Transmission dynamics of B orrelia burgdorferi s.l. in a bird tick community

Summary We examined the B orrelia burgdorferi sensu lato circulation in a tick community consisting of three species ( I xodes ricinus , I . frontalis , I . arboricola ) with contrasting ecologies, but sharing two European songbird hosts ( P arus major and C yanistes caeruleus ). P arus major had the highest infestation rates, primarily due to larger numbers of I . ricinus , and probably because of their greater low‐level foraging. The prevalence of B orrelia in feeding ticks did not significantly differ between the two bird species; however, P . major in particular hosted large numbers of B orrelia ‐infected I . frontalis and I . ricinus larvae, suggesting that the species facilitates B orrelia transmission. The low but significant numbers of B orrelia in questing I . arboricola ticks also provides the first field data to suggest that it is competent in maintaining B orrelia . Aside from B orrelia garinii , a high number of less dominant genospecies was observed, including several mammalian genospecies and the first record of B orrelia turdi for North‐Western Europe. B orrelia burgdorferi sensu lato IGS genotypes were shared between I . arboricola and I . ricinus and between I . frontalis and I . ricinus, but not between I . arboricola and I . frontalis . This suggests that the B orrelia spp. transmission cycles can be maintained by bird‐specific ticks, and bridged by I . ricinus to other hosts outside bird‐tick cycles.