RESERVOIR COMPETENCE OF THE MEADOW VOLE (RODENTIA, CRICETIDAE) FOR THE LYME-DISEASE SPIROCHETE BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI

The reservoir competence of the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus O rd, for the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schm id, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner was established on Patience Island, RI . Meadow voles were collected from 5 locations throughout Rhode Island . At 4 of the field sites, M. pennsylvanicus represented only 4.0% (n = 141) of the animals captured. However, on Patience Island, M. pennsy lvanicus was the sole small mammal collected (n = 48). Of the larval I xodes scapularis Say obtained from the meadow voles on Patience Island , 62% (n = 78) was infected with B. burgdorferi. Meadow voles from all 5 locations were successfully infected with B. burgdorferi in the lab oratory and were capable of passing the infection to xenodiagnostic I. scapularis larvae for 9 wk. We concluded that M. pennsylvanicus was p hysiologically capable of maintaining B, burgdorferi infection. Howeve r, in locations where Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque) is abundant, th e role of ill. pennsylvanicus as a primary reservoir for B. burgdorfer i was reduced.