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Volume 18, Number 10—October 2012
Research

Wild Birds and Urban Ecology of Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2005–2010

Sarah A. HamerComments to Author , Tony L. Goldberg, Uriel D. Kitron, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Tavis K. Anderson, Scott R. Loss, Edward D. Walker, and Gabriel L. Hamer
Author affiliations: Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA (S.A. Hamer, E.D. Walker, G.L. Hamer); Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA (S.A. Hamer, G.L. Hamer); University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA (T.L. Goldberg, T.K. Anderson); Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (U.D. Kitron); University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA (J.D. Brawn, S.R. Loss); and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Washington, DC, USA (S.R. Loss)

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Table 3

Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in ticks removed from birds, by site of origin and date of capture, southwest suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2005–2010*

Tick species Larva
 Nymph
No. pools (no. larvae) % Infected (MIP) Birds with infected larvae, site, date No. tested % Infected (95% CI) Birds with infected nymphs, site, date IGS strain (RST group) ospC strain
Haemaphysalis leporispalustris 65 (277) 0 NA 34 2.9 (0.2–17.1) RWBL, SC site, 2007 Jun 6 NA NA
Ixodes dentatus 6 (17) 0 NA 0 NA NA NA NA
I. scapularis 6 (22) 16.7 (4.5) SWTH, WW site, 2006 May 23 6 50 (14.0–86.1) AMRO, 1 site, 2007 Jul 18; AMRO, PHN site, 2010 Jun 22; BLJA, PHN site, 2009 Jun 15 2 (2); 28 (3); 14 (2) H, T, A3

*MIP, minimum infection prevalence; IGS, B. burgdorferi 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer ribotype; RST, ribosomal spacer type 1, 2, or 3; ospC, inferred outer surface protein C allele based on linkages reported by Travinsky et al. (23); NA, not applicable; RWBL, Red-winged blackbird; SC, Saint Casimir Cemetery; SWTH, Swainson’s thrush; WW, Wolfe Wildlife Refuge; AMRO, American robin; PHN, Palos Hills Natural; BLJA, Blue jay.

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Page updated: September 14, 2012
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