Table 2.

Hamster models important for evaluation of protective immunity versus endpoint of severe destructive Lyme arthritis.

Model	B. burgdorferi strains	Timing of immunogen delivery	Endpoint	Comments	Reference(s)
Irradiated hamster (challenge)	Numerousa	Following 550 rads gamma radiation	SDLAb	Adoptive transfer (protection) experiments	[18, 21, 22]
Irradiated hamster (vaccination/challenge)	Numerousa	Challenge prior to development of significant borreliacidal antibody titer (homologous challenge)c; timing of heterologous strain challenge can vary	SDLA	Assessment of vaccine candidates	[24]
Immunocompetent hamster (vaccination/challenge)	Numerousd	Challenge prior to development of significant borreliacidal antibody titer (homologous challenge)c; timing of heterologous strain challenge can vary	SDLA	Characterizing duration of protective immunity of vaccine candidates; Assessing Lyme borreliosis vaccine candidates for adverse events	[20, 25] [29, 35]

^aReferenced study(ies) focused on B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolate 297.

^bSevere destructive Lyme arthritis.

^cAt least six seroprotective groups have been characterized ([27–29]).

^dReferenced study(ies) focused on B. bissettii vaccination with subsequent B. burgdorferi sensu stricto isolate 297 challenge.