| molecular detection and identification of piroplasms in sika deer (cervus nippon) from jilin province, china. | piroplasmosis is an important disease of domestic animals and wildlife and is caused by organisms from the genera theileria and babesia. wildlife such as sika deer play an important role as reservoir hosts for several species of theileria and babesia. using blood samples collected from sika deer, we investigated the epidemiology of theileria spp. and babesia spp. in sika deer from jilin province in china and identified those species that cause pathogenic infections in sika deer. | 2016 | 26984286 |
| hyalomma scupense (acari, ixodidae) in northeast tunisia: seasonal population dynamics of nymphs and adults on field cattle. | hyalomma scupense is a two-host tick infesting mainly cattle representing in north africa the vector of tropical theileriosis (theileria annulata infection), a major tick-borne disease affecting cattle. any effective control programme of ticks requires a good knowledge of the biology of the target species. in the present study, three cattle farms in northeast tunisia were surveyed during the activity seasons for adult and nymphs of hyalomma scupense. several indicators were studied, including ch ... | 2013 | 23547915 |
| a secondary structural common core in the ribosomal its2 (internal transcribed spacer) of culexspecies from diverse geographical locations. | in the present study, sequence and structural analysis of its2 region (the spacer segment between 5.8s and 28s rrna of mature rrna sequences) of 7 culex species belonging to 5 different geographical locations was carried out. alignment of the its2 sequence from the 7 species revealed 8 homologous domains. four species namely c. vishnui, c. annulus, c. pipiens, c. quiquefasciatusshowed high sequence (98-100%) and rna secondary structure similarity. the its2 similarity among different species is h ... | 2005 | 17597853 |
| experiences in tick control by acaricide in the traditional cattle sector in zambia and burkina faso: possible environmental and public health implications. | livestock, especially cattle, play a paramount role in agriculture production systems, particularly in poor countries throughout the world. ticks and tick-borne diseases (tbds) have an important impact on livestock and agriculture production in sub-saharan africa. the authors review the most common methods used for the control of ticks and tbds. special emphasis is given to the direct application of acaricides to the host animals. the possible environmental and public health adverse effects (i.e ... | 2016 | 27882313 |
| tick-borne pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance in nigerian cattle. | ticks and tick-borne diseases undermine cattle fitness and productivity in the whole of sub-saharan africa, including nigeria. in this west african country, cattle are challenged by numerous tick species, especially during the wet season. consequently, several tbds are known to be endemic in nigerian cattle, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theilerioris (by theileria mutans and theileria velifera). to date, all investigations on cattle tbds in nigeria have been based on cytolog ... | 2016 | 27090756 |
| tick-borne diseases of bovines in pakistan: major scope for future research and improved control. | ticks and tick-borne diseases (tbds) affect the productivity of bovines in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, leading to a significant adverse impact on the livelihoods of resource-poor farming communities. globally, four main tbds, namely anaplasmosis, babesiosis, theileriosis, and cowdriosis (heartwater) affect bovines, and the former three are of major economic importance in bovines in pakistan. given that the livestock sector has become an integral part of pakistan's economy and ... | 2015 | 25994588 |
| growth of ehrlichia canis, the causative agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, in vector and non-vector ixodid tick cell lines. | canine monocytic ehrlichiosis is caused by ehrlichia canis, a small gram-negative coccoid bacterium that infects circulating monocytes. the disease is transmitted by the brown dog tick rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. and is acknowledged as an important infectious disease of dogs and other members of the family canidae worldwide. e. canis is routinely cultured in vitro in the canine monocyte-macrophage cell line dh82 and in non-vector ixodes scapularis tick cell lines, but not in cells derived from ... | 2016 | 26837859 |
| matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry for comprehensive indexing of east african ixodid tick species. | the tick population of africa includes several important genera belonging to the family ixodidae. many of these ticks are vectors of protozoan and rickettsial pathogens including theileria parva that causes east coast fever, a debilitating cattle disease endemic to eastern, central and southern africa. effective surveillance of tick-borne pathogens depends on accurate identification and mapping of their tick vectors. a simple and reproducible technique for rapid and reliable differentiation of l ... | 2016 | 26979606 |
| propagation of the israeli vaccine strain of anaplasma centrale in tick cell lines. | anaplasma centrale has been used in cattle as a live blood vaccine against the more pathogenic anaplasma marginale for over 100 years. while a. marginale can be propagated in vitro in tick cell lines, facilitating studies on antigen production, immunisation and vector-pathogen interaction, to date there has been no in vitro culture system for a. centrale. in the present study, 25 cell lines derived from 13 ixodid tick species were inoculated with the israeli vaccine strain of a. centrale and mon ... | 2015 | 26210950 |
| rps8--a new informative dna marker for phylogeny of babesia and theileria parasites in china. | piroplasmosis is a serious debilitating and sometimes fatal disease. phylogenetic relationships within piroplasmida are complex and remain unclear. we compared the intron-exon structure and dna sequences of the rps8 gene from babesia and theileria spp. isolates in china. similar to 18s rdna, the 40s ribosomal protein s8 gene, rps8, including both coding and non-coding regions is a useful and novel genetic marker for defining species boundaries and for inferring phylogenies because it tends to ha ... | 2013 | 24244571 |
| modelling the transmission dynamics of theileria annulata: model structure and validation for the turkish context. | a mathematical model that describes the transmission dynamics of theileria annulata is proposed that consists of 2 host components: the hyalomma tick population and a compartmental model of t. annulata infection in the cattle population. the model was parameterized using data describing tick infestation and the infection status of cattle in turkey from 2006 to 2008. the tick attachment rates are highly seasonal and because of the temporal separation of infectious and susceptible ticks virtually ... | 2012 | 22309815 |
| laboratory study on biological control of ticks (acari: ixodidae) by entomopathogenic indigenous fungi (beauveria bassiana). | chemical control method using different acaricides as spray, dipping solution or pour-on is routinely used for controlling ticks. biological control agents are favorable due to their safety for animals and environment. entomopathogenic fungi such as beauveria bassiana are well known for controlling ticks. in this study, two iranian indigenous strains of b. bassiana (b. bassiana 5197 and b. bassiana evin) were selected and grown on specific media. the pathogenic effects of these strains were eval ... | 2009 | 22808380 |
