https://www.vpr.org/post/blood-microbiomes-and-lyme-disease-ticks-diet-makes-difference#stream/0

Comment; The fact that the type of blood-meal a tick consumes alters its microbiome, impacting its ability to pass along pathogens.

New research show that a deer tick’s diet – what kind of animal it drinks blood from – can significantly alter the tick’s microbiome. That, in turn can impact whether the tick is likely to pass on pathogens like the ones that cause Lyme disease.

Dr. Raymond Oenbrink