牛血孢子虫单一种的分离技术及其保藏方法的研究——卵形巴贝斯虫的传播试验

将实验室培育的“洁净”长角血蜱的幼虫、若虫、成虫及微小牛蜱的幼虫,先后分别释放到人工感染卵形巴贝斯虫单一种牛体上不同部位事先粘贴好的布袋中,使其自行叮咬吸血。待饱血脱落后亦分别收集,置28℃、相对湿度约90％的条件下蜕皮或产卵孵化。而后用不同世代和各变态期的蜱,分别叮咬感染除脾和非除脾健康易感牛。结果表明,长角血蜱的当代若虫和成虫对卵形巴贝斯虫没有传播能力,幼虫和若虫吸入的病原亦不能经卵传递;饱血雌虫吸入的病原可经卵传递,次代幼虫、若虫和成虫三个阶段都具有传播能力。次代感染幼虫经兔体后的若虫和成虫也具有感染力。 微小牛蜱不能传播该种病原。     

蜱虫的吸血过程

蜱的幼虫、若虫、雌雄成虫都吸血。宿主包括陆生哺乳类、鸟类、爬行类和两栖类,有些种类侵袭人体。这在流行病学上有重要意义。硬蜱多在白天侵袭宿主,吸血时间较长,一般需要数天。软蜱多在夜间侵袭宿主,吸血时间较短,一般数分钟到1小时。蜱的吸血量很大,各发育期饱血后可胀大几倍至几十倍,雌性硬蜱甚至可达100多倍。     

小亚璃眼蜱和亚洲璃眼蜱对环形泰勒虫传播能力的研究

将实验室培养的小亚璃眼蜱（Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum)和亚洲璃眼蜱（Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum)清洁幼虫和若虫饲喂于感染环形泰勒虫的牛体，收集饱血幼虫和若虫，用所孵化的若虫和成虫感染试验牛。结果显示，小亚璃眼蜱幼虫、若虫阶级感染，所发育之若虫、成虫均可传播环形泰勒虫；而亚洲璃眼蜱各阶级的传播试验结果均为阴性。     

甘肃省羊泰勒虫媒介蜱的传播试验

用采自羊泰勒虫病疫区甘肃省永靖且的麻点璃眼蜱饥饿成虫叮咬健康羊体，试验羊体内未发现羊泰勒虫；用其饱血雌虫孵化的幼虫叮咬羊泰勒虫感染羊，收集饱血若虫，再用其饥饿成虫叮咬健康羊体，被叮咬羊体内也未查出羊泰勒虫，证明麻点璃眼蜱不传播羊泰勒虫。用采自羊泰勒虫病疫区张家川和永靖县的青海血蜱经人工孵化的幼虫叮咬羊泰勒虫自然感染羊，收集饱血幼虫蜕皮后，用其若虫叮咬健康羊，40d后在被叮咬羊血片中发现羊泰勒虫，但未显示明显的临床症状。用采自羊泰勒虫病疫区羊体的青海血蜱成虫、若虫、幼虫同时叮咬健康羊，18d时在试验羊体内发现羊泰勒虫，试验羊表现贫血、黄疸、稽留热、肩前淋巴结肿大等特征性症状，出现心包积液，肝、脾、肾肿胀及出血的典型病理变化。由此确定，甘肃省的羊泰勒虫是由青海血蜱传播的。     

残缘璃眼蜱人工培育及环形泰勒虫的实验性传播

将采自内蒙古自治区的残缘璃眼蜱（Hyalomma detritum)饲喂于牛体，观察了成虫，幼虫，若虫在实验室饲喂条件下的生活周期及滞育现象。通过蜱传播试验证实，残缘璃眼蜱饥饿幼虫，若虫吸入病原，其蜕化之若虫，成虫能将环形泰勒虫（Theileria annulata) 传播给敏感动物，而幼虫阶段吸入病原，如若虫阶段在免体饱血，所蜕化产生的饥饿成虫不传播该病。     

