Ticks and antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi from mammals at Cape Hatteras, NC and Assateague Island, MD and VA

Results of a survey for ixodid ticks and/or serum antibodies to Borrelia Bu rgdorferi from 14 species of small to large mammals from eastern coastal ar eas of the United States are presented. Most samples were obtained from Jul y 1987 through June 1989 (excluding December-March) at 3 locales: Assateagu e Is. National Seashore, Worcester Co., MD., and Accomack Co., VA. (approxi mate to 38 degrees 05' N 75 degrees 10' W), and Cape Hatteras National Seas hore, Dare Co., NC (approximate to 35 degrees 30' N 76 degrees 35' W). Host s sampled included opossums (Didelphis virginiana), least shrews (Cryptotis parva), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes), raccoons (Procyon lotor), feral eats (Felis sylvestris). feral horses (Equ us caballus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), rice rats (Oryzomys palustris), wh ite-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicu s), house mice (Mus musculus). norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius). An indirect fluorescent antibody test was used for testing sera from opossums, raccoons, and feral cats: enzyme-linked immunos orbent assays were used for sera from foxes, horses, deer, and house and wh ite-footed mice. Antibodies to B. burgdorferi were found in all species tes ted from each locale. Seasonal data reinforce the contention that P. leucop us is a suitable sentinel species for B. burgdorferi. Ticks on hosts includ ed Ixodes scapularis Say, I. texanus Banks, Dermacentor variables (Say), D. albipictus (Packard), and Amblyomma americanum (L.), Males comprised appro ximate to 0-22 and 60-81% of Ixodus sp, and Amblyomma-Dermacentor adults co llected from hosts, respectively. All stages of A. americanum, adult D. var iables. and larval I. scapularis were collected from vegetation. The highes t seropositivity rate (67%) was recorded for 45 P. leucopus at Assateague d uring July, approximate to 1 mo. after peak nymphal I. scapularis intensity . Borrelia burgdorferi was isolated from 6 nymphal and 12 female I. scapula ris collected from P. leucopus and C. nippon, respectively, on Assateague.