Surveillance for Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes Ticks and Small Rodents in British Columbia

To determine the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in British Columbian ticks, fieldwork was conducted over a 2-year period. In all, 893 ticks ( Ixodes pacificus , I. angustus , I. soricis , Ixodes spp., and Dermacentor andersoni ) of different life stages were retrieved from 483 small rodents ( Peromyscus maniculatus , Perognathus parvus , and Reithrodontomys megalotis ). B. burgdorferi DNA was detected in 5 out of 359 tick pools, and 41 out of 483 mice were serologically confirmed to have antibodies against B. burgdorferi . These results were consistent with previous studies, data from passive surveillance in British Columbia, and data from neighboring states in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting a continually low prevalence of B. burgdorferi in British Columbia ticks.