TABLE 2.
Infectivity of B. burgdorferi strains in mice
| B. burgdorferi strain | Inoculation method | Serologya | Reisolationb |
|---|---|---|---|
| B31 A3 (wild type) | Needle inoculation | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Tick bitec | 4/4 | 4/4 | |
| ΔD109 | Needle inoculation | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Tick bite | 3/4 | 3/4 | |
| ΔD117 | Needle inoculation | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Tick bite | 3/4 | 3/4 |
a
Number of mice infected/number of mice inoculated with B. burgdorferi. Mouse infectivity was assessed >3 weeks postinfection by serological response against the early antigen P39 (BmpA) (53) and total B. burgdorferi cell lysate.
b
Number of mice culture positive/number of mice inoculated. The bladder, ear tissue, and rear ankle joint were dissected and cultured in liquid BSK-II medium and assessed for the presence of motile B. burgdorferi by dark-field microscopy. All three tissues per mouse were either positive or negative for B. burgdorferi growth.
c
Both larval and nymphal ticks were used, and all were artificially infected as larvae.