Genotypic diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi strains detected in Ixodes scapularis larvae collected from North American songbirds

Borrelia burgdorferi strains detected in larvae of Ixodes scapularis isolated from songbirds were genotyped to compare them with those found in host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs sampled throughout the eastern United States. The genotypes found among host-seeking nymphs revealed the ability of birds to transmit most known genotypes at different frequencies than expected.