Article
Comparison of the lifetime host-to-tick transmission between two strains of the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia afzelii
1 Dec 2016
Abstract excerpt
BACKGROUND: Transmission from the vertebrate host to the arthropod vector is a critical step in the life-cycle of any vector-borne pathogen. How the probability of host-to-vector transmission changes over the duration of the infection is an important predictor of pathogen fitness. The Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia afzelii is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks and establishes a chronic infection inside rodent...