Abstract

The aim of the current study was to determine the effect of Bartonella spp. on the freezing tolerance of engorged and non-engorged female Ixodes scapularis (Say). Bartonella is a genus of pathogenic vector-transmitted gram-negative bacteria, implicated in zoonotic disease transmission. I. scapularis ticks collected throughout Nova Scotia, Canada underwent freezing tolerance testing. DNA extraction, PCR and gel electrophoresis were then conducted to determine the presence and prevalence of Bartonella spp. in the experimental population. The experimental results demonstrated that the changes in the freezing tolerance as a result of the presence of Bartonella spp. were not statistically significant. The infection rate observed in the experimental population was 58.61%; this was significantly higher comparable to the infection rate found in earlier research. It was concluded that Bartonella spp. had no altering physiological effect on Ixodes scapularis.

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