Comment; The white-footed deer mouse was thought to be the only rodent reservoir for Borrelia burdorferi–pathogen that causes Lyme Disease. Now we know that other mice also host the disease–which will enable further/faster spread into other areas. Will populated areas be next?
SeanBeckmannabRhondaFreundaHaydenPehlaAshleyRodgersaTaggartVenegasaShow morehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.06.011Get rights and content
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe. It is caused by a group of spirochete bacteria belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. These pathogens are transmitted among vertebrate reservoir hosts through the bite of hard-bodied ticks. While the enzootic cycle of Borrelia transmission is well understood in its primary reservoir, the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus, far less is known about other reservoir hosts, particularly in grassland ecosystems. This study assessed the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s. l. among four non-Peromyscus rodents in a prairie ecosystem in the Midwestern United States over a four-year period. We found high prevalences of the bacteria in all four species studied. Our results help to support the roles of Microtusspecies as reservoirs of B. burgdorferi and add to the literature that suggests Zapus hudsonius may also be a reservoir. Additionally, we identified a previously unknown possible reservoir, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus. Our study also identifies the need to study the dynamics of Lyme borreliosis in habitats and areas outside of the typical range of P. leucopus.
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