BIOL 4334 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Hookworm Infection, Borrelia Burgdorferi, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness
30 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Lyme disease number 1 tick borne disease in the us. A larva tick (normally lxodes scapolaris black legged tick) eats a blood meal. If that blood meal has either virus in them, the larva becomes infected with borrelia burgdorferi (normally gotten from the white footed moust) and will pass this on to its next meal when it becomes a nymph. A vector-borne zoonosis, the following conditions must hold. Vector must be a generalist that parasitizes at least several hosts including humans. Hosts must vary strongly in their reservoir competence, such that some are highly infective and others are dilution hosts. Vectors must acquire the pathogen via blood meals rather than relying predominantly on transovarial transmission. The most competent reservoir host(s) (the ones that amplify) must be dominant members of the host community, feeding a high proportion of the tick population. Check yourself for ticks usually takes about 24 hours of a tick being latched for you to be at risk.
