Experimental Lyme Disease in Dogs Produces Arthritis and Persistent Infection

Abstract

Lyme disease was reproduced in specific pathogen-free beagle dogs by exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks (Ixodes dammini). Seroconversion and disease frequency were higher after exposure to infected adult ticks than to infected nymphs. Young pups developed clinical disease more readily than older dogs. The incubation period lasted 2-5 months. Acute recurrent lameness with fibrinopurulent arthritis was the dominant clinical sign. Dogs recovered but developed persistent mild polyarthritis. B. burgdorferi persisted in recovered dogs for at least 1 year. Isolation of B. burgdorferi and detection by polymerase chain reaction was most successful from skin biopsies at the site of the tick bite. Antibody to B. burgdorferi antigens was first detected by ELISA and Western blots by 4-6 weeks after exposure. High serum levels persisted during 17 months of observation. In contrast to infection from ticks, inoculation of dogs with cultured B. burgdorferi resulted in seroconversion with a shorter duration of antibody persistence and no clinical disease.

Synovial Lesions in Experimental Canine Lyme Borreliosis

“…2 Before humane euthanasia, serum samples were obtained for testing for antibodies to B. burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Dirofilaria immitis, and Ehrlichia canis with a commercial kit (C6 SNAP 4Dx, Idexx Laboratories, Westbrook, Maine).…”

Biology of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi

“…Rabbits develop skin manifestations similar to the rash erythema migrans found in human disease, but clear the infection relatively rapidly [58,59]. Dogs develop arthritis and become persistently infected [60]. Infection of rhesus monkeys more closely resembles human infection, with some monkeys exhibiting skin rash, arthritis, and neuroborreliosis [61][62][63][64].…”

Methodological Aspects

“…For efficient precipitation of small amounts of DNA, the addition of a carrier is essential. Glycogen (84,123) has been used successfully, and the sensitivity of PCR could be increased by the addition of 10 3 Leptospira biflexa organisms (7) to CSF before centrifugation. In CSF, the addition of hyaluronidase can further increase the sensitivity of the PCR (96).…”

“…PCR for B. burgdorferi infection has been used in animal (10,17,24,65,92) and vaccine (129,144) studies. Most studies in humans have been done with only a few patients in specialized laboratories.…”