Ticks and antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi from mammals at Cape Hatteras, NC and Assateague Island, MD and VA

Results of a survey for ixodid ticks and/or serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi from 14 species of small to large mammals from eastern coastal areas of the United States are presented. Most samples were obtained from July 1987 through June 1989 (excluding December-March) at 3 locales: Assateagu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical entomology 1999-09, Vol.36 (5), p.578-587
Main Authors: Oliver, J.H. Jr, Magnarelli, L.A, Hutcheson, H.J, Anderson, J.F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amblyomma americanum
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Antibodies
Antibodies, Bacterial - analysis
Biological and medical sciences
Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia burgdorferi Group - immunology
Cats
coasts
Dermacentor variabilis
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Horses
Host-Parasite Interactions
House mouse
Ixodes scapularis
Lyme disease
Lyme Disease - immunology
Lyme Disease - veterinary
Mammals
Maryland
Mice
North Carolina
Peromyscus leucopus
Rats
recreation areas
sentinel animals
serological surveys
Surveys
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
tick infestation intensity
tick infestations
Ticks - microbiology
Virginia
wild animals
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Summary:Results of a survey for ixodid ticks and/or serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi from 14 species of small to large mammals from eastern coastal areas of the United States are presented. Most samples were obtained from July 1987 through June 1989 (excluding December-March) at 3 locales: Assateague Is. National Seashore, Worcester Co., MD., and Accomack Co., VA. (approximately 38 degrees 05' N 75 degrees 10' W), and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Dare Co., NC (approximately 35 degrees 30' N 76 degrees 35' W). Hosts sampled included opossums (Didelphis virginiana), least shrews (Cryptotis parva), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), raccoons (Procyon lotor), feral cats (Felis sylvestris), feral horses (Equus caballus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), rice rats (Oryzomys palustris), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus), house mice (Mus musculus), norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius). An indirect fluorescent antibody test was used for testing sera from opossums, raccoons, and feral cats; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used for sera from foxes, horses, deer, and house and white-footed mice. Antibodies to B. burgdorferi were found in all species tested from each locale. Seasonal data reinforce the contention that P. leucopus is a suitable sentinel species for B. burgdorferi. Ticks on hosts included Ixodes scapularis Say, I. texanus Banks, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), D. albipictus (Packard), and Amblyomma americanum (L.). Males comprised approximately 0-22 and 60-81% of Ixodes sp. and Amblyomma-Dermacentor adults collected from hosts, respectively. All stages of A. americanum, adult D. variabilis, and larval I. scapularis were collected from vegetation. The highest seropositivity rate (67%) was recorded for 45 P. leucopus at Assateague during July, approximately 1 mo. after peak nymphal I. scapularis intensity. Borrelia burgdorferi was isolated from 6 nymphal and 12 female I. scapularis collected from P. leucopus and C. nippon, respectively, on Assateague.
ISSN:0022-2585
1938-2928
DOI:10.1093/jmedent/36.5.578