| importance of ticks and their chemical and immunological control in livestock. | the medical and economic importance of ticks has long been recognized due to their ability to transmit diseases to humans and animals. ticks cause great economic losses to livestock, and adversely affect livestock hosts in several ways. loss of blood is a direct effect of ticks acting as potential vector for haemo-protozoa and helminth parasites. blood sucking by large numbers of ticks causes reduction in live weight and anemia among domestic animals, while their bites also reduce the quality of ... | 0 | 17048307 |
| revealing pancrustacean relationships: phylogenetic analysis of ribosomal protein genes places collembola (springtails) in a monophyletic hexapoda and reinforces the discrepancy between mitochondrial and nuclear dna markers. | in recent years, several new hypotheses on phylogenetic relations among arthropods have been proposed on the basis of dna sequences. one of the challenged hypotheses is the monophyly of hexapods. this discussion originated from analyses based on mitochondrial dna datasets that, due to an unusual positioning of collembola, suggested that the hexapod body plan evolved at least twice. here, we re-evaluate the position of collembola using ribosomal protein gene sequences. | 2008 | 18366624 |
| present and future potential of plant-derived products to control arthropods of veterinary and medical significance. | the use of synthetic pesticides and repellents to target pests of veterinary and medical significance is becoming increasingly problematic. one alternative approach employs the bioactive attributes of plant-derived products (pdps). these are particularly attractive on the grounds of low mammalian toxicity, short environmental persistence and complex chemistries that should limit development of pest resistance against them.several pesticides and repellents based on pdps are already available, and ... | 2014 | 24428899 |
| experimental strategies for the identification and characterization of adhesive proteins in animals: a review. | adhesive secretions occur in both aquatic and terrestrial animals, in which they perform diverse functions. biological adhesives can therefore be remarkably complex and involve a large range of components with different functions and interactions. however, being mainly protein based, biological adhesives can be characterized by classical molecular methods. this review compiles experimental strategies that were successfully used to identify, characterize and obtain the full-length sequence of adh ... | 0 | 25657842 |
| understanding the evolutionary structural variability and target specificity of tick salivary kunitz peptides using next generation transcriptome data. | ticks are blood-sucking arthropods and a primary function of tick salivary proteins is to counteract the host's immune response. tick salivary kunitz-domain proteins perform multiple functions within the feeding lesion and have been classified as venoms; thereby, constituting them as one of the important elements in the arms race with the host. the two main mechanisms advocated to explain the functional heterogeneity of tick salivary kunitz-domain proteins are gene sharing and gene duplication. ... | 2014 | 24397261 |
| native strains of beauveria bassiana for the control of rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato. | rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato ticks are widespread worldwide due to their adaptability to survive under different environmental conditions. they may act as vectors of a wide range of pathogens to humans and animals and their control is based on the use of chemical products on dogs and in the environment. alternative control strategies, such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi as bio-control agents have also been investigated. the ability of native strains of beauveria bassiana sensu lato ... | 2015 | 25651851 |
| specific histamine binding activity of a new lipocalin from hyalomma asiaticum (ixodidae) and therapeutic effects on allergic asthma in mice. | lipocalin proteins are secreted by tick salivary glands as an important strategy to interfere with the immune response of hosts. a large number of lipocalins are secreted, but the functions of most of these proteins are unclear. here, we report a new lipocalin protein with particular histamine binding capacity, which was isolated from the salivary glands of the tick hyalomma asiaticum. | 2016 | 27639693 |
| structure and mechanism in salivary proteins from blood-feeding arthropods. | the saliva of blood-feeding arthropods contains rich mixtures of ligand binding proteins targeted at inhibiting hemostasis and inflammation in the host. since blood feeding has evolved many times, different taxonomic groups utilize completely different families of proteins to perform similar tasks. structural studies performed on a number of these proteins have revealed biologically novel and sophisticated mechanisms used to perform their functions. here, the results of these structural and mech ... | 2009 | 19925819 |
| theileria, babesia, and anaplasma detected by pcr in ruminant herds at bié province, angola. | distribution of anaplasma spp., babesia spp., theileria spp., and ehrlichia ruminantium, was for the first time studied in bié province, central angola. we examined 76 blood samples of cattle originated from seven farms, and 13 blood samples of goats from two farms employing molecular genetic tools (pcr). most prevalent was a. ovis-infection in goats (100%) and a. marginale-infection in cattle (38% of examined animals, and six out of seven farms). b. bigemina-infection was detected in only one s ... | 0 | 23193527 |
| biocontrol of pigeon tick argas reflexus (acari: argasidae) by entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae (ascomycota: hypocreales). | the pigeon tick argas reflexus is a pathogen-transmitting soft tick that typically feeds on pigeons, but can also attack humans causing local and systemic reactions. chemical control is made difficult due to environmental contamination and resistance development. as a result, there is much interest in increasing the role of other strategies like biological control. in this study, the efficacy of three strains (v245, 685 and 715c) of entomopathogenic fungus metarhizium anisopliae for biological c ... | 2011 | 24031777 |
| effect of the saliva from different triatomine species on the biology and immunity of tlr-4 ligand and trypanosoma cruzi-stimulated dendritic cells. | triatomines are blood-sucking vectors of trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of chagas disease. during feeding, triatomines surpass the skin host response through biomolecules present in their saliva. dendritic cells (dcs) play a crucial role in the induction of the protection to aggressive agents, including blood-sucking arthropods. here, we evaluated if salivary components of triatomines from different genera evade the host immunity by modulating the biology and the function of lps- or t. c ... | 2016 | 27938380 |
