Journal article
Transovarial Transmission Efficiency of Babesia bovis Tick Stages Acquired by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus during Acute Infection
Journal of clinical microbiology, Vol.45(2), pp.426-431
02/2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/115127
PMCID: PMC1829031
PMID: 17166964
Abstract
The protozoan parasite
Babesia bovis
, a reemerging threat to U.S. cattle, is acquired by adult female ticks of the subgenus
Boophilus
and is transovarially transmitted as the kinete stage to developing larval offspring. Sporozoites develop within larvae and are transmitted during larval feeding on a bovine host. This study evaluated the efficiency of
B. bovis
infection within
Rhipicephalus
(
Boophilus
)
microplus
following acquisition feeding on acutely parasitemic cattle. Parasite levels were quantified in blood from experimentally infected cattle and within hemolymph and larvae derived from acquisition-fed female
B. microplus
. There was a positive correlation between blood parasite levels in acutely parasitemic cattle and kinete levels in the hemolymph of adult female
Boophilus
ticks following acquisition feeding; however, there was no relationship between kinete levels in females and infection rates of larval progeny.
Boophilus microplus
females that acquisition fed produced larval progeny with infection rates of 12% to 48%. Importantly, larvae derived from replete females with very low levels of kinete infection, as demonstrated by microscopy and PCR, had infection rates of 22% to 30% and transmitted
B. bovis
during transmission feeding. These data demonstrate that although hemolymph infection may be undetectable, transmission to larval progeny occurs at a level which ensures transmission to the bovine host.
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Details
- Title
- Transovarial Transmission Efficiency of Babesia bovis Tick Stages Acquired by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus during Acute Infection
- 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(2), pp.426-431
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Department of; Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Identifiers
- 99900548176501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article