Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Two Species of Peromyscus Mice Common in Northern Wisconsin

Larson, Scott R.; Lee, Xia; Paskewitz, Susan M.

doi:10.1093/jme/tjy027

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…2). This finding supports previous observations that I. pacificus readily parasitize rodents when available [22,43], despite more frequently parasitizing lizards in the field. These findings suggest that B. burgdorferi transmission in the western USA is not limited by I. pacificus host feeding abilities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The choice and success of larval host feeding is a critical factor in Lyme disease transmission efficiency [22] as it presents the first opportunity for pathogen acquisition, and dictates the infection status of the nymphal stage, responsible for the majority of human Lyme disease cases [50,51]. Natural host usage by I. scapularis and I. pacificus is known to be markedly different, with immature I. scapularis feeding more commonly on small mammals such as the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus [52,53], and immature I. pacificus feeding predominantly on the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis [27,43]. As small mammal hosts are generally more highly competent for B. burgdorferi [53][54][55], the rate of vectors attaching and successfully feeding on these hosts is an important factor in the Lyme disease transmission cycle [56].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, were used for all host feeding assessments as this species is a common tick host found in the ranges of both I. scapularis and I. pacificus [39,40]. Relative feeding on P. maniculatus is generally lower for I. pacificus relative to I. scapularis [27,41,42] but in some regions such as the Midwest, the absolute mean burdens are similar [43,44]. Further, I. pacificus will readily parasitize P. maniculatus when available [41][42][43] and the lower natural parasitism rates are likely due to a preference for lizards rather than physiological incompetence for mice-feeding [43].…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relative feeding on P. maniculatus is generally lower for I. pacificus relative to I. scapularis [27,41,42] but in some regions such as the Midwest, the absolute mean burdens are similar [43,44]. Further, I. pacificus will readily parasitize P. maniculatus when available [41][42][43] and the lower natural parasitism rates are likely due to a preference for lizards rather than physiological incompetence for mice-feeding [43]. Adult female P. maniculatus bardii were obtained from the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center at the University of South Carolina and were identical in age, sex and prior husbandry.…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparative vector competence of North American Lyme disease vectors

Couper

Yang

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

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Background: Understanding the drivers of Lyme disease incidence at broad spatial scales is critical for predicting and mitigating human disease risk. Previous studies have identified vector phenology and behavior, host community composition, and landscape features as drivers of variable Lyme disease risk. However, while the Lyme disease transmission cycles in the eastern and western USA involve different vector species (Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus, respectively), the role of vector-specific differences in transmission efficiency has not been directly examined. By comparing the performance of traits involved in vector competence between these two species, this study aims to identify how vector competence contributes to variable Lyme disease risk. Methods:We used a suite of laboratory experiments to compare the performance of traits related to vector competence for the two USA Lyme disease vectors. For each species, we measured the rate of attachment to a common rodent host, the engorgement weight, and the efficiency of pathogen acquisition (host to tick) and pathogen transmission (tick to host) from laboratory mice. In measuring pathogen acquisition and transmission, we used two different pathogen strains, one sympatric with I. scapularis and one sympatric with I. pacificus, to assess the importance of vector-pathogen coevolutionary history in transmission dynamics. Results:We found I. pacificus had significantly higher host attachment success and engorgement weights, but significantly lower pathogen transmission efficiency relative to I. scapularis. Molting success and pathogen acquisition did not differ between these two species. However, pathogen acquisition efficiency was significantly higher for both sympatric vector and pathogen strains than the allopatric pairings. Conclusions:This study identified species-specific vector traits as a potential driver of broad scale variation in Lyme disease risk in the USA. In particular, the exceedingly low rates of pathogen transmission from tick to host observed for I. pacificus may limit Lyme disease transmission efficiency in the western USA. Further, observed variation in pathogen acquisition between sympatric and allopatric vector-pathogen strains indicate that vector-pathogen coevolutionary history may play a key role in transmission dynamics. These findings underscore the need to consider vector traits and vector-pathogen coevolution as important factors governing regional Lyme disease risk.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Comparative vector competence of North American Lyme disease vectors

Couper

Yang

et al. 2020

Parasites Vectors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Fried et al [9] also reported that this technique has come under increased scrutiny as far as animal welfare due to the perception that it is aesthetically displeasing and because of the high-risk of injury to the eye. While it remains popular in the United States [10][11][12][13][14][15][16], several countries have banned its use because it is considered inhumane [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humane Use of Cardiac Puncture for Non-Terminal Phlebotomy of Wild-Caught and Released Peromyscus spp.

