Fig. 6

Single infestation of rabbits with Borrelia burgdorferi infected Ixodes scapularis nymph ticks elicits immunity against tick feeding. Three weeks after the primary infestation, New Zealand white rabbits were re-infested with uninfected and Bb infected I. scapularis nymphs (n=75). Tick feeding progress was monitored every 24 h; all attached (representing live ticks [blue box]) and detached (representing dead ticks [red box]) were counted. a Cumulative average of ticks that fed on four rabbits (p-value < 0.0001 when comparing live and dead from uninfected; p-value = 0.0364 when comparing live and dead from B. burgdorferi infected). b Mean engorgement weight (mg) of replete fed ticks (p-value = 0.0021 when comparing uninfected and B. burgdorferi infected). Unpaired t- test was used to determine statistical significance