, 44307 Nantes cedex 03, France.
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Loftis AD, Nicholson WL, Levin ML. Evaluation of immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice (Mus musculus) for infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis and transmission to Amblyomma americanum ticks. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2005; 4:323-33. [PMID: 15671738 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2004.4.323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments on the natural history of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), would be facilitated by the availability of a laboratory animal model for transmission to vector ticks. Five strains of mice were evaluated for their susceptibility to infection with E. chaffeensis and transmission competence: C57BL/6 mice, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) deficient mice, MHC I deficient (beta2m /) mice, MHC II deficient mice (Abb /), and B and T cell deficient (Rag1 /) mice. Mice were inoculated with a low passage isolate of E. chaffeensis, and infection and morbidity were monitored for 57 days. Three xenodiagnostic infestations with A. americanum nymphs were performed 1, 8, and 15 days following inoculation. C57BL/6 mice cleared the organism in less than 17 days, with no indication of morbidity, and mounted a rapid, strong antibody response. Transmission to feeding A. americanum nymphs was seen in 1/30 nymphs fed on C57BL/6 mice immediately after inoculation. In MHC I and iNOS deficient mice, pathogen DNA was detected up to 17 or 24 days, respectively, after inoculation. Persistent infection for the duration of the experiment (57 days) was observed in MHC II deficient mice. However, E. chaffeensis was not detected in ticks fed on iNOS, MHC I, or MHC II deficient mice. Susceptibility to infection was greatest in Rag1 knockout mice, with significant morbidity and mortality within 24 days after inoculation. E. chaffeensis DNA was detected in up to 55% of replete nymphs that fed on Rag1 mice. However, E. chaffeensis was not detected in molted adult ticks from the same cohorts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Loftis
- Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
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Rosa PA, Tilly K, Stewart PE. The burgeoning molecular genetics of the Lyme disease spirochaete. Nat Rev Microbiol 2005; 3:129-43. [PMID: 15685224 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro1086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in North America and Europe, yet we know little about which components of the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, are critical for infection or virulence. Molecular genetics has provided a powerful means by which to address these topics in other bacterial pathogens. Certain features of B. burgdorferi have hampered the development of an effective system of genetic analysis, but basic tools are now available and their application has begun to provide information about the identities and roles of key bacterial components in both the tick vector and the mammalian host. Increased genetic analysis of B. burgdorferi should advance our understanding of the infectious cycle and the pathogenesis of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Rosa
- Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S 4th Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840, USA.
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Loftis AD, Levin ML. Lack of susceptibility of guinea pigs and gerbils to experimental infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2005; 4:319-22. [PMID: 15682515 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2004.4.319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Guinea pigs and Mongolian gerbils were experimentally infected with Ehrlichia chaffeensis (St. Vincent strain, 10 passages in vitro). The infection was monitored by serial blood sampling for PCR and by xenodiagnosis with Amblyomma americanum larvae. Exposure to the pathogen was confirmed using serology. Neither guinea pigs nor gerbils were susceptible to infection with E. chaffeensis, and ticks fed upon these animals did not become infected with the pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Loftis
- Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
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Loftis AD, Ross DE, Levin ML. Susceptibility of mice (Mus musculus) to repeated infestation with Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2004; 41:1171-1174. [PMID: 15605656 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-41.6.1171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Loftis
- Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
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Policastro PF, Schwan TG. Experimental infection of Ixodes scapularis larvae (Acari: Ixodidae) by immersion in low passage cultures of Borrelia burgdorferi. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2003; 40:364-370. [PMID: 12943118 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-40.3.364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We describe a procedure for the introduction of Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, into larvae of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis. Internalized spirochetes were observed in larvae examined after 15 or 45 min immersion at 32 degrees C in liquid culture suspensions of low passage B. burgdorferi strain B31. Larval ticks immersed in low passage strain B31 were able to feed to repletion on white-footed mice. Midguts of larvae contained many spirochetes 1 wk postengorgement, while larvae incubated with high passage strain B31 were free of detectable spirochetes at the same interval. Larvae incubated with low passage strain B31 were competent to transmit the pathogen to mice, as shown by serology, reisolation of B. burgdorferi from mice, and xenodiagnosis. Ticks maintained the infection transstadially to the nymphal stage and transmitted the infection to naive mice, replicating an essential aspect of natural infection. This method requires no special equipment and allows artificial infection of large numbers of ticks at the larval stage. It will facilitate studies of the contribution of specific B. burgdorferi genetic loci to tick colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Policastro
- Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840-2932, USA.
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Broadwater AH, Sonenshine DE, Hynes WL, Ceraul S, De SAM. Glass capillary tube feeding: a method for infecting nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) with the lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2002; 39:285-292. [PMID: 11931028 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-39.2.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated an artificial capillary feeding method to infect nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Say) ticks with Borrelia burgdoeferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Thirty to 70% of the nymphs were infected after feeding for 2.5 h from glass capillary tubes filled with a solution of spirochetes. Capillary infection was stable and persisted in the nymphs for at least 10 d after feeding. Capillary feeding also maintained natural vector competence patterns because I. scapularis ticks acquired infection unlike Dermacentor variablis (Say), which did not become infected. Capillary infected I. scapularis nymphs were capable of transmitting the infection to naive mice although not as efficiently as naturally infected nymphs. The capillary infection method is convenient and is a better alternative to syringe inoculation as a means of infecting animals with B. burgdorferi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne H Broadwater
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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