Borrelia afzelii does not suppress the development of anti-tick immunity in bank voles

Vector-borne pathogens manipulate their vertebrate hosts to enhance their transmission to arthropod vectors. The ability of vertebrate hosts to develop acquired immunity against arthropod vectors represents an existential threat for both the vector and the pathogen. The purpose of the study was to test whether the tick-borne spirochete bacterium Borrelia afzelii could suppress the development of acquired immunity to its tick vector Ixodes ricinus in the bank vole Myodes glareolus, which is an important host for both the tick and the pathogen. We created a group of B. afzelii-infected bank voles and an uninfected control group by exposing lab-reared animals to infected or uninfected ticks. At 1, 2, and 3 months post-infection, all bank voles were infested with larval I. ricinus ticks. The bank voles developed a strong antibody response against tick salivary gland extract proteins. This anti-tick immunity had negative effects on tick fitness traits including engorged larval weight, unfed nymphal weight, larva-to-nymph molting time and larva-to-nymph molting success. Infection with B. afzelii did not suppress the development of acquired immunity against I. ricinus ticks. The development of anti-tick immunity was strongly correlated with a dramatic temporal decline in both the bacterial abundance in the host ear tissues and the host-tick transmission success of B. afzelii. Our study suggests that the development of anti-tick immunity in bank voles has important consequences for the density of infected ticks and the risk of Lyme borreliosis. ImportanceMany pathogens enhance their persistence and transmission by suppressing the immune system of their host. We used an experimental infection approach to test whether the Lyme disease pathogen, Borrelia afzelii, could suppress the development of acquired immunity against its tick vector (Ixodes ricinus) in the bank vole (Myodes glareolus), but found no evidence for this phenomenon. Uninfected and B. afzelii-infected bank voles both developed a strong IgG antibody response against tick salivary gland extract following repeated infestations with I. ricinus ticks. The development of anti-tick immunity was negatively correlated with the abundance of B. afzelii in ear tissue biopsies and with host-to-tick transmission to I. ricinus ticks. Our study suggests that anti-tick immunity in the bank vole reduces the prevalence of this important tick-borne pathogen.