A serological study of cohorts of young dogs, naturally exposed to Ixodes ricinus ticks, indicates seasonal reinfection by Borrelia burgdorferi sensulato
Ke. Hovius et al., A serological study of cohorts of young dogs, naturally exposed to Ixodes ricinus ticks, indicates seasonal reinfection by Borrelia burgdorferi sensulato, VET Q, 21(1), 1999, pp. 16-20
Thirty-three family dogs were monitored for antibodies to Borrelia burdorfe
ri sensu late over a 3-year period. Serum samples ere collected before and
during the season of high tick activity. Antibody levels were measured with
an ELISA based on whole-cell antigens and an ELISA with a purified recombi
nant flagellin (r410), Antibody levels measured with the whole-cell ELISA i
ncreased after the first exposure to ticks. Following the first seasonal pe
riod of tick quiescence, antibody levels decreased, and subsequently increa
sed again in the second tick season, Thereafter whole-cell ELISA titres per
sisted at moderate levels and did not decrease be tn een tick seasons. The
recombinant flagellin ELISA did not show a strong response in the first tic
k season, but did in the second tick season and levels of antibodies contin
ued to fluctuate thereafter. We conclude that most dogs in this study devel
oped an antibody response against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu late after the
ir first tick infestation and were thereafter repeatedly immunologically st
imulated, probably reinfected, during the consecutive tick seasons.