| acute oral mammalian toxicity and effect of solvents on efficacy of maerua edulis (gilg. & ben.) de wolf against rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus koch, 1844 (acarina: ixodidae), tick larvae. | efficacy and toxicity of aqueous and organic solvents extracts of maerua edulis against ticks and mice, respectively, were determined. ground leaves were extracted separately using cold water, cold water plus surfactant (1% v/v liquid soap), hot water plus surfactant, hexane, or methanol to make 25% w/v stock solutions from which serial dilutions of 5, 10, 20, and 25% were made. for each concentration, 20 rhipicephalus decoloratus tick larvae were put in filter papers impregnated with extracts a ... | 2016 | 27660762 |
| saliva of rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (acari: ixodidae) inhibits classical and alternative complement pathways. | rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus is the main ectoparasite affecting livestock worldwide. for a successful parasitism, ticks need to evade several immune responses of their hosts, including the activation of the complement system. in spite of the importance of r. microplus, previous work only identified one salivary molecule that blocks the complement system. the current study describes complement inhibitory activities induced by r. microplus salivary components and mechanisms elicited by puta ... | 2016 | 27515662 |
| analyses of mitochondrial genes reveal two sympatric but genetically divergent lineages of rhipicephalus appendiculatus in kenya. | the ixodid tick rhipicephalus appendiculatus transmits the apicomplexan protozoan parasite theileria parva, which causes east coast fever (ecf), the most economically important cattle disease in eastern and southern africa. recent analysis of micro- and minisatellite markers showed an absence of geographical and host-associated genetic sub-structuring amongst field populations of r. appendiculatus in kenya. to assess further the phylogenetic relationships between field and laboratory r. appendic ... | 2016 | 27334334 |
| lumpy skin disease: attempted propagation in tick cell lines and presence of viral dna in field ticks collected from naturally-infected cattle. | lumpy skin disease (lsd) is of substantial economic importance for the cattle industry in africa and the near and middle east. several insect species are thought to transmit the disease mechanically. recent transmission studies have demonstrated the first evidence for a role of hard (ixodid) ticks as vectors of lumpy skin disease virus (lsdv). the aim of this study was to attempt in vitro growth of the virus in rhipicephalus spp. tick cell lines and investigate in vivo the presence of the virus ... | 2014 | 25468765 |
| first molecular detection of rickettsia africae in ticks from the union of the comoros. | rickettsia africae is the agent of african tick bite fever, a disease transmitted by ticks in sub-saharan africa. in union of the comoros, a recent study reported the presence of a rickettsia africae vector but no information has been provided on the circulation of the pathogenic agent in this country. | 2014 | 25245895 |
| new data regarding distribution of cattle ticks in the south-western indian ocean islands. | recent studies have produced new insight into the origin and distribution of some cattle ticks in the south-western indian ocean islands. rhipicephalus appendiculatus, introduced from tanzania in 2002, is now well established on grande comore but has not yet reached the other islands of the archipelago (mohéli, anjouan and mayotte). only one of the two clades identified in africa has settled so far. amblyomma variegatum, which was not supposed to be able to persist in the antananarivo region (13 ... | 2013 | 24016261 |
| relationship between the prevalence of ectoparasites and associated risk factors in free-range pigs in kenya. | a cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of ectoparasites and possible risk factors in free-range pigs from 135 farms of busia district, kenya. three hundred and six pigs were examined for presence of external parasites using standard parasitological methods. data on management practices including housing and history of acaricide spraying were also collected. the ectoparasites found in the pigs were haematopinus suis (96.1%), sarcoptes scabiei (63.7%), and ticks (29.7%) ... | 2013 | 23984085 |
| tick infestation patterns in free ranging african buffalo (syncercus caffer): effects of host innate immunity and niche segregation among tick species. | ticks are of vast importance to livestock health, and contribute to conflicts between wildlife conservation and agricultural interests; but factors driving tick infestation patterns on wild hosts are not well understood. we studied tick infestation patterns on free-ranging african buffalo (syncercus caffer), asking (i) is there evidence for niche segregation among tick species?; and (ii) how do host characteristics affect variation in tick abundance among hosts? we identified ticks and estimated ... | 2012 | 24533310 |
| evasins: therapeutic potential of a new family of chemokine-binding proteins from ticks. | blood-sucking parasites, such as ticks, remain attached to their hosts for relatively long periods of time in order to obtain their blood meal without eliciting an immune response. one mechanism used to avoid rejection is the inhibition of the recruitment of immune cells, which can be achieved by a class of chemokine-binding proteins (ckbps) known as evasins. we have identified three distinct evasins produced by the salivary glands of the common brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus. they dis ... | 2016 | 27375615 |
| tissue- and time-dependent transcription in ixodes ricinus salivary glands and midguts when blood feeding on the vertebrate host. | ixodes ricinus is a tick that transmits the pathogens of lyme and several arboviral diseases. pathogens invade the tick midgut, disseminate through the hemolymph, and are transmitted to the vertebrate host via the salivary glands; subverting these processes could be used to interrupt pathogen transfer. here, we use massive de novo sequencing to characterize the transcriptional dynamics of the salivary and midgut tissues of nymphal and adult i. ricinus at various time points after attachment on t ... | 2015 | 25765539 |
| rhipicephalus microplus serine protease inhibitor family: annotation, expression and functional characterisation assessment. | rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus evades the host's haemostatic system through a complex protein array secreted into tick saliva. serine protease inhibitors (serpins) conform an important component of saliva which are represented by a large protease inhibitor family in ixodidae. these secreted and non-secreted inhibitors modulate diverse and essential proteases involved in different physiological processes. | 2015 | 25564202 |
| occurrence of ticks in cattle in the new pastoral farming areas in rufiji district, tanzania. | ticks and tick-borne diseases plus trypanosomosis are a constraint to cattle rearing in tanzania. rufiji district was not known for important ticks infesting cattle because inhabitants were not engaged in keeping livestock. not only has settlement of pastoralists and cattle in rufiji increased the number of cattle but also cattle have been the source of bringing in and spreading of ticks. this study investigated tick species that have been introduced and managed to establish themselves in the ne ... | 2016 | 27990463 |
