Journal of Medical Entomology (1997) 34, 569-572

Michael Levin, Michele Papero and Duriand Fish (1997)
Feeding density influences acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi in larval Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)
Journal of Medical Entomology 34 (5), 569-572
Abstract: The intensity of Borrelia burgdorferi transmission in nature is dependent upon the efficiency of acquisition of spirochetes by larval Ixodes scapularis Say (= I. dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman and Corwin). White footed mice infected with B. burgdorferi were infested weekly for 5 consecutive weeks with 25 or 250 larval I. scapularis. Prevalence of infection in nymphs derived from larvae fed at high density (25.0-38.9%) was consistently higher than in nymphs derived from larvae fed at low density (6.7-23.5%). Spirochete prevalence in nymphal I. scapularis populations in nature may be influenced by larval population density.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Michael L. Levin

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ixodes scapularis