What is the main vector for Lyme disease transmission?

The main vector for Lyme disease transmission is the black-legged tick, commonly known as the deer tick. This tick carries the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is responsible for causing Lyme disease. Ticks are ectoparasites that feed on the blood of animals, including humans, during their various life stages—larva, nymph, and adult.

Transmission typically occurs when an infected tick attaches to a host for a feeding period, which can take several hours to days. The bite of an infected tick allows the bacterium to enter the bloodstream of the host, leading to the development of Lyme disease if not properly addressed.

Other vectors mentioned, such as mosquitoes, fleas, and house flies, are not associated with the transmission of Lyme disease. Mosquitoes can transmit various diseases, fleas are more commonly linked to other types of infections like the plague, and house flies do not typically carry any pathogens responsible for significant vector-borne diseases in humans. Thus, the black-legged tick is uniquely suited to transmit Lyme disease due to its biological relationship with both the pathogen and the host.