毕克犬暴发硬蜱的报道

硬蜱是犬的一种重要外寄生虫 ,是不全变态的节肢动物。其发育过程包括卵、幼虫、若虫和成虫四个阶段。幼虫爬到宿主体上吸血 ,落地后 ,经过蜕化变为若虫 ,若虫吸血后变为性成熟的雌性或雄性成蜱。雌虫产后 1～ 2周内死亡 ,雄性一般活 1个月左右。2 0 0 0年 7月上海某实验犬场 (品种全部为毕克犬ｂｅａｇｌｅ)暴发硬蜱 ,造成一定经济损失 ,现将临床症状及治疗情况报告如下。1　临床症状　从 6月下旬起 ,先后发现 1条公犬、3条母犬、2 0多条 2月龄幼犬 ,同时发生跛行 ,2 0多条幼犬发育不良 ,趾间、耳朵内侧有硬蜱。病犬显现痛痒 ,烦躁不安 ,经…     

长角血蜱不同龄期虫体抗原分析

用琼脂双向扩散法、酶联免疫吸附技术和蛋白质免疫印迹技术，用长角血蜱三个龄期的虫体蛋白检测其幼虫、若虫和成虫未吸血全蜱匀浆液分别免疫兔后的血清效价。结果表明不同生活阶段的虫体之间存在免疫交叉反应。实验结果表明不仅长角血蜱三个龄期虫体之间存在共同抗原，而且与微小牛蜱幼虫和越南血蜱幼虫之间也存在共同抗原。     

小亚璃眼蜱对牛巴贝斯虫未定种和环形泰勒虫传播的试验研究

利用蜱传播试验确定小亚璃眼蜱对中国新分离的牛的巴贝斯虫未定种和环形泰勒虫的传播能力与传播方式，进而明确其在中国牛梨形虫病传播中的流行病学意义。试验结果表明：小亚璃眼蜱可在雌虫阶段受到巴贝斯虫未定种的感染，并可在次代若虫（2／2）和成虫（3／3）阶段将病原传播给试验牛；小亚璃眼蜱幼虫和若虫吸入环形泰勒虫，饱血脱落的幼虫和若虫所蜕化发育的饥饿若虫（2／2）和成虫（2／2）均可将病原传递给敏感动物；感染巴贝斯虫未定种的小亚璃眼蜱饱血雌虫所孵育出的次代幼虫和若虫仍可被环形泰勒虫感染，所发育出的若虫（2／2）和成虫（2／2）可在一次传播试验中将环形泰勒虫和巴贝斯虫未定种同时传播给试验动物。     

长角血蜱不同龄期虫体抗原分析

用琼脂双向扩散法、酶联免疫吸附技术和蛋白质免疫印迹技术,用长角血蜱三个龄期的虫体蛋白检测其幼虫、若虫和成虫未吸血全蜱匀浆液分别免疫兔后的血清效价。结果表明不同生活阶段的虫体之间存在免疫交叉反应。实验结果表明不仅长角血蜱三个龄期虫体之间存在共同抗原,而且与微小牛蜱幼虫和越南血蜱幼虫之间也存在共同抗原。     

麻点璃眼蜱的鉴定及部分生物学特性研究

1999－2000年3－9月份从甘肃省永靖县的绵羊、山羊体表采集蜱842只（雄虫453只，雌虫389只），经鉴定为麻点璃眼蜱(Hyalomma rufipes).该种蜱对山羊的侵害大于绵羊，，一般寄生于羊后肢内侧，肛门周围和母亲外生殖器周围等无毛或毛稀少、毛毛短的部位。经实验室人工饲养，证明该种蜱为二宿主蜱，饱和血雌虫产卵前的生殖滞育期平均39．5d，产卵期平均22．5d，卵孵化平均27d，幼虫从开始吸血到变为饱血若虫19．5d，饱和血若虫蜕皮约37d；成虫活动季节为3－10月份，5－6月份为高峰期，羊在高峰期的感染率达100％。     

The sex ratio of Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) with notes on the male feeding period in the laboratory

