Investigating The Diversity And Small Mammal Host Ecology Of Borrelia Burgdorferi In Ohio

Lyme disease is rapidly expanding and is of a great public health concern in the United States. The emergence of Lyme disease is the consequence of a confluence of the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ixodes tick vectors, hosts, and the ecological and climatic conditions supporting tick and host populations. The complexity of Lyme disease transmission impedes our ability to predict its migration patterns and areas of high risk. In Ohio, established populations of the blacklegged tick or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, were first identified in Coshocton County in 20101. Consequently human Lyme disease incidence has increased dramatically, from 21 cases in 2010 to 388 cases in 20192. However, little is known about how B. burgdorferi prevalence in the blacklegged tick population has changed in Coshocton County since initial establishment or the genotypic diversity of B. burgdorferi in Ohio. This study was conducted at the index sites where established populations of blacklegged ticks were first identified in Ohio to investigate the current infection prevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, and B. mayonii in questing blacklegged ticks and small mammals using real time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR). Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis was performed to find the diversity of Ohio B. burgdorferi sensu stricto strains relating to the reported stains in other regions in the public databases for molecular typing and microbial genome diversity (PubMLST.org). Pathogen-tick-host relationships of the Ohio small mammal community were also studied by trapping a variety of host species during peak tick activity and assessing tick burden. Increasing trends of both B. burgdorferi sensu lato and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto were detected in blacklegged ticks and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) compared to the 2010 data1. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto strains reported from the Upper Midwest and the Northeast were found in Ohio, as well as strains reported in California and Canada. Blacklegged ticks and Borrelia were found to parasitize a wide variety of host species in Ohio.