EUROPEAN RESERVOIR HOSTS OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI SENSU-LATO

Existing knowledge on reservoir hosts of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu la te was collated and reviewed and several species, particularly birds, were identified as reservoir competent. At the present time, 9 small m ammals, 7 medium-sized mammals and 16 bird species, including passerin es, sea birds and pheasants, appear to be capable of transmitting spir ochaetes to ticks and thus of participating in the natural. circulatio n of B. burgdorferi s.l. in Europe. The house mouse, Mus musculus is s trongly suspected of reservoir competence and many other small rodent species, particularly in eastern Europe and Russia, have been implicat ed. Ungulates are not thought to play a major role as reservoir hosts, though co-feeding transmission may permit some tick infection. The cr iteria for establishment of reservoir status are outlined and a method for identification of host blood meals of previous instars of unfed t icks, developed in a participant laboratory is briefly described.