In the northeastern, midwestern, and western coastal states, the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is well established and is maintained by Ixodes scapularis and I. pacificus in a variety of rodent reservoirs. The Study Ticks were collected with drag cloths in areas around the homes of persons with suspected cases, as well as in control areas. Ticks were identified to species by using standard taxonomic keys. DNA was isolated from Amblyomma sp. Figure Click to view enlarged image Figure.
Numbers indicate parsimony bootstrap scores for the branch.
Moreover, all tick DNA samples were PCR negative when analyzed for the B. burgdorferi OspA gene. Conclusions Spirochetes have been reported in A. americanum ticks from New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, and Texas. Thus, we used genetic analysis to determine the presence of this organism. Moreover, B. lonestari was isolated from a patient in Westchester County, New York, who had traveled to Maryland and North Carolina and had an attached A. americanum at the site of an erythema migrans rash. Although the numbers of ticks we analyzed were small, our results suggest that adult A. americanum may transmit B. lonestari to persons in this area.