Publications

hosts, seasonality and geographic distribution of the south african tortoise tick, amblyomma marmoreum.	the tortoise tick amblyomma marmoreum was collected from large numbers of reptiles and other animals during the course of numerous surveys conducted in south africa. a total of 1229 ticks, of which 550 were adults, were recovered from 309 reptiles belonging to 13 species, with leopard tortoises, geochelone pardalis being the most heavily infested. the 269 birds sampled harboured 4901 larvae, 217 nymphs and no adult ticks, and the prevalence of infestation was greatest on helmeted guineafowls, nu ...	2006	16715875
[human ehrlichiosis].	human ehrlichiosis is a newly recognized disease. it is a tick-borne disease caused by several bacterial species of the genhus erlichia. these are small gram-negative pleomorphic cocci, that are obligatory intