Term of Award

Fall 1996

Degree Name

Master of Science in Biology

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Department

Department of Biology

Committee Chair

James H. Oliver, Jr.

Committee Member 1

Lance A. Durden

Committee Member 2

William S. Irby

Abstract

The vector competence of Ixodes minor for Borreiia burgdorferi and the reservoir status of the Bobwhite quail were investigated. Also tested was the hypothesis that Ixodes minor could serve as a bridge between the enzootic cycles of Borrelia burgdorferi in avian and mammalian species. Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), white laboratory mice (Mus musculus), and eastern woodrats (Neotomafloridana) were injected with B. burgdorferi, and were then fed on by non-infected /. minor larvae. B. burgdorferi was found to be present in cultures of tissues of the hosts and in cultures of nymphs, after they had molted from larvae fed on inoculated hosts. Nymphs from the same cohort were fed on non-infected Bobwhite quail and white mice and successfully transmitted the spirochete to both birds and rodents.

OCLC Number

1030437767

Copyright

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