| induction of humoral immune response to multiple recombinant rhipicephalus appendiculatus antigens and their effect on tick feeding success and pathogen transmission. | rhipicephalus appendiculatus is the primary vector of theileria parva, the etiological agent of east coast fever (ecf), a devastating disease of cattle in sub-saharan africa. we hypothesized that a vaccine targeting tick proteins that are involved in attachment and feeding might affect feeding success and possibly reduce tick-borne transmission of t. parva. here we report the evaluation of a multivalent vaccine cocktail of tick antigens for their ability to reduce r. appendiculatus feeding succe ... | 2016 | 27589998 |
| paralog analyses reveal gene duplication events and genes under positive selection in ixodes scapularis and other ixodid ticks. | hard ticks (family ixodidae) are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites of worldwide medical and veterinary importance. the haploid genomes of multiple species of ixodid ticks exceed 1 gbp, prompting questions regarding gene, segmental and whole genome duplication in this phyletic group. the availability of the genome assembly for the black legged tick, ixodes scapularis, and transcriptome datasets for multiple species of ticks offers an opportunity to assess the contribution of gene duplication ... | 2016 | 26984180 |
| molecular detection and characterization of babesia bovis, babesia bigemina, theileria species and anaplasma marginale isolated from cattle in kenya. | infections with babesia bovis, babesia bigemina, theileria species and anaplasma marginale are endemic in kenya yet there is a lack of adequate information on their genotypes. this study established the genetic diversities of the above tick-borne hemoparasites infecting cattle in kenya. | 2015 | 26420543 |
| an in vitro model to assess the immunosuppressive effect of tick saliva on the mobilization of inflammatory monocyte-derived cells. | tick-borne pathogens cause potent infections. these pathogens benefit from molecules contained in tick saliva that have evolved to modulate host innate and adaptive immune responses. this is called "saliva-activated transmission" and enables tick-borne pathogens to evade host immune responses. ticks feed on their host for relatively long periods; thus, mechanisms counteracting the inflammation-driven recruitment and activation of innate effector cells at the bite site, are an effective strategy ... | 2015 | 26412247 |
| ethnoecological knowledge of ticks and treatment of tick-borne diseases among maasai people in northern tanzania. | the aim of this study was to understand traditional knowledge of tick ecology and remedies for tick-borne diseases (tbds) among the maasai people in northern tanzania. | 2015 | 27065643 |
| in vitro effect of the ethanolic extract of tephrosia vogelii on rhipicephalus sanguineus in abomey-calavi. | ticks are vectors of several diseases, of which many are zoonosis transmissible to humans. the use of tephrosia leafs' extract as a low cost acaricide is spreading among farmers in central kenya. | 0 | 26101758 |
| tick-borne haemoparasites in african buffalo (syncerus caffer) from two wildlife areas in northern botswana. | the african buffalo (syncerus caffer) is a host for many pathogens known to cause economically important diseases and is often considered an important reservoir for livestock diseases. theileriosis, heartwater, babesiosis and anaplasmosis are considered the most important tick-borne diseases of livestock in sub-saharan africa, resulting in extensive economic losses to livestock farmers in endemic areas. information on the distribution of tick-borne diseases and ticks is scarce in northern botswa ... | 2015 | 25589064 |
| high prevalence of rickettsia africae variants in amblyomma variegatum ticks from domestic mammals in rural western kenya: implications for human health. | tick-borne spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsioses are emerging human diseases caused by obligate intracellular gram-negative bacteria of the genus rickettsia. despite being important causes of systemic febrile illnesses in travelers returning from sub-saharan africa, little is known about the reservoir hosts of these pathogens. we conducted surveys for rickettsiae in domestic animals and ticks in a rural setting in western kenya. of the 100 serum specimens tested from each species of domestic r ... | 0 | 25325312 |
| repellent activities of essential oils of some plants used traditionally to control the brown ear tick, rhipicephalus appendiculatus. | essential oils of eight plants, selected after an ethnobotanical survey conducted in bukusu community in bungoma county, western kenya (tagetes minuta, tithonia diversifolia, juniperus procera, solanecio mannii, senna didymobotrya, lantana camara, securidaca longepedunculata, and hoslundia opposita), were initially screened (at two doses) for their repellence against brown ear tick, rhipicephalus appendiculatus, using a dual-choice climbing assay. the oils of t. minuta and t. diversifolia were t ... | 2014 | 24693417 |
| rickettsia africae in amblyomma variegatum ticks, uganda and nigeria. | | 0 | 24050756 |
| parasite co-infections show synergistic and antagonistic interactions on growth performance of east african zebu cattle under one year. | the co-occurrence of different pathogen species and their simultaneous infection of hosts are common, and may affect host health outcomes. co-infecting pathogens may interact synergistically (harming the host more) or antagonistically (harming the host less) compared with single infections. here we have tested associations of infections and their co-infections with variation in growth rate using a subset of 455 animals of the infectious diseases of east africa livestock (ideal) cohort study surv ... | 2013 | 24001119 |
| use of metarhizium anisopliae chitinase genes for genotyping and virulence characterization. | virulence is the primary factor used for selection of entomopathogenic fungi (epf) for development as biopesticides. to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying differences in virulence of fungal isolates on various arthropod pests, we compared the chitinase genes, chi2 and chi4, of 8 isolates of metarhizium anisopliae. the clustering of the isolates showed various groups depending on their virulence. however, the analysis of their chitinase dna sequences chi2 and chi4 did not reveal major d ... | 2013 | 23936804 |
| coxiella burnetii in humans, domestic ruminants, and ticks in rural western kenya. | we conducted serological surveys for coxiella burnetii in archived sera from patients that visited a rural clinic in western kenya from 2007 to 2008 and in cattle, sheep, and goats from the same area in 2009. we also conducted serological and polymerase chain reaction-based surveillance for the pathogen in 2009-2010, in human patients with acute lower respiratory illness, in ruminants following parturition, and in ticks collected from ruminants and domestic dogs. antibodies against c. burnetii w ... | 2013 | 23382156 |
| tick infestations in extensively grazed cattle and efficacy trial of high-cis cypermethrin pour-on preparation for control of ticks in mvomero district in tanzania. | this study aimed at determining the extent of tick infestations in extensively grazed cattle and assess the efficacy of ecotix® acaricide (2.5% high cis cypermethrin) in mvomero district in tanzania. a total of 1200 tanzanian short horn zebu (tshz) from two farms in two villages were qualitatively assessed for tick infestations and 40 animals (grouped in 10s from each farm) were separated in their herds and quantitatively examined to establish the tick load. the animals were grouped in treatment ... | 2012 | 23164198 |
