PREVALENCE OF EHRLICHIA-CHAFFEENSIS, SPOTTED-FEVER GROUP RICKETTSIA, AND BORRELIA SPP INFECTIONS IN TICKS AND RODENTS AT FORT-BRAGG, NORTH-CAROLINA

The prevalence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis, spotted fever group rickettsi a, and Borrelia spp. was determined in ticks that had been collected u sing two methods at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Of 159 tick midgut sam ples examined using direct fluorescent assays, 3% were positive for sp otted fever group Rickettsiae and 5% for Borrelia spp. Sera from 1 Per omyscus leucopus (Gloger), 3 Mus musculus (L.), and 25 Sigmodon hispid us (Say and Ord) were negative for antibodies to Ehrlichia chaffeensis . Dry ice-baited tick traps caught significantly more Ixodes scapular' s (Say), Amblyomma americanum (L.), and Dermacentor variabilis (Packar d) (total of 158 ticks) compared to collections from rodent hosts (tot al of one tick).