Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1995 Apr;33(4):958–961. doi: 10.1128/jcm.33.4.958-961.1995

Effect of ambient temperature on competence of deer ticks as hosts for Lyme disease spirochetes.

C M Shih 1, S R Telford 3rd 1, A Spielman 1
PMCID: PMC228075  PMID: 7790468

Abstract

We determined whether the temperature of extrinsic incubation affects the competence of vector ticks as hosts for Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi). Larval Ixodes dammini ticks that had engorged on spirochete-infected C3H mice were incubated continuously at various temperatures, and the gut contents of the resulting nymphs were examined for spirochetes by direct immunofluorescence microscopy. Spirochetes were present in virtually all nymphs kept at 27 degrees C or less for 6 months, in only 10% of those kept at 33 degrees C, and in none kept at 37 degrees C. Spirochetes became undetectable within 8 weeks when nymphs were warmed from 27 to 33 degrees C beginning at the time of molting. Nymphs became virtually noninfective for mice after incubation at temperatures higher than 27 degrees C for 2 weeks or longer. We conclude that ambient temperatures in excess of 27 degrees C are not permissive for transmission of the agent of Lyme disease.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (163.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson J. F. Epizootiology of Borrelia in Ixodes tick vectors and reservoir hosts. Rev Infect Dis. 1989 Sep-Oct;11 (Suppl 6):S1451–S1459. doi: 10.1093/clinids/11.supplement_6.s1451. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barbour A. G. Isolation and cultivation of Lyme disease spirochetes. Yale J Biol Med. 1984 Jul-Aug;57(4):521–525. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barbour A. G., Tessier S. L., Todd W. J. Lyme disease spirochetes and ixodid tick spirochetes share a common surface antigenic determinant defined by a monoclonal antibody. Infect Immun. 1983 Aug;41(2):795–804. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.2.795-804.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CHAMBERLAIN R. W., SUDIA W. D. The effects of temperature upon the extrinsic incubation of eastern equine encephalitis in mosquitoes. Am J Hyg. 1955 Nov;62(3):295–305. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a119780. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Callister S. M., Nelson J. A., Schell R. F., Jobe D. A., Bautz R., Agger W. A., Coggins J. Survey for Ixodes spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Feb;29(2):403–406. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.2.403-406.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cluss R. G., Boothby J. T. Thermoregulation of protein synthesis in Borrelia burgdorferi. Infect Immun. 1990 Apr;58(4):1038–1042. doi: 10.1128/iai.58.4.1038-1042.1990. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dalgliesh R. J., Stewart N. P. Stimulation of the development of infective Babesia bovis (= B. argentina) in unfed Boophilus microplus larvae. Aust Vet J. 1976 Nov;52(11):543–543. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1976.tb07007.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Donahue J. G., Piesman J., Spielman A. Reservoir competence of white-footed mice for Lyme disease spirochetes. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1987 Jan;36(1):92–96. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1987.36.92. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Godsey M. S., Jr, Amundson T. E., Burgess E. C., Schell W., Davis J. P., Kaslow R., Edelman R. Lyme disease ecology in Wisconsin: distribution and host preferences of Ixodes dammini, and prevalence of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi in small mammals. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1987 Jul;37(1):180–187. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1987.37.180. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hardy J. L., Houk E. J., Kramer L. D., Reeves W. C. Intrinsic factors affecting vector competence of mosquitoes for arboviruses. Annu Rev Entomol. 1983;28:229–262. doi: 10.1146/annurev.en.28.010183.001305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hardy J. L., Meyer R. P., Presser S. B., Milby M. M. Temporal variations in the susceptibility of a semi-isolated population of Culex tarsalis to peroral infection with western equine encephalomyelitis and St. Louis encephalitis viruses. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1990 May;42(5):500–511. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1990.42.500. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hurlbut H. S. The effect of environmental temperature upon the transmission of St. Louis encephalitis virus by Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus. J Med Entomol. 1973 Jan 31;10(1):1–12. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/10.