Journal article
Persistently Infected Calves as Reservoirs for Acquisition and Transovarial Transmission of Babesia bovis by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus
Journal of clinical microbiology, Vol.45(10), pp.3155-3159
10/2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/108268
PMID: 17687016
Abstract
Babesia bovis
is a deadly disease of cattle resulting in severe economic losses in the vast regions of the world where it is endemic. If reintroduced into the United States, babesiosis would cause significant mortality in the naïve cattle population. In order to address the risk to U.S. cattle, it is essential to quantify the transovarial transmission efficiency in adult female
Boophilus microplus
ticks following acquisition feeding on persistently infected cattle. This study tested the hypothesis that infection rates are the same for larval progeny derived from females fed to repletion during persistent or acute infection. Increasing parasite levels during acute infection correlated with an increasing number of females harboring kinetes detectable in hemolymph (
r
= 0.9). The percent infected larvae ranged from 0 to 20% when derived from females fed to repletion on persistently infected calves and from 4 to 6% when derived from females fed to repletion during acute parasitemia. There was no significant difference in infection rates of larval progeny, implying that the risk associated with the introduction of either persistently infected or acutely infected cattle is equal. Parasite levels ranged from 2.4 × 10
2
to 1.9 × 10
5
in 3-day-fed larvae derived from females fed to repletion on persistently infected cattle. One group of larvae failed to transmit the parasite, suggesting that a threshold level of parasites must be obtained by larval progeny via transovarial transmission in order for larvae to deliver sufficient parasites to infect a naïve host.
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Details
- Title
- Persistently Infected Calves as Reservoirs for Acquisition and Transovarial Transmission of Babesia bovis by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus
- Creators
- Jeanne M Howell - Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040Massaro W Ueti - Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040Guy H Palmer - Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040Glen A Scoles - Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040Donald P Knowles - Program in Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-7040
- Publication Details
- Journal of clinical microbiology, Vol.45(10), pp.3155-3159
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Department of; Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Identifiers
- 99900548569601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article