Spirochete Seroprevalence in Rodents of North Central Texas

Abstract

Prevalence of exposure to spirochetes, particularly Borrelia burgdorferi, in rodents of North Central Texas was determined using an indirect immunofluorescent assay. The Chi-square test was used to analyze positive sera reaction across season and tick distribution across rodent species. This test did not detect a seasonal significant difference of seropositive specimens (X²=2.45, df=3, P>0.05). Percent tick infestation was significantly different across rodent species (X²=14.176, df=7, P<0.05). Other data collected included 1) seasonal distribution of seropositive reactions in adult rodents, 2) distribution between trapsites of adult rodent positive serological reactions, 3) tick infestation organized by individual rodent stage and sex, 4) percent of each species seropositive, and 5) percent adult seropositive reactions per month.