Fulltext

Infection of Field-Collected Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) Larvae with Borrelia burgdorferi in Switzerland

Zhioua, Elias ; Aeschlimann, Andre ; Gern, Lise

In: Journal of Medical Entomology, 1994, vol. 31, no. 5, p. 763-766

Add to personal list
    Title
    • Infection of Field-Collected Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) Larvae with Borrelia burgdorferi in Switzerland
    Author
    • Zhioua, Elias. Institute of Zoology, University of Neuchâtel, Chantemerle 22, CH-2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
    • Aeschlimann, Andre. Institute of Zoology, University of Neuchâtel, Chantemerle 22, CH-2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
    • Gern, Lise. Institute of Zoology, University of Neuchâtel, Chantemerle 22, CH-2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Journal of Medical Entomology, 1994, vol. 31, no. 5, p. 763-766. Oxford University Press
    Other Version
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:303045
    Summary
    Free-living larvae from natural areas in five regions in Switzerland were collected to determine the infection rate of Ixodes ricinus L. larvae by Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson. Larvae were examined for the spirochetes using direct fluorescent antibody assay. Of 652 larvae examined, spirochetes were detected in 20 (3.1%). No differences in infection rate among sites were detected. The low prevalence of B. burgdorferi in larvae, compared with higher infection rate in nymphs (12.8%) and adults (14.5%), suggests that transovarial transmission is inefficient. These results suggest that I. ricinus can serve as a reservoir for B. burgdorferi in nature. Further study is needed on the relative importance of ticks, compared with mammals and birds, as reservoirs for B. burgdorferi