Background: Traditionally, morphological features of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus from closely-related ticks have been considered for their identification and differentiation. However, it is difficult and requires expertise in order to accurately identify and differentiate engorged female ticks and some developmental stages such as larva and nymph from other similar ticks. Hence, molecul...

Aim: An investigation on ticks and haemoparasites of dogs that belonged to Maiduguri metropolis (Borno State) was conducted. Materials and Methods: Survey of ticks and haemo-parasites on 400 stray dogs was conducted in Maiduguri from December 2009 to November 2011, using a stratified random sampling technique from different locations of the town. The town was divided into 10 districts out of wh...

Hyalomma dromedarii (H. dromedarii) is a very characteristic tick with a cosmopolitan distribution, which is closely associated with camels. It is well adapted to extreme dryness of habitat and to camel hosts. In this study, we studied rural husbandry of one-humped camels (dromedaries) in a village in South-West of Semnan (Biabanak). A total of 163 ticks (94 adults and 67 nymphs) were found on ...

Objective: Coxiella burnetii and -like endosymbionts (CLEs) have been widely discovered in various ticks, animals, even human beings. To estimate the possible origin of C. its relatives CLEs, prevalence CLEs has intensively surveyed all over world. Method: In present study, infection host-seeking Haemaphysalis concinna was performed with meta-transcript analysis tick specimens harvested from Mu...

BACKGROUND Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. Epidemiologically, animals are considered reservoirs and humans incidental hosts. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We investigated Q fever in rural Senegal. Human samples (e.g., sera, saliva, breast milk, feces) were screened in the generally healthy population of two villages of the Sine-Saloum region. Ticks were c...

Bacterial endosymbionts of ticks are of interest due to their close evolutionary relationships with tick-vectored pathogens. For instance, whereas many ticks contain Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLEs), others transmit the mammalian pathogen Francisella tularensis. We recently sequenced the genome of an FLE present in the hard tick Amblyomma maculatum (FLE-Am) and showed that it likely evolve...

Rodents comprise more species than any other mammal order. Most rodents are considered keystone species in their ecological communities, hence the survival of many other species in the ecosystem depend on them. From medical point of view, this is particularly important for rodent-dependent pathogens. In the particular case of tick-borne diseases, rodents are important as hosts for vector ticks ...

| Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an infectious viral disease of cattle that results in serious economic and international trade consequences. Recently, hard ticks have been incriminated in lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) transmission. The present study attempted to investigate the role of Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks, collected from naturally infected animals, in the transmission of LSDV. A total...

As long-term pool feeders, ticks have developed myriad strategies to remain discreetly but solidly attached to their hosts for the duration of their blood meal. The critical biological material that dampens host defenses and facilitates the flow of blood-thus assuring adequate feeding-is tick saliva. Saliva exhibits cytolytic, vasodilator, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, and immunosuppressive...

Ixodid ticks transmit various pathogens of deadly diseases to humans and animals. However, the specific molecule that functions in the recognition and control of pathogens inside ticks is not yet to be identified. Class B scavenger receptor CD36 (SRB) participates in internalization of apoptotic cells, certain bacterial and fungal pathogens, and modified low-density lipoproteins. Recently, we h...