We collected adult ticks and small mammals from several sites in northern Florida, and extracted DNA from individual ticks and mammal ear tissue samples. Extracts were tested via nested polymerase chain reaction assays targeting portions of the flagellin gene of Borrelia species. Tick species that were tested included the blacklegged tick (I. scapularis), Gulf Coast tick (A. maculatum), lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), and Ixodes affinis. Small mammals included the cotton mouse, cotton rat, eastern woodrat, flying squirrel, golden mouse, and opossum. Borrelia spirochetes were detected in lone star ticks, blacklegged ticks, I. affinis, and all mammals tested except woodrats. Based on BLAST search comparisons of the partial flagellin gene sequences we obtained from lone star ticks with those in GenBank, the strains detected in most lone star ticks were most similar to hard tick relapsing fever group strains. The Borrelia strains in most Ixodes spp. ticks and small mammals were most similar to strains of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. bissettii. Considerable variation existed among the partial flagellin gene sequences obtained from mammals and Ixodes ticks. Furthermore, most of these sequences were only approximately 94-97% similar to those from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. bissettii strains in GenBank, and less similar to strains of other B. burdorferi sensu lato species. Our findings indicate that Borrelia species strains belonging to the hard tick relapsing fever and B. burgdorferi sensu lato groups are common among ticks and small mammals in Florida.
Keywords: Borrelia, Ticks
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