Figure 3From: Abundance of Ixodes ricinus and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in the nature reserve Siebengebirge, Germany, in comparison to three former studies from 1978 onwardsAbundances of ticks at three plant communities in the Siebengebirge and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. prevalences from 1987 to 2008. Abundances are presented as columns: Fraxino-Aceretum pseudoplatani (dark grey), the Luzulo-Fagetum milietosum (black) and the Galio-Fagetum typicum (light grey). Monthly tick abundances per 100m2 of study site from May to September of each study year were calculated; in 2001 tick densities were not determined [15]. Borrelia prevalences for the Fraxino-Aceretum pseudoplatani, the Luzulo-Fagetum milietosum and the Galio-Fagetum typicum, are presented as circles, squares and triangles, respectively. Tick samples from 1987/89 and 2001 were examined for Borrelia infection by the immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using the same experimental protocol [15, 38]. The same ticks used for IFA in 2001 were also analyzed for Borrelia infection by nested PCR (nPCR) [15]. Additionally, the same nPCR approach from 2001 was employed to analyze I. ricinus in 2007 and 2008. Accordingly, Borrelia prevalences from 1987/89 were compared with results from 2001, and 2001 prevalence data were compared with the data from 2007 and 2008. Borrelia infection rates were not determined in 2003 [8].Back to article page