Table 2.
The percentage of Ixodes ricinus nymphs that acquired Borrelia burgdorferi ss N40 increases over the duration of tick feeding on infected mice. Mice had been infected 40 days before the nymphal infestation via either intradermal or intraperitoneal inoculation.
| Time of feeding duration | Intradermal | Intraperitoneal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infected ticks/total ticks (%) | Number of mice | Infected ticks/total ticks (%) | Number of mice | |
| 5 h | 2/9 (22.2) | 4 [0–3]* | 0/12 (0.0) | 5 [1–5]* |
| 8 h | 12/15 (80.0) | 7 [0–3] | 1/16 (6.3) | 4 [2–5] |
| 24 h | 13/18 (72.2) | 7 [1–3] | 1/16 (6.3) | 5 [2–5] |
| 3 d | 14/28 (50.0) | 9 [1–3] | 1/21 (50.0) | 7 [2–5] |
| 5 d | 11/11 (100.0) | 4 [2–3] | 7/10 (70.0) | 5 [1–4] |
| 7 d | 6/7 (85.7) | 4 [1–3] | 5/7 (71.4) | 5 [1–3] |
*In brackets, number of ticks attached on mice or, fed and detached from mice.