When challenged with Borrelia or Anaplasma, larvae fed on sensitized mice ingested more bacteria. Notably, although sex did not impact larval feeding success, it did influence pathogen load in the tick, suggesting that undefined variables between male and female mice influence transmission dynamics.

Ticks fed on sensitized mice ingested more host leukocytes when compared to those fed on naïve hosts, which rarely ingested nucleated cells.

…with an influx of basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes

Mice exhibited increasingly severe inflammation at tick bite sites...

Repeated I. scapularis larval infestations on P. leucopus lead to reduced feeding success (over 50%) and decreased blood meal weight.

Sunday funday 🤩 🚲 🏊🏻‍♀️

Spring evening on the Palouse with my best girl

Repping the WSU CVM today at the Pullman science rally! #standupforscience

Proud of this crew! #standupforscience #MicroSky

And now the actual card 🎄

Happy Holidays from the Shaw lab!