Piesman J, Dolan M C, Schriefer M E, Burkot T R
Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1996 Mar;54(3):294-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1996.54.294.
Chickens were used as a laboratory model to determine the conditions affecting the ability of birds to infect ticks with Lyme disease spirochetes. Chicks (Gallus gallus) were exposed to 12 nymphal Ixodes scapularis at one week or three weeks of age. Xenodiagnostic larval ticks fed these birds at weekly intervals thereafter. Chicks exposed to infected nymphs at one week of age infected 87% of larvae at three weeks of age, but only infected 3% of larvae at four weeks and 0% of larvae at five weeks. Chicks exposed to nymphs at three weeks of age infected only 12% of larvae at four weeks, and 0% thereafter. Thus, experimentally infected chicks can infect larval ticks, but only for a brief interval after exposure. Young chicks are more infectious than older chickens. The immune response of infected chicks was rapid and directed against diverse antigens.
鸡被用作实验室模型，以确定影响鸟类将莱姆病螺旋体传播给蜱虫能力的条件。雏鸡（原鸡）在1周龄或3周龄时接触12只肩突硬蜱若虫。此后，每隔一周用这些鸡进行幼虫期异种诊断蜱虫饲养。1周龄时接触受感染若虫的雏鸡，在3周龄时感染了87%的幼虫，但在4周龄时仅感染了3%的幼虫，在5周龄时感染率为0%。3周龄时接触若虫的雏鸡，在4周龄时仅感染了12%的幼虫，此后感染率为0%。因此，经实验感染的雏鸡可以感染幼虫期蜱虫，但仅在接触后的短时间内。幼雏鸡比成年鸡更具传染性。受感染雏鸡的免疫反应迅速且针对多种抗原。
