Use of recombinant antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to detect antibodies in white-tailed deer.

Serum samples obtained from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Connecticut (n=218) and South Carolina (n=20) (USA) during the period 1992-2002 were analyzed for antibodies to whole-cell or recombinant antigens (i.e., fusion proteins) of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, etiologic agents of Lyme borreliosis and granulocytic ehrlichiosis, respectively.