BIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF LYME DISEASE BORRELIA

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）： 该项目是基于集体调查的发病机制， 莱姆病的流行病学、生态学、病媒生物学和人口 媒介传播疾病的遗传学、疏螺旋体的分子生物学 burgdorferi和疫苗开发。建议的研究重点是 B的进化生物学莱姆病的新策略 预防 长期目标如下：（1）显著降低 莱姆病在人类和家畜中的疫苗干预 B的自然维护周期。高度流行地区的伯氏螺旋体病。(2)到 研究B的进化。作为传染剂的伯氏螺旋体， 在高度流行地区进行干预研究。(3)To提供一种疫苗， 是非常有效的，并且可以快速、安全和廉价地 在外地管理。 该项目的假设如下：（A） 白足鹿鼠和/或其它哺乳动物中的抗OspA抗体 油田中的水库会降低水库之间的传输速率 宿主和媒介蜱，从而降低B的流行。burgdorferi 蜱虫感染。(B)外地水库免疫不会改变 B种群结构。在疫苗现场， 与对照组相比。(C)P. leucopus和/或其它哺乳动物储库可以通过口服以及 通过使用单一免疫原或组合免疫原进行胃肠外免疫。 具体目的如下：（1）实地研究 白足疫霉免疫对B传播率的影响。burgdorferi 宿主和媒介蜱之间的联系(2)对影响的评估 现场疫苗干预对B种群结构的影响。burgdorferi 在蜱虫和脊椎动物宿主中。(3)进一步发展 单次接种和口服田间疫苗以及 第二，补充抗原。 拟议的研究可能会提供分子，有机体， 人口水平约为B。伯氏螺旋体及其传播和贮存宿主 免疫反应。这些结果也可能与控制 其他媒介骨人畜共患病，并可能开发新的 疫苗递送的方法。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from Applicant's Abstract): The proposed collaborative project is based collectively on investigations of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of Lyme disease, the ecology, vector biology, and population genetics of vector-borne diseases, the molecular biology of Borrelia burgdorferi, and vaccine development. The emphases of the proposed studies are the evolutionary biology of B. burgdorferi and new strategies for Lyme disease prevention. The long term goals are the following: (1) To significantly reduce the risk of Lyme disease among humans and domestic animals by vaccine intervention in the natural maintenance cycle of B. burgdorferi in a highly endemic area. (2) To study the evolution of B. burgdorferi as an infectious agent through controlled intervention studies in a highly endemic area. (3)To provide for a vaccine that is highly effective and that can be expeditiously, safely, and inexpensively administered in the field. The hypotheses for the project are the following: (A) A high prevalence of anti-OspA antibodies among Peromyscus leucopus and/or other mammalian reservoirs in the field will reduce the transmission rate between reservoir hosts and vector ticks, thereby reducing the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection in ticks. (B) Immunization of reservoirs in the field will not alter the population structure of B. burgdorferi at the vaccine field sites in comparison to the control sites. (C) Transmission-blocking immunity among P. leucopus and/or other mammalian reservoirs can be achieved by oral as well as by parenteral immunization with a single immunogen or combined immunogens. The specific aims are the following: (1) Field studies of the effect of immunization of P. leucopus on the rate of transmission of B. burgdorferi between reservoir host and vector ticks. (2) Assessment of the effects of vaccine intervention in the field on the population structure of B. burgdorferi in ticks and in vertebrate reservoirs. (3) Further development of single-vaccination and orally-delivered field vaccines and evaluation of second, supplementary antigens. The proposed studies may provide insights as molecular, organismal, and population levels about B. burgdorferi, its transmission, and reservoir host immunize responses. The results may also have relevance for the control of other vector-bone zoonotic diseases and perhaps for development of novel methods for vaccine delivery.