| detection of parasites and parasitic infections of free-ranging wildlife on a game ranch in zambia: a challenge for disease control. | ex-situ conservancies are expanding alternatives to livestock production in zambia albeit the lack of information on circulating infectious parasites from wildlife. therefore, 12 wildlife species were examined on a game ranch were all species were found to be infected by rhipecephalus spp. haemoparasite infections were estimated at 7.37% (n = 95) with babesia spp. detected in bushbuck (tragelaphus scriptus); anaplasma marginale in impala (aepyceros melampus) and puku (kobus vardonii) for the fir ... | 2012 | 22701163 |
| molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the cdnas encoding toxin-like peptides from the venom glands of tarantula grammostola rosea. | tarantula venom glands produce a large variety of bioactive peptides. here we present the identification of venom components obtained by sequencing clones isolated from a cdna library prepared from the venom glands of the chilean common tarantula, grammostola rosea. the cdna sequences of about 1500 clones out of 4000 clones were analyzed after selection using several criteria. forty-eight novel toxin-like peptides (gtx1 to gtx7, and gtx-tctp and gtx-crisp) were predicted from the nucleotide sequ ... | 2012 | 22500178 |
| ancient cytokines, the role of astakines as hematopoietic growth factors. | hematopoiesis is the process by which hemocytes mature and subsequently enter the circulation. vertebrate prokineticins (pks) are known to take part in this process, as are the invertebrate prokineticin domain proteins, astakines. in pacifastacus leniusculus, astakine 1 is essential for the release of new hemocytes into the open circulatory system of these animals. in addition to astakine 1, we have now cloned a homologue of astakine 1 with an insert of 13 amino acids, named as astakine 2. both ... | 2010 | 20592028 |
| using the dfci gene index databases for biological discovery. | the dfci gene index web pages provide access to analyses of ests and gene sequences for nearly 114 species, as well as a number of resources derived from these. each species-specific database is presented using a common format with a home page. a variety of methods exist that allow users to search each species-specific database. methods implemented currently include nucleotide or protein sequence queries using wu-blast, text-based searches using various sequence identifiers, searches by gene, ti ... | 0 | 20205187 |
| evolution and origin of merlin, the product of the neurofibromatosis type 2 (nf2) tumor-suppressor gene. | merlin, the product of the neurofibromatosis type 2 (nf2) tumor suppressor gene, belongs to the ezrin-radixin-moesin (erm) subgroup of the protein 4.1 superfamily, which links cell surface glycoproteins to the actin cytoskeleton. while merlin's functional activity has been examined in mammalian and drosophila models, little is understood about its evolution, diversity, and overall distribution among different taxa. | 2005 | 16324214 |
| cattle tick vaccine researchers join forces in catvac. | a meeting sponsored by the bill & melinda gates foundation was held at the avanti hotel, mohammedia, morocco, july 14-15, 2015. the meeting resulted in the formation of the cattle tick vaccine consortium (catvac). | 2016 | 26911668 |
| rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus aquaporin as an effective vaccine antigen to protect against cattle tick infestations. | vaccination as a control method against the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus has been practiced since the introduction of two products in the mid-1990s. there is a need for a vaccine that could provide effective control of r. microplus in a more consistent fashion than existing products. during our transcriptome studies of r. microplus, several gene coding regions were discovered to encode proteins with significant amino acid similarity to aquaporins. | 2014 | 25306139 |
| in-vitro assessment of the acaricidal properties of artemisia annua and zataria multiflora essential oils to control cattle ticks. | the aim of this study was to investigate the 'acaricidal effect' of zataria multiflora and artemisia annua essential oils on rhipicephalus (boophilus) annulatus. | 0 | 22347275 |
| ectoparasites infestation of free-ranging hedgehog (etelerix algirus) in north western libya. | the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ectoparasites in hedgehogs (etelerix algirus) in north western region of libya. seventy hedgehogs were sampled, and 39 (55.7%) were infested with external parasites. a total of 44 ticks, 491 fleas were collected from the infested hedgehogs and four species of ectoparasites were identified, one mite (sarcoptes scabiei), one tick (rhipicephalus appendiculatus) and two fleas (xenopsylla cheopis and ctenocephalides canis). for ectoparasites, 10/3 ... | 2014 | 26623333 |
| a review of theileria diagnostics and epidemiology. | an extensive range of serological and molecular diagnostic assays exist for most of the economically important theileira species such as t. annulata, t. equi, t. lestoquardi, t. parva, t. uilenbergi and other more benign species. diagnostics of theileria is considered with regard to sensitivity and specificity of current molecular and serological assays and their use in epidemiology. in the case of serological assays, cross-reactivity of genetically closely related species reduces the use of the ... | 2015 | 25830110 |
| replication of boid inclusion body disease-associated arenaviruses is temperature sensitive in both boid and mammalian cells. | boid inclusion body disease (bidb) is a fatal disease of boid snakes, the etiology of which has only recently been revealed following the identification of several novel arenaviruses in diseased snakes. bibd-associated arenaviruses (bibdav) are genetically divergent from the classical old and new world arenaviruses and also differ substantially from each other. even though there is convincing evidence that bibdav are indeed the etiological agent of bibd, the bibdav reservoir hosts--if any exist ... | 2014 | 25378485 |
| identification of parasitic communities within european ticks using next-generation sequencing. | risk assessment of tick-borne and zoonotic disease emergence necessitates sound knowledge of the particular microorganisms circulating within the communities of these major vectors. assessment of pathogens carried by wild ticks must be performed without a priori, to allow for the detection of new or unexpected agents. | 2014 | 24675738 |
| antihistamine response: a dynamically refined function at the host-tick interface. | ticks counteract host inflammatory responses by secreting proteins from their saliva that compete for histamine binding. among these tick salivary proteins are lipocalins, antiparallel beta-barrel proteins that sequester small molecules. a tick salivary lipocalin has been structurally resolved and experimentally shown to efficiently compete for histamine with its native receptor (e.g., h1 histamine receptor). to date, molecular dynamics simulations focus on protein-protein and protein-ligand int ... | 2014 | 25358914 |
| novel immunomodulators from hard ticks selectively reprogramme human dendritic cell responses. | hard ticks subvert the immune responses of their vertebrate hosts in order to feed for much longer periods than other blood-feeding ectoparasites; this may be one reason why they transmit perhaps the greatest diversity of pathogens of any arthropod vector. tick-induced immunomodulation is mediated by salivary components, some of which neutralise elements of innate immunity or inhibit the development of adaptive immunity. as dendritic cells (dc) trigger and help to regulate adaptive immunity, the ... | 2013 | 23825947 |
