Maternal Transfer of Vaccine-Induced Anti-OspA Antibodies in Peromyscus spp Protects Pups from Tick-Transmitted Borrelia burgdorferi

The efficacy and duration of passive immunity protection depends on maternal antibody levels and transfer efficiency. We investigated whether oral vaccination of Peromyscus leucopus dams with recombinant OspA-expressing E. coli could induce maternal transfer of anti-OspA antibodies and protect pups from Borrelia burgdorferi challenge. Dams were vaccinated until breeding pairs were created (i), until parturition (ii), and until pups were 2 weeks old (iii). Pups were challenged with nymphal I. scapularis-transmitted B. burgdorferi at [~] 4 weeks of age. Anti-OspA IgG were quantified in dams and pups, and anti-B. burgdorferi IgG were quantified in pups. B. burgdorferi burden was assessed by flaB qPCR in pups tissues [~] 4 weeks after tick challenge and viability of B. burgdorferi was assessed by culture of heart tissue. P. leucopus pups born to dams vaccinated until breeding had low serologic anti-OspA antibody and were not protected from tick transmitted B. burgdorferi infection. However, when dams vaccination extended until parturition and until pups were two weeks old, significant anti-OspA antibody transfer and protection from B. burgdorferi infection occurred. This was evidenced by absence of antibody to B. burgdorferi PepVF, absence of B. burgdorferi flaB DNA in heart and bladder tissues, and absence of flaB in culture from heart tissues from pups euthanized >9 weeks after birth. We show that transfer of anti-OspA antibodies from vaccinated P. leucopus dams to offspring prevents tick transmission and infection dynamics of B. burgdorferi in the major reservoir host of this spirochete in the United States. ImportanceThis study contributes to our understanding of how interventions based in reservoir targeted OspA vaccines designed to block transmission of B. burgdorferi from infected I. scapularis ticks may disrupt the enzootic cycle of this spirochete and reduce incidence of Lyme disease.