Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi endemic at epicenter in Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario

J Med Entomol. 2003 Jan;40(1):91-4. doi: 10.1603/0022-2585-40.1.91.

Abstract

The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmidt, Hyde, Steigerwalt, and Brenner was discovered in blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada During this 2-yr study, spirochetes were found in B. burgdorferi-positive I. scapularis larvae attached to B. burgdorferi-infected white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque. Isolates of B. burgdorferi were cultured from blacklegged tick adults, and confirmed positive with polymerase chain reaction by targeting OspA and rrf (5S)-rrl (23S) genes. These findings show an endemic area for B. burgdorferi within an established population of L. scapularis at Rondeau Provincial Park.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Surface / genetics
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • Base Sequence
  • Borrelia burgdorferi / genetics
  • Borrelia burgdorferi / isolation & purification
  • Borrelia burgdorferi / pathogenicity*
  • DNA Primers
  • Insect Vectors
  • Ixodes
  • Lipoproteins*
  • Lyme Disease / epidemiology
  • Lyme Disease / microbiology*
  • Lyme Disease / transmission
  • Mice
  • Ontario / epidemiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction

Substances

  • Antigens, Surface
  • Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • DNA Primers
  • Lipoproteins
  • OspA protein