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kay B. H., Fanning I. D., Mottram P. Rearing temperature influences flavivirus vector competence of mosquitoes. Med Vet Entomol. 1989 Oct;3(4):415–422. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.1989.tb00249.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kramer L. D., Hardy J. L., Presser S. B. Effect of temperature of extrinsic incubation on the vector competence of Culex tarsalis for western equine encephalomyelitis virus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1983 Sep;32(5):1130–1139. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1983.32.1130. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Levine J. F., Wilson M. L., Spielman A. Mice as reservoirs of the Lyme disease spirochete. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1985 Mar;34(2):355–360. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1985.34.355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Piesman J., Mather T. N., Donahue J. G., Levine J., Campbell J. D., Karakashian S. J., Spielman A. Comparative prevalence of Babesia microti and Borrelia burgdorferi in four populations of Ixodes dammini in eastern Massachusetts. Acta Trop. 1986 Sep;43(3):263–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Piesman J., Mather T. N., Sinsky R. J., Spielman A. Duration of tick attachment and Borrelia burgdorferi transmission. J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Mar;25(3):557–558. doi: 10.1128/jcm.25.3.557-558.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Piesman J., Mather T. N., Telford S. R., 3rd, Spielman A. Concurrent Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti infection in nymphal Ixodes dammini. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Sep;24(3):446–447. doi: 10.1128/jcm.24.3.446-447.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Piesman J. Standard system for infecting ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) with the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. J Med Entomol. 1993 Jan;30(1):199–203. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/30.1.199. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Reisen W. K., Meyer R. P., Presser S. B., Hardy J. L. Effect of temperature on the transmission of western equine encephalomyelitis and St. Louis encephalitis viruses by Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 1993 Jan;30(1):151–160. doi: 10.1093/jmedent/30.1.151. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Schwan T. G., Simpson W. J., Schrumpf M. E., Karstens R. H. Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi and B. hermsii using DNA hybridization probes. J Clin Microbiol. 1989 Aug;27(8):1734–1738. doi: 10.1128/jcm.27.8.1734-1738.1989. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Shih C. M., Pollack R. J., Telford S. R., 3rd, Spielman A. Delayed dissemination of Lyme disease spirochetes from the site of deposition in the skin of mice. J Infect Dis. 1992 Oct;166(4):827–831. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.4.827. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Shih C. M., Spielman A. Accelerated transmission of Lyme disease spirochetes by partially fed vector ticks. J Clin Microbiol. 1993 Nov;31(11):2878–2881. doi: 10.1128/jcm.31.11.2878-2881.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Shih C. M., Telford S. R., 3rd, Pollack R. J., Spielman A. Rapid dissemination by the agent of Lyme disease in hosts that permit fulminating infection. Infect Immun. 1993 Jun;61(6):2396–2399. doi: 10.1128/iai.61.6.2396-2399.1993. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Spielman A., Wilson M. L., Levine J. F., Piesman J. Ecology of Ixodes dammini-borne human babesiosis and Lyme disease. Annu Rev Entomol. 1985;30:439–460. doi: 10.1146/annurev.en.30.010185.002255. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Telford S. R., 3rd, Urioste S. S., Spielman A. Clustering of host-seeking nymphal deer ticks (Ixodes dammini) infected by Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1992 Jul;47(1):55–60. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1992.47.55. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Turell M. J., Rossi C. A., Bailey C. L. Effect of extrinsic incubation temperature on the ability of Aedes taeniorhynchus and Culex pipiens to transmit Rift Valley fever virus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1985 Nov;34(6):1211–1218. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1985.34.1211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Young A. S., Leitch B. L., Mutugi J. J. Some factors controlling the stimulation of sporogony of Theileria parva in its tick vector Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Int J Parasitol. 1984 Feb;14(1):97–102. doi: 10.1016/0020-7519(84)90018-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES