Transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes in relation to duration of attachment by Ixodes scapularis nymphs

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
Nicole E BreunerLars Eisen

Abstract

Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes are emerging as causative agents of human illness (Borrelia miyamotoi disease) in the United States. Host-seeking Ixodes scapularis ticks are naturally infected with these spirochetes in the eastern United States and experimentally capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi. However, the duration of time required from tick attachment to spirochete transmission has yet to be determined. We therefore conducted a study to assess spirochete transmission by single transovarially infected I. scapularis nymphs to outbred white mice at three time points post-attachment (24, 48, and 72h) and for a complete feed (>72-96h). Based on detection of B. miyamotoi DNA from the blood of mice fed on by an infected nymph, the probability of spirochete transmission increased from 10% by 24h of attachment (evidence of infection in 3/30 mice) to 31% by 48h (11/35 mice), 63% by 72h (22/35 mice), and 73% for a complete feed (22/30 mice). We conclude that (i) single I. scapularis nymphs effectively transmit B. miyamotoi relapsing fever group spirochetes while feeding, (ii) transmission can occur within the first 24h of nymphal attachment, and (iii) the probability of transmission increases with t...Continue Reading

References

Apr 27, 2017·Journal of Medical Entomology·Tammi L JohnsonRebecca J Eisen

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Citations

Mar 27, 2018·Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·Richard C FalcoGary P Wormser
Aug 31, 2018·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Jack D BissettJob E Lopez
May 9, 2019·Euro Surveillance : Bulletin Européen Sur Les Maladies Transmissibles = European Communicable Disease Bulletin·Sally CutlerHervé Zeller
Jan 23, 2021·Scientific Reports·Adam J ReplogleJeannine M Petersen
Mar 2, 2021·Frontiers in Immunology·Nathalie Boulanger, Stephen Wikel
Apr 12, 2021·Wilderness & Environmental Medicine·David Della-GiustinaKatja Goldflam

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