A reliable laboratory transmission model is necessary for routine testing of potential vaccines and preparations to prevent Borrelia transmission. At present, the workplaces of BC CAS are the only ones in the world to have a detailed transmission model including the European tick of Ixodes ricinus and the European Borrelia strains (in particular Borrelia afzelii – the most common borreliosis agent in Europe). In the US there is a transmission model for the American tick Ixodes scapularis and the American strain Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Due to different biology of the two systems, however, the US model cannot be used in European conditions. The transmission model developed at BC CAS worksites therefore has the potential to become sought after in the most important national and international projects on ticks and tick-transmitted pathogens, and at the same time also serves as a platform for applied and contractual research.