To evaluate the sex ratio of field collected nymphal Amblyomma cajennense ticks, we collected 5326 engorged nymphs from naturally infested horses in Pirassununga county and allowed them to molt to adults in the laboratory. They yielded a sex ratio of 1:1.83 (M:F). Three and two engorged females were collected from horses pastured at Pirassununga county and from tapirs pastured in Sorocaba county, respectively. These females were allowed to oviposit and their progeny were reared until the adult stage in the laboratory. Engorged females collected from Pirassununga yielded a sex ratio of 1:1.57 (M:F) and a sex ratio of 1.14:1 (M:F) were obtained for those ticks collected from tapirs. In addition, unfed tick larvae were collected from Pedreira county and reared in the laboratory until the adult stage. This collection yielded a sex ratio of 1.11:1 (M:F). These results showed significantly different (P<0.05) sex ratio constitutions among different tick populations. Laboratory rabbits were infested once with A. cajennense male ticks, which showed feeding periods varying from 7 to 86 days. During this period, the rabbits were re-infested regularly with A. cajennense female ticks. A total of 179 engorged females were collected from the rabbits and their engorged weight, feeding, preovioposition and egg incubation periods, weight of deposited eggs, percent of hatched eggs and egg production efficiency were compared to the male feeding period and to the number of live males present on the host. None of the female variables were affected by the male feeding period. Male ticks remained fertile for the whole feeding period. Percent of hatched eggs was the only female variable that significantly decreased as the number of live males decreased on the host. The results showed that although some A. cajennense populations are composed of more females than males after molting, this female predominance is compensated by a long male feeding period and maintenance of its reproductive performance.     

Experiments on transmission of an unidentified Theileria sp. to small ruminants with Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum

Experiments on the transmission of an unidentified Theileria sp. infective for small ruminants by Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum were carried out. Three Theileria-free batches of adult, larvae, and nymphs of laboratory reared H. qinghaiensis and Hy. a. anatolicum ticks were infected by feeding them on sheep infected with Theileria sp. The Theileria sp. was originally isolated from adult ticks of H. qinghaiensis, by inoculation of blood stabilates or tick transmission. H. qinghaiensis has been shown to be capable of transmitting the Theileria sp. infective for small ruminants transstadially to sheep and goats. The nymphs developed from the larvae engorged on the sheep infected with the parasite transmitted the pathogen to splenectomized sheep with prepatent periods of 30, 31 days, respectively; but the subsequent adult ticks of H. qinghaiensis derived from the nymphs did not transmit the pathogen to sheep. However, adults developed from the nymphs engorged on the sheep infected with the parasite transmitted the pathogen to sheep with prepatent periods of 24-27 days. The larvae, nymphs and adult ticks derived from female H. qinghaiensis ticks engorged on infected sheep were not able to transmit the parasite transovarially. The same experiments were done with Hy. a. anatolicum, but examination for presence of piroplasma of Theileria sp. from all animals were negative, demonstrating that Hy. a. anatolicum could not transmit the organism to sheep or goats.     

Transstadial and attempted transovarial transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Dermacentor variabilis

Transstadial and transovarial transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Dermacentor variabilis were attempted with with ticks exposed to the organism once by feeding as larvae or nymphs, and twice by feeding as larvae and nymphs. Typical colonies of A marginale were in gut tissues of adults that were infected as larvae, larvae and nymphs, and as nymphs; repeated exposure of ticks did not appear to result in an increase in the number of colonies in the gut of subsequently molted adults nor did it affect severity of the clinical disease that developed in cattle they fed on. In contrast, colonies of A marginale were not found in the midgut epithelium of unfed nymphs exposed as larvae, even though companion nymphs transmitted the parasite, causing severe clinical anaplasmosis in susceptible calves. The organism was not transmitted transovarially by F1 larvae or nymphs from the groups exposed as parent larvae, nymphs, larvae and nymphs, and as adults. Some of the calves fed on by F1 progeny had a few erythrocytic marginale bodies that looked suspiciously like A marginale, as well as postchallenge exposure prepatent periods that were longer than other calves in the transovarial transmission study. Sera from these calves were tested for antibody to A marginale, using a highly sensitive immunoblot technique. Antibodies were not detected in any of the sera.     