| gene-knockdown in the honey bee mite varroa destructor by a non-invasive approach: studies on a glutathione s-transferase. | the parasitic mite varroa destructor is considered the major pest of the european honey bee (apis mellifera) and responsible for declines in honey bee populations worldwide. exploiting the full potential of gene sequences becoming available for v. destructor requires adaptation of modern molecular biology approaches to this non-model organism. using a mu-class glutathione s-transferase (vdgst-mu1) as a candidate gene we investigated the feasibility of gene knockdown in v. destructor by double-st ... | 2010 | 20712880 |
| detection of theileria parva in tissues of cattle undergoing severe east coast fever disease show significant parasite dna accumulation in the spleen. | infiltration and proliferation of theileria parva infected lymphocytes in bovine host lymphoid organs is one of the hallmarks of t. parva infection. the relative abundance of parasites within infected host tissues, both lymphoid and non-lymphoid is however unknown. using quantitative pcr, we have shown that significantly higher concentrations of t. parva dna are detected in the spleens of cattle undergoing severe disease compared to other organs. | 2016 | 27890079 |
| structure and function of fs50, a salivary protein from the flea xenopsylla cheopis that blocks the sodium channel nav1.5. | naturally occurring toxins have been invaluable tools for the study of structural and functional relationships of voltage-gated sodium channels (vgsc). few studies have been made of potential channel-modulating substances from blood-feeding arthropods. he we describe the characterization fs50, a salivary protein from the flea, xenopsylla cheopis, that exhibits an inhibitory activity against the nav1.5 channel with an ic50 of 1.58 μm. the pore-blocking mechanism of this toxin is evident from the ... | 2016 | 27819327 |
| a sodium channel inhibitor istx-i with a novel structure provides a new hint at the evolutionary link between two toxin folds. | members of arachnida, such as spiders and scorpions, commonly produce venom with specialized venom glands, paralyzing their prey with neurotoxins that specifically target ion channels. two well-studied motifs, the disulfide-directed hairpin (ddh) and the inhibitor cystine knot motif (ick), are both found in scorpion and spider toxins. as arachnids, ticks inject a neurotoxin-containing cocktail from their salivary glands into the host to acquire a blood meal, but peptide toxins acting on ion chan ... | 2016 | 27407029 |
| limited genetic and antigenic diversity within parasite isolates used in a live vaccine against theileria parva. | an infection and treatment protocol is used to vaccinate cattle against theileria parva infection. due to incomplete cross-protection between different parasite isolates, a mixture of three isolates, termed the muguga cocktail, is used for vaccination. while vaccination of cattle in some regions provides high levels of protection, some animals are not protected against challenge with buffalo-derived t. parva. knowledge of the genetic composition of the muguga cocktail vaccine is required to unde ... | 2016 | 27080723 |
| east coast fever caused by theileria parva is characterized by macrophage activation associated with vasculitis and respiratory failure. | respiratory failure and death in east coast fever (ecf), a clinical syndrome of african cattle caused by the apicomplexan parasite theileria parva, has historically been attributed to pulmonary infiltration by infected lymphocytes. however, immunohistochemical staining of tissue from t. parva infected cattle revealed large numbers of cd3- and cd20-negative intralesional mononuclear cells. due to this finding, we hypothesized that macrophages play an important role in theileria parva disease path ... | 2016 | 27195791 |
| absolute quantification of the host-to-parasite dna ratio in theileria parva-infected lymphocyte cell lines. | theileria parva is a tick-transmitted intracellular apicomplexan pathogen of cattle in sub-saharan africa that causes east coast fever (ecf). ecf is an acute fatal disease that kills over one million cattle annually, imposing a tremendous burden on african small-holder cattle farmers. the pathology and level of t. parva infections in its wildlife host, african buffalo (syncerus caffer), and in cattle are distinct. we have developed an absolute quantification method based on quantitative pcr (qpc ... | 2016 | 26930209 |
| emergence of multi-acaricide resistant rhipicephalus ticks and its implication on chemical tick control in uganda. | acaricide failure has been on the rise in the western and central cattle corridor of uganda. in this study, we identified the tick species associated with acaricide failure and determined their susceptibility to various acaricide molecules used for tick control in uganda. | 2016 | 26727991 |
| host-feeding behaviour of dermacentor reticulatus and dermacentor marginatus in mono-specific and inter-specific infestations. | given the sympatric occurrence in some regions of europe and the great epidemiological significance of d. reticulatus and d. marginatus species, we investigated the behaviour of these ticks during inter-specific and mono-specific host infestations. | 2015 | 26381387 |
| the african buffalo parasite theileria. sp. (buffalo) can infect and immortalize cattle leukocytes and encodes divergent orthologues of theileria parva antigen genes. | african cape buffalo (syncerus caffer) is the wildlife reservoir of multiple species within the apicomplexan protozoan genus theileria, including theileria parva which causes east coast fever in cattle. a parasite, which has not yet been formally named, known as theileria sp. (buffalo) has been recognized as a potentially distinct species based on rdna sequence, since 1993. we demonstrate using reverse line blot (rlb) and sequencing of 18s rdna genes, that in an area where buffalo and cattle co- ... | 2015 | 26543804 |
| cost analysis of options for management of african animal trypanosomiasis using interventions targeted at cattle in tororo district; south-eastern uganda. | tsetse-transmitted african trypanosomes cause both nagana (african animal trypanosomiasis-aat) and sleeping sickness (human african trypanosomiasis - hat) across sub-saharan africa. vector control and chemotherapy are the contemporary methods of tsetse and trypanosomiasis control in this region. in most african countries, including uganda, veterinary services have been decentralised and privatised. as a result, livestock keepers meet the costs of most of these services. to be sustainable, aat co ... | 2015 | 26198109 |
| signatures of positive selection in east african shorthorn zebu: a genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. | the small east african shorthorn zebu (easz) is the main indigenous cattle across east africa. a recent genome wide snp analysis revealed an ancient stable african taurine x asian zebu admixture. here, we assess the presence of candidate signatures of positive selection in their genome, with the aim to provide qualitative insights about the corresponding selective pressures. four hundred and twenty-five easz and four reference populations (holstein-friesian, jersey, n'dama and nellore) were anal ... | 2015 | 26130263 |
