What question did this study set out to answer?

To isolate and characterize a suspected novel spirochete from wild small mammals and evaluate its infectivity in laboratory animal hosts.

New infectious spirochete isolated from short-tailed shrews and white-footed mice

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Experimental study reveals a novel infectious spirochete in wild shrews and mice, indicating a distinct mammalian reservoir pathogen.

To isolate and characterize a suspected novel spirochete from wild small mammals and evaluate its infectivity in laboratory animal hosts.
Sampled blood, spleen, and kidney tissues from wild short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut and Minnesota.
Inoculated Swiss mice and Syrian hamsters with the isolated spirochetes to evaluate cross-species infectivity.
Performed morphological and serological evaluations comparing the isolate against known species of Treponema, Borrelia, Leptospira, and Spirochaeta.
Successfully isolated a spirochete characterized by two periplasmic flagella from shrew and mouse blood and internal organ tissues.
Demonstrated infectivity of the shrew-mouse spirochete in both inoculated Swiss mice and Syrian hamsters.
Established that the isolated spirochete is morphologically and serologically distinct from examined reference species across four spirochete genera.

Anderson et al. (1987) studied this question.

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