White footed deer mice (Peromyscus leucopus) serve as the primary natural host for the Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi. The Lower Peninsula (LP) of Michigan is not yet completely colonized by B. burgdorferi; even though P. leucopus is present in every county of the state, infected mice have only been found in the southern and […]
B17:Genetic Inheritance of Susceptibility to Borrelia burgdorferi infection among white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus novaboracensis) in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is inhabited by the white-footed deer mouse Peromyscus leucopus, which has been identified as the reservoir host for the Lyme disease-causing bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, due to its ability to maintain the bacterial infection for long periods of time. The vector for B. burgdorferi transmission between hosts is the deer tick, […]
B38: Genetic Variability and Lyme Disease Infection in the White-Footed Mouse in Northern Michigan
The lower peninsula of Michigan is inhabited by two species of closely related white-footed deer mice, Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus. Both of these species are hosts for the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis which acts as the vector for B. burgdorferi infection. However, it’s been determined that P. leucopus is the main reservoir host for […]