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, […]