Understanding how wild birds help Lyme disease bacteria survive
Official title: Immunomodulatory mechanisms of wild bird reservoir hosts that facilitate persistence of Lyme disease bacteria
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-11061098 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how Lyme disease bacteria live in wild birds and how this might help spread the disease to humans through ticks, aiming to understand the birds' immune responses compared to other animals, which could help improve ways to prevent Lyme disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | March 25, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $817,182 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI181746-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11061098 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals living in areas where Lyme disease is prevalent and who may be at risk of exposure through tick bites.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not at risk for Lyme disease or who live in regions where the disease is not present may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, persist in wild birds and how this affects their transmission to humans via ticks. The study focuses on the immune responses of these birds and how they differ from those of other reservoir hosts like Peromyscus mice. By examining the specific genotypes of the bacteria carried by birds, researchers aim to uncover mechanisms that allow these pathogens to thrive without causing illness in their avian hosts. The findings could lead to better public health strategies to prevent Lyme disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved prevention strategies for Lyme disease, potentially reducing the incidence of this common illness.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in understanding the ecology of Lyme disease, but this specific focus on wild birds as reservoir hosts is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Yi-Pin — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Lin, Yi-Pin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding why some people have ongoing symptoms after Lyme disease
A long-term study follows people diagnosed with acute Lyme disease to see who develops persistent symptoms and why, with care from a team of Lyme experts.
-
CSF Protein Map in Post-Treatment Lyme Disease
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Lyme disease vaccine research aimed at preventing infection
Researchers are developing a Lyme disease vaccine by studying how the immune system responds to Borrelia burgdorferi and testing vaccine approaches to prevent illness.
-
Lyme disease brain health: tracking brain signals and blood clues after treatment
This study follows people with early Lyme disease and compares them to healthy volunteers to see how the brain and blood markers change over a year after starting antibiotics.
-
Lyme disease symptoms lingering after treatment may be driven by special bacterial fragments
A human-friendly look at a study exploring why some Lyme patients keep symptoms after antibiotics and whether tiny fragments from the bacteria are to blame.
-
Understanding Lyme disease immune signals to predict recovery after antibiotics
A research project at MIT aims to find immune biomarkers that tell which Lyme patients will recover after standard antibiotics and who might have lasting symptoms.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.