INFECTIVITY FOR CATTLE OF ANAPLASMA MARGINALE EXTRACTED FROM BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS TICKS EXPOSED TO CERTAIN TEMPERATURES

SUMMARY: Boophilus microplus ticks collected from calves with patent Anaplasma marginale infections were incubated at either 4 to 5°C, 14°C, 22°C, 27°C or 37°C for up to 14 days. Extracts prepared either from larvae, nymphs, immature females, adult males or mixtures of both sexes were infective for 14 of the 16 splenectomised calves inoculated. Extracts either from nymphs or from adult ticks deriving from nymphs moulted in vitro were infective for 11 of 12 nonsplenectomised calves. Possible application of the findings to producing a vaccine strain of A. marginale is discussed.     

Studies on the critical water mass, rehydration capability and potential, acute chill tolerance and supercooling point of Argas (Persicargas) walkerae (Acari: Argasidae)

The critical water mass, defined as the water mass remaining in a dehydrated tick in the non-ambulatory state, differed only slightly between light and heavy mass groups of Argas walkerae and averaged 23.6% and 23.2%, respectively, in males and 28.4% and 28.0%, respectively, in females. All ticks survived dehydration to 50%, 75% or 100% of their critical water mass, and 95% of them rehydrated during their subsequent incubation at 95% relative humidity (RH) and 28 degrees C for 14 days and regained their ambulatory status. Unfed adults were able to balance water loss frequently over a period of several months. When ticks were repeatedly dehydrated at 0% RH for 14 days, females and males suffered 50% mortality after 16 and 19 cycles of de- and rehydration, respectively, over a period of 278 days and 337 days, respectively. Water itself was not attractive to either dehydrated or non-dehydrated ticks and drinking was not observed. After submergence in water for 3 days, most of the dehydrated adult ticks gained mass. Judged by 50% mortality, larvae tolerated short-term extreme chilling to -24 degrees C, nymphs 1 to -22 degrees C, nymphs II to -20 degrees C, females and males to -19 degrees C. None survived tissue freezing. At a chilling rate of 0.3 degrees C/min, mean supercooling points (SCP) ranged from -25.9 degrees C in eggs to -16.5 degrees C in unfed females. The SCP of all other stages was significantly higher than that of eggs. Mean SCPs of unfed adult ticks dehydrated to 50% or 75% of their critical water mass were significantly lower than that of fully hydrated ticks. The SCPs of ticks acclimated by several weeks exposure to 0 degrees C or to 38 degrees C were significantly lower than those of adult ticks kept constantly at 28 degrees C.     

Lack of infectivity of a Brazilian Anaplasma marginale isolate for Boophilus microplus ticks

Previous studies have shown that one Brazilian Anaplasma marginale isolate presents an inclusion appendage (tail), while other isolates do not present such inclusion. Studies on tick transmission have been carried out with tailless isolates but little is known about transmission of tailed isolates by Boophilus microplus. Two splenectomized calves were experimentally inoculated with the tailed A. marginale isolate. During ascending rickettsemia, B. microplus larvae, free from hemoparasites, were fed on the calves and the resulting nymphs, adult males and engorged females were examined by optic and electronic microscopy. No A. marginale colonies were observed in the gut cells of engorged females and the larvae originated from them did not transmit A. marginale to susceptible calves. In addition, no colonies of A. marginale were seen in the gut cells or in salivary glands of adult males and nymphs. These results suggest that B. microplus is not the biological vector for this tailed isolate.     