| exposure of vaccinated and naive cattle to natural challenge from buffalo-derived theileria parva. | integrative management of wildlife and livestock requires a clear understanding of the diseases transmitted between the two populations. the tick-borne protozoan parasite theileria parva causes two distinct diseases in cattle, east coast fever and corridor disease, following infection with parasites derived from cattle or buffalo, respectively. in this study, cattle were immunized with a live sporozoite vaccine containing three t. parva isolates (the muguga cocktail), which has been used extensi ... | 2015 | 26005635 |
| co-infections determine patterns of mortality in a population exposed to parasite infection. | many individual hosts are infected with multiple parasite species, and this may increase or decrease the pathogenicity of the infections. this phenomenon is termed heterologous reactivity and is potentially an important determinant of both patterns of morbidity and mortality and of the impact of disease control measures at the population level. using infections with theileria parva (a tick-borne protozoan, related to plasmodium) in indigenous african cattle [where it causes east coast fever (ecf ... | 2015 | 26601143 |
| molecular evolution of a central region containing b cell epitopes in the gene encoding the p67 sporozoite antigen within a field population of theileria parva. | protective immunity induced by the infective sporozoite stage of theileria parva indicates a potential role for antibodies directed against conserved serologically reactive regions of the major sporozoite surface antigen p67 in vaccination to control the parasite. we have examined the allelic variation and determined the extent of b cell epitope polymorphism of the gene encoding p67 among field isolates originating from cattle exposed to infected ticks in the marula area of the rift valley in ce ... | 2015 | 25673078 |
| geographic distribution of non-clinical theileria parva infection among indigenous cattle populations in contrasting agro-ecological zones of uganda: implications for control strategies. | non-clinical theileria parva infection among indigenous cattle occurs upon recovery from primary disease during the first year of life. continuous exposure to infection through contaminated tick infestations with absence of clinical disease gives rise to endemic stability. endemic stable populations may become sources of infection if contaminated tick vectors are shared with susceptible exotic cattle. this study aimed at establishing a nationwide distribution of non-clinical t. parva infection a ... | 2014 | 25175844 |
| isoflavones from calpurnia aurea subsp. aurea and their anticancer activity. | calpurnia aurea is an african medicinal plant used in many countries in africa to treat a range of medical conditions or disorders. extracts of the plant were shown to be active in antibacterial and antioxidant assays as well as against lice, ticks and maggots. the aim of the study was to isolate the phytochemical constituents from the plant and to test them in appropriate bioassays dependent on the compounds isolated in order to provide a rationale for the use of the plant in ethno-medicine or ... | 2014 | 25395701 |
| neuropeptidergic control of the hindgut in the black-legged tick ixodes scapularis. | the hindgut, as a part of the tick excretory system, plays an important physiological role in maintaining homoeostases and waste elimination. immunoreactive projections from the synganglion to the hindgut were found using antibodies against four different neuropeptides: fglamide related allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptide, sifamide, and orcokinin. the presence of fglamide related allatostatin, myoinhibitory peptide and sifamide in both synganglia (source) and hindgut (target organ) extracts was ... | 2014 | 25058510 |
| a longitudinal assessment of the serological response to theileria parva and other tick-borne parasites from birth to one year in a cohort of indigenous calves in western kenya. | tick-borne diseases are a major impediment to improved productivity of livestock in sub-saharan africa. improved control of these diseases would be assisted by detailed epidemiological data. here we used longitudinal, serological data to determine the patterns of exposure to theileria parva, theileria mutans, babesia bigemina and anaplasma marginale from 548 indigenous calves in western kenya. the percentage of calves seropositive for the first three parasites declined from initial high levels d ... | 2014 | 24838078 |
| anticoagulation activity of salivary gland extract of oriental blackfly simulium indicum. | to study the morphology of the salivary gland of the female blackfly of the species simulium indicum (s. indicum) along with protein profile and anticoagulant activity of the salivary gland extract. | 0 | 25183091 |
| role of the polymorphic immunodominant molecule in entry of theileria parva sporozoites into bovine lymphocytes. | theileria parva is a tick-transmitted apicomplexan parasite that infects cattle and african buffalo. in cattle, it causes a fatal lymphoproliferative disease called east coast fever. the polymorphic immunodominant molecule (pim) is expressed by two stages of the parasite: the sporozoite, which is inoculated by the tick to infect mammalian lymphocytes, and the schizont, the established intralymphocytic stage. here, we demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies (mab) to pim can reduce the ability of s ... | 2014 | 24549329 |
| invasive potential of cattle fever ticks in the southern united states. | for >100 years cattle production in the southern united states has been threatened by cattle fever. it is caused by an invasive parasite-vector complex that includes the protozoan hemoparasites babesia bovis and b. bigemina, which are transmitted among domestic cattle via rhipicephalus tick vectors of the subgenus boophilus. in 1906 an eradication effort was started and by 1943 boophilus ticks had been confined to a narrow tick eradication quarantine area (teqa) along the texas-mexico border. ho ... | 2014 | 24742062 |
| intracellular theileria annulata promote invasive cell motility through kinase regulation of the host actin cytoskeleton. | the intracellular, protozoan theileria species parasites are the only eukaryotes known to transform another eukaryotic cell. one consequence of this parasite-dependent transformation is the acquisition of motile and invasive properties of parasitized cells in vitro and their metastatic dissemination in the animal, which causes east coast fever (t. parva) or tropical theileriosis (t. annulata). these motile and invasive properties of infected host cells are enabled by parasite-dependent, poorly u ... | 2014 | 24626571 |
| prevalence and spatial distribution of theileria parva in cattle under crop-livestock farming systems in tororo district, eastern uganda. | tick-borne diseases (tbds) present a major economic burden to communities across east africa. farmers in east africa must use acaracides to target ticks and prevent transmission of tick-borne diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, cowdriosis and theileriosis; the major causes of cattle mortality and morbidity. the costs of controlling east coast fever (ecf), caused by theileria parva, in uganda are significant and measures taken to control ticks, to be cost-effective, should take into accoun ... | 2014 | 24589227 |