Williams

Linske

Stafford

2020

Animals

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The cardiac puncture technique for obtaining relatively large volume (50–150 µL) blood samples from sedated rodents has been used in research for nearly a century. Historically, its use to phlebotomize and then release live rodents was more common. However, recently its use in a non-terminal capacity frequently imparts negative connotations in part because exsanguination of sedated animals via cardiac puncture is now an American Veterinary Medical Association-approved euthanasia technique. This association has resulted in ethical concerns by manuscript reviewers and in a few instances, outright refusal by some peer-reviewed journals to publish research that utilized the technique. To counter the perceived negative associations with its non-terminal use, we summarized nearly two decades (2001–2019) of capture and handling data throughout Connecticut, resulting in over 7000 cardiac punctures performed on nearly 5000 sedated, live-captured and released Peromyscus spp. We show that our total handling mortality rate (3.7%) was comparable, if not lower, than similar field studies that utilized other phlebotomy techniques. Many public health, integrated tick management, and vector-borne disease ecology studies require samples from individual wild-caught Peromyscus spp. over time to determine intervention efficacy and pathogen infection monitoring, and in such field studies, post-operative care is not an option. Proper execution of cardiac puncture does not increase susceptibility of individuals to predation upon release as can potential ocular abnormalities or infections that can occur as the result of use of other techniques. We posit that neither exsanguination nor resulting euthanasia are requirements of cardiac puncture and that its use is entirely appropriate for obtaining blood samples from live-captured and released Peromyscus spp. Properly performed cardiac puncture is an excellent technique to obtain blood samples from sedated, individual Peromyscus spp. on multiple appropriately-spaced occasions over single trapping seasons while keeping animal welfare a top priority.

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Consumer roles of small mammals within fragmented native tallgrass prairie

et al. 2021

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Grassland ecosystems globally are being negatively impacted by changes in climate, disturbance regimes, nutrient flux, and consumer guilds. Changes in the trophic ecology of consumers can substantially influence local resources, contributing to shifting diversity, community turnover, and other processes of ecosystem change. Small mammals are diverse and abundant within grasslands and yet the impact of changing ecosystems on small mammals and the role of these mammals as consumers are still both under-studied. We assessed small mammal resource use within grassland and woodland vegetation types that have resulted from landscape-scale experimental disturbance through fire treatments within the tallgrass prairie ecoregion of the North American Great Plains. We predicted that resource use would vary significantly among grassland vs. woodland communities, in turn reducing the role of small mammals in contributing to future maintenance of native prairies. We sampled five dominant species of rodents across three years and multiple habitats. Using stable isotope analysis, we investigated isotopic niche area and overlap to infer variation in diet, both within and among species. Resource use shifted in bivariate isotopic space seasonally but not across years when combining all species and habitats. Inferred spring diet (based on fur samples) was highly diverse and overlapping. Summer isotopic values (based on liver tissue) in woody habitat treatments were narrower and overlapped less than within grassland habitats. Consumers generally shifted from C 4 herbivory to C 3 herbivory, or greater omnivory, when analyzing grassland, shrubland, and woodland habitats respectively. Within the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, small mammal populations in herbaceous-dominated habitats use a broader variety of resources than small mammals in proximate woody-dominated habitats. As native grasslands experience woody encroachment, small mammal assemblages experience turnover of dominant species and associated changes in diet. Ecosystem changes such as cessation of frequent fire resulting in more woody habitats may include reduced roles by native small mammals as consumers/dispersers/propagators of native grassland plants.

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Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Two Species of Peromyscus Mice Common in Northern Wisconsin

Cited by 24 publications

References 44 publications

Comparative vector competence of North American Lyme disease vectors

Comparative vector competence of North American Lyme disease vectors

Humane Use of Cardiac Puncture for Non-Terminal Phlebotomy of Wild-Caught and Released Peromyscus spp.

Consumer roles of small mammals within fragmented native tallgrass prairie

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