User:Marvin O'Neal/OspC: Difference between revisions
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== Ecology of Lyme Disease == | == Ecology of Lyme Disease == | ||
[[Image:Life cycle of tick.png| | [[Image:Life cycle of tick.png|150px|right|thumb|Life cycle of tick]] | ||
The reported cases of Lyme disease are increasing annually in highly focused geographic locations such as northeastern and north central regions of the United States. Thus, the abundance of ticks with ''B. burgdorferi'' in natural ecosystems is critical for the prevalence of Lyme disease. The larval ticks become infected while feeding on the blood of natural reservoir hosts such as mice, squirrels, shrews and other small vertebrates. Persisting to successive life stages, the infected nymphal ticks can transmit ''B. burgdorferi'' to incidental vertebrates, including humans. | The reported cases of Lyme disease are increasing annually in highly focused geographic locations such as northeastern and north central regions of the United States. Thus, the abundance of ticks with ''B. burgdorferi'' in natural ecosystems is critical for the prevalence of Lyme disease. The larval ticks become infected while feeding on the blood of natural reservoir hosts such as mice, squirrels, shrews and other small vertebrates. Persisting to successive life stages, the infected nymphal ticks can transmit ''B. burgdorferi'' to incidental vertebrates, including humans. | ||
