Natural exposure of Wisconsin dogs to the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi)

Lyme disease, a tick-borne disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, has been described recently in dogs. In a serologic survey of specimens obtained from March to September 1984, 53% of 380 dogs from two USDA licensed vendors in Wisconsin were positive for indirect immunofluorescent antibodies to B. burgdorferi at a serum dilution of 1:64 or greater. B. burgdorferi was cultured from the blood of 8/111 dogs. These findings suggest that exposure to this spirochete is common in endemic areas and that this zoonotic disease is of importance to veterinarians and researchers.