Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi in ticks and white-footed mice in PA.

The etiological agents that cause human Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) and relapsing fever (B. miyamotoi) share a common tick vector (Ixodes scapularis Say) and rodent reservoir (Peromyscus leucopus).

The prevalence of B. burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi in I. scapularis and P. leucopus was investigated from sites in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Borrelia burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of splenic tissue.

PCR analysis of Ixodes scapularis ticks collected in PA identified infections with Borrelia burgdorferi.

This research is the first detection of Borrelia miyamotoi in PA Ixodes scapularis and Peromyscus leucopus.

Understanding the prevalence of Borrelia and other tick-borne pathogens in ticks is crucial for locating high-risk areas of disease transmission.