Lyme disease bacterium does not affect attraction to rodent odour in the tick vector

Parasites & Vectors

Table 2 Classification of nymphs according to Borrelia ecotype and tick questing activity state

(I) All trials	Missing	Inactive	Unscented	Scented	Total
Uninfected	175	165	180	36	556
Rodent-specialist	5	10	11	3	29
Bird-specialist	53	39	65	16	173
Unidentified	10	8	10	2	30
Total	243	222	266	57	788
(II) Trials A, B, C	Missing	Inactive	Unscented	Scented	Total
Uninfected	116	109	150	29	404
Rodent-specialist	5	9	10	3	27
Bird-specialist	44	29	60	16	149
Unidentified	6	4	8	2	20
Total	171	151	228	50	600
(III) Trials D	Missing	Inactive	Unscented	Scented	Total
Uninfected	59	56	30	7	152
Rodent-specialist	0	1	1	0	2
Bird-specialist	9	10	5	0	24
Unidentified	4	4	2	0	10
Total	72	71	38	7	188

Nymphs were classified according to their Borrelia ecotype infection status and their state at the end of the tick questing behaviour trial. Borrelia ecotype infection status had four levels: uninfected, rodent-specialist (B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi s. s.), bird-specialist (B. garinii, B. valaisiana), and unidentified B. burgdorferi s. l. infection. The trial questing activity state had four levels: nymphs that had left the system (missing), nymphs that had not left the filter paper cone (inactive), nymphs that had selected an unscented questing perch (unscented), nymphs that had selected the focal scented questing perch (scented). (I) Nymphs are from all 40 trials (A, B, C, D). (II) Nymphs are from the 30 trials with mouse odour (trial types A, B and C). (III) Nymphs are from the 10 trials without mouse odour (trial type D).

ISSN: 1756-3305