| parasite co-infections and their impact on survival of indigenous cattle. | in natural populations, individuals may be infected with multiple distinct pathogens at a time. these pathogens may act independently or interact with each other and the host through various mechanisms, with resultant varying outcomes on host health and survival. to study effects of pathogens and their interactions on host survival, we followed 548 zebu cattle during their first year of life, determining their infection and clinical status every 5 weeks. using a combination of clinical signs obs ... | 2014 | 24586220 |
| selection and validation of reference genes for functional studies in the calliphoridae family. | the genera cochliomyia and chrysomya contain both obligate and saprophagous flies, which allows the comparison of different feeding habits between closely related species. among the different strategies for comparing these habits is the use of qpcr to investigate the expression levels of candidate genes involved in feeding behavior. to ensure an accurate measure of the levels of gene expression, it is necessary to normalize the amount of the target gene with the amount of a reference gene having ... | 2014 | 25373149 |
| transcriptome analysis of litopenaeus vannamei in response to white spot syndrome virus infection. | pacific white shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei) is the most extensively farmed crustacean species in the world. white spot syndrome virus (wssv) is one of the major pathogens in the cultured shrimp. however, the molecular mechanisms of the host-virus interaction remain largely unknown. in this study, the impact of wssv infection on host gene expression in the hepatopancreas of l. vannamei was investigated through the use of 454 pyrosequencing-based rna-seq of cdna libraries developed from wssv-chall ... | 2013 | 23991181 |
| tryptogalinin is a tick kunitz serine protease inhibitor with a unique intrinsic disorder. | a salivary proteome-transcriptome project on the hard tick ixodes scapularis revealed that kunitz peptides are the most abundant salivary proteins. ticks use kunitz peptides (among other salivary proteins) to combat host defense mechanisms and to obtain a blood meal. most of these kunitz peptides, however, remain functionally uncharacterized, thus limiting our knowledge about their biochemical interactions. | 2013 | 23658744 |
| bifunctional lipocalin ameliorates murine immune complex-induced acute lung injury. | molecules that simultaneously inhibit independent or co-dependent proinflammatory pathways may have advantages over conventional monotherapeutics. omci is a bifunctional protein derived from blood-feeding ticks that specifically prevents complement (c)-mediated c5 activation and also sequesters leukotriene b4 (ltb4) within an internal binding pocket. here, we examined the effect of ltb4 binding on omci structure and function and investigated the relative importance of c-mediated c5 activation an ... | 2013 | 23625922 |
| cattle and climate in africa: how climate variability has influenced national cattle holdings from 1961-2008. | the role of cattle in developing countries is as a source of high-quality food, as draft animals, and as a source of manure and fuel. cattle represent important contribution to household incomes, and in drought prone areas they can act as an insurance against weather risk. so far, no studies have addressed how historical variations in temperature and rainfall have influenced cattle populations in africa. the focus of this study is to assess the historical impact of climate variability on nationa ... | 2013 | 23638393 |
| population genetic analysis and sub-structuring of theileria parva in the northern and eastern parts of zambia. | theileriosis, caused by theileria parva, is an economically important disease in africa. it is a major constraint to the development of the livestock industry in some parts of eastern, central and southern africa. in zambia, theileriosis causes losses of up to 10,000 cattle annually. | 2012 | 23146577 |
| ganjam virus/nairobi sheep disease virus induces a pro-inflammatory response in infected sheep. | partly due to climate change, and partly due to changes of human habitat occupation, the impact of tick-borne viruses is increasing. nairobi sheep disease virus (nsdv) and ganjam virus (gv) are two names for the same virus, which causes disease in sheep and goats and is currently known to be circulating in india and east africa. the virus is transmitted by ixodid ticks and causes a severe hemorrhagic disease. we have developed a real-time pcr assay for the virus genome and validated it in a pilo ... | 2012 | 23083136 |
| high-resolution genotyping and mapping of recombination and gene conversion in the protozoan theileria parva using whole genome sequencing. | theileria parva is a tick-borne protozoan parasite, which causes east coast fever, a disease of cattle in sub-saharan africa. like plasmodium falciparum, the parasite undergoes a transient diploid life-cycle stage in the gut of the arthropod vector, which involves an obligate sexual cycle. as assessed using low-resolution vntr markers, the crossover (co) rate in t. parva is relatively high and has been reported to vary across different regions of the genome; non-crossovers (ncos) and co-associat ... | 2012 | 22998600 |
| epidemiology of east coast fever (theileria parva infection) in kenya: past, present and the future. | in this article, we review the epidemiology of east coast fever (ecf), a tick-borne infection of cattle, in kenya. the major factors associated with epidemiology of ecf include the agro-ecological zone (aez), livestock production system (lps) and both animal breed and age. these factors appear to influence the epidemiology of ecf through structured gradients. we further show that the gradients are dynamically shaped by socio-demographic and environmental processes. for a vector-borne disease who ... | 2012 | 22958352 |
| occurrence patterns of afrotropical ticks (acari: ixodidae) in the climate space are not correlated with their taxonomic relationships. | foci of tick species occur at large spatial scales. they are intrinsically difficult to detect because the effect of geographical factors affecting conceptual influence of climate gradients. here we use a large dataset of occurrences of ticks in the afrotropical region to outline the main associations of those tick species with the climate space. using a principal components reduction of monthly temperature and rainfall values over the afrotropical region, we describe and compare the climate spa ... | 2012 | 22629349 |
| the immunomodulation of acetylcholinesterase in zhikong scallop chlamys farreri. | acetycholinesterase (ache; ec 3.1.1.7) is an essential hydrolytic enzyme in the cholinergic nervous system, which plays an important role during immunomodulation in vertebrates. though aches have been identified in most invertebrates, the knowledge about immunomodulation function of ache is still quite meagre in invertebrates. | 2012 | 22292052 |
| detection of babesia spp. in free-ranging pukus, kobus vardonii, on a game ranch in zambia. | babesia spp. were detected from 4 asymptomatic pukus captured on a game ranch in central zambia in october 2008. blood smears were examined in 4 species of aymptomatic free-ranging antelopes, namely the puku (kobus vordanii), reedbuck (redunca arundinum), bushbuck (tragelaphus sylvaticus), and kudu (tragelaphus strepsiceros), and showed the presence of babesia parasites only in the puku. in the puku, the prevalence of babesiosis was estimated at 33.3% (n = 12), while the overall prevalence in al ... | 2011 | 22355215 |