Population structure of Argas arboreus (Acari: Argasidae) ticks associated with seasonally abandoned mixed heronries, dominated by cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), in South Africa

During winter populations of Argas arboreus from heronries of the cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis, in South Africa are composed of adults, with some predominance of males, and II-IV instar nymphs, in a state of diapause. The period of tick activity, including reproduction and development of eggs, larvae and N1 nymphs, is synchronized with the nesting and breeding season of their avian hosts. It begins during spring with the return of birds to the heronry, and ceases in autumn through induction of reproductive diapause in engorged females, and behavioural diapause in unfed nymphs and adult ticks. Many ticks showed morphological anomalies and malformations, the study of which could possibly be used for monitoring of environmental pollution.     

Efficacy of the Bm86 antigen against immature instars and adults of the dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae)

The Bm86 antigen has been used to control ticks of the Boophilus genera in integrated programs that also include the use of acaricides. Because of recent phylogenetic studies have lead to the inclusion of all Boophilus species within the Rhipicephalus genera, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of the Bm86 antigen on the biotic potential of Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Domestic dogs were vaccinated with Bm86 and challenged with the three instars of R. sanguineus. Male and female mongrel dogs were divided into two groups of four animals each, comprising non-vaccinated and vaccinated animals. Immunized dogs were given two doses of an experimental formulation containing 50 μg of recombinant Bm86, at 21 days interval while the other group was given placebo, consisting of the same preparation without Bm86. Each dog was challenged 21 days after the last dose with 250 larvae, 100 nymphs and 55 adults (25 females and 30 males) released inside feeding chambers (one per instar) glued to their shaved flank. The effect of the vaccination was evaluated by determining biological parameters of ticks including the yield rates of larvae, nymphs and adult females. Adult females engorged weight, egg mass weight, efficiency rate of conversion to eggs (ERCE) and hatchability. In addition, sera were collected from dogs at 0, 21, 36, 45 and 75 days after the vaccination and used for the detection of specific antibodies by ELISA. Collection rates of larvae, nymphs and adult females fed on vaccinated dogs were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by 38%, 29% and 31%, respectively, as compared with non-vaccinated controls. Significant reductions were also observed in weight of engorged females and egg mass, in ERCE, but not in the hatch rate of ticks fed on immunized dogs. ELISA data revealed a marked and significant increase in optical densities of sera from vaccinated animals after the second dose of Bm86. We concluded that the Bm86 antigen used as a vaccine for dogs reduced the viability and biotic potential of the R. sanguineus.     

Life cycle of Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) fed on rabbits, sheep and goats

Some aspects of the biology of the tick Hyalomma anatolicum fed on rabbits, sheep and goats were studied. The non-feeding stages were maintained under laboratory conditions at 20-36°C and 75% relative humidity. The longest feeding periods of larvae and nymphs of H. anatolicum were observed when fed on rabbits (mean 4.58 ± 0.51 and 7 ± 1.15 days, respectively) while the longest feeding periods of females were observed on goats (9.61 ± 1.21). The pre-oviposition period (4.8 ± 0.42 days) and pre-eclosion periods (mean 21.3 ± 1.16 days) were shortest for females fed on rabbits. Engorged females reached heavier engorgement weights (482.92 ± 88.08 mg), and produced more eggs (4881.8 ± 842.71) when fed on rabbits. However, no significant differences were observed between the percentages hatchability of eggs laid by ticks fed on the three hosts studied. Most (94.31%) of the larvae fed on rabbits underwent a 2-host life cycle, while few (5.69%) of them behaved as a 3-host ticks. Few larvae were able to complete feeding as 3-host pattern on both sheep and goats, while the majority of the larvae failed to complete feeding or died on their way to molt on both sheep and goats.     

Transmission of Ehrlichia canis to dogs by ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus).

Two strains of Rhipicephalus sanguineus acquired Ehrlichia canis by feeding as either larvae or nymphs on acutely infected dogs and, in subsequent instars, transmitted the agent to normal dogs. Three strains of R sanguineus transmitted E canis as adults after their larval and nymphal stages fed on infected dogs. More than 400 adult female ticks were fed on infected dogs as larvae or nymphs or both, but none transmitted E canis transovarially.