Tick bites and borrelia infection: A problem for mammalian species

Abstract

Four species of the family Ixodidae vector the agents of Lyme borreliosis: Ixodes persulcatus and I. ricinus in Eurasia, I. scapularis and I. pacificus in North America. The ticks have three life cycle stages: larvae, nymphs and adult ticks (female and male). They are feeding once in each stage on a large variety of vertebrate animals. Rodents, hedgehogs and certain bird species are competent reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the agents of Lyme borreliosis. When humans expose to the natural habitats of ticks during the season (usually from March to October), they may be bitten by an infected tick. Every fifth person on average will develop Lyme borreliosis, most frequently the skin infection erythema migrans. Disseminated infection involves the nervous system, joints, heart and other organs.Domestic animals are regularly bitten when exposed to ticks. However, there is little evidence that Lyme borreliosis is responsible for frequent and significant morbidity in any domestic animals.