Apparent Incompetence of Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) and Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) as Vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi in an Ixodes dammini Endemic Area of Ontario, Canada

Abstract

From April to October 1990, white-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), were examined for ectoparasites on Long Point, Ontario, the only endemic area for Ixodes dammini Clifford, Spielman, Piesman & Corwin and Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner known in Canada. Larval and nymphal I. dammini and Dermacentor variabilis (Packard), and adult fleas Orchopeas leucopus (Baker), Epitedia wenmanni (Rothschild), and Ctenophthalamus pseudagrytes Baker were common on trapped mice. Questing ticks were collected by dragging, near the sites of mouse trapping, from April to November 1990. Indirect immunofluorescent assay established that 58.3% of adult, 17.3% of nymphal, and 0.15% of larval I. dammini questing at Long Point were infected with B. burgdorferi, indicating that infected mammalian reservoir hosts are common. None of 593 adult, 2 nymphal, and 4 larval D. variabilis collected while questing were infected; and only 1 of 322 fleas (O. leucopus) removed from white-footed mice was infected. The fact that no unfed adult D. variabilis and only one flea were infected, in a situation where the probability of exposure of hematophagous ectoparasites is moderately high, suggests that this species of tick and the fleas examined are poor vectors for the Lyme disease spirochete.

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…The pathogens responsible for Lyme disease, tularaemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans have been isolated or detected in D. variabilis collected in Canada (Artsob et al 1984;Lindsay et al 1991;Artsob 1996); however, the probability of acquiring a tick-borne pathogen from this species is very low. Despite numerous reports in the United States of America (Anonymous 1996), paralysis of humans (or animals) caused by D. variabilis has never been reported in Canada (Gregson 1973).…”

Is there a Lyme-like disease in Australia? Summary of the findings to date

“…In the northern hemisphere, B. burgdorferi s. l. has also been detected in Ixodidae (hard tick) of genera other than Ixodes [1], [2], [3], [4] and even in haematophagous arthropods including lice [2], fleas [4], [5], keds [2], [6], mites [7], [8], [9], flies [10], [11], [12] and mosquitoes [9], [13], [14]. While the transmission capability of these arthropods remains undetermined, it does raise the possibility of Lyme transmission by arthropods other than Ixodes.…”

“…Typically, the disease first presents with an erythema migrans rash at the site of the tick bite, followed by flu-like symptoms and later by debilitating arthritic, dermatological and neurological manifestations. The bacteria are transmitted by Ixodes species ticks, although other Ixodidae ticks [1], [2], [3], [4] and haematophagous arthropods [2], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14] have been implicated in carrying the bacteria. Bacterial reservoirs of the disease are usually small mammals, birds and occasionally reptiles [15], [16].…”

The occurrence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in certain ectoparasites (Mesostigmata, Siphonaptera) of Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus in chosen localities in the Czech Republic

“…They were found to be rarely infected (Lindsay et al 1991). There are very few studies addressing the issue of the role of mites as vectors of selected groups of bacterial pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum - Skoracki et al 2006.…”