TABLE 3.
ΔcheY2 spirochetes were not able to infect naive C3H/HeN mice by tick bitea
| Nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi clone | No. of mice infected by tick bite/no. challenged |
|---|---|
| WT (A3) | 5/6 |
| ΔcheY2/A3 | 0/6 |
| WT (K10) | 5/6 |
| ΔcheY2/K10 | 0/6 |
a
Nymphal ticks were infected with the indicated B. burgdorferi strains by immersion in liquid cultures and were subsequently allowed to feed on naive mice. Fifteen infected encapsulated nymphs per mouse were allowed to feed to repletion. Two weeks (or 48 h; data not shown) after feeding, mice were euthanized to determine bacterial growth from the tissues.