Human infection by the spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi is a newly-recognized public health threat in the US and other parts of the world. Borrelia miyamotoi infection may require hospitalization, with symptoms that include high fever, joint and muscle pain, and meningoencephalitis. B. miyamotoi is spread by the bites of infected Ixodes spp. ticks, but almost nothing is known about how or where the bacterium colonizes its vector, or the dynamics of transmission. This proposal brings together an expert team of Borrelia and tick researchers, who will conduct a series of synergistic studies that will greatly expand understanding of B. miyamotoi transmission and infection mechanisms.
Human infection by the tick-borne bacterium Borrelia miyamotoi has recently been recognized as a threat to human health. Currently, very little is currently known about how B. miyamotoi is transmitted by its tick vector. This proposal brings together three experts in tick and Borrelia biology, who will conduct a series of studies that will reveal mechanisms by which B. miyamotoi colonizes its tick vector and is transmitted to mammalian hosts.
