DURATION OF ADULT FEMALE IXODES-DAMMINI ATTACHMENT AND TRANSMISSION OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEEDLE ASPIRATION ISOLATION METHOD

The relationship between the attachment duration of adult female Ixodes dammini and the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi was studied. Sixteen rabbits were exposed to spirochete-infected female ticks for specified intervals. All five rabbits exposed to ticks that fed to repletion (> 120 h) became infected, as did two of three exposed for 48 h. In contrast, five rabbits exposed to a cumulative total of 53 infected female I. dommini for 36 h failed to become infected, as did three rabbits exposed for 24 h. A needle aspirate method facilitated the isolation of spirochetes from host skin.