prevalence because more larval ticks feed on deer rather than transmission-competent rodents (dilution effect) (M2), potentially due to ecological cascades, whereby higher deer grazing pressure shortens vegetation which decreases rodent abundance thus reducing transmission (M3). prevalence in ticks: increased prevalence due to higher larval tick densities facilitating high transmission on rodents (M1) alternatively, reduced B. Here, we use a long-term deer exclosure experiment to test three mechanisms for how high deer density might shape B. burgdorferi s.l., whereas rodents and birds are competent transmission hosts. Deer are tick reproduction hosts but do not transmit B. Identifying the mechanisms driving disease risk is challenging for multi-host pathogens, such as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the tick-borne bacteria causing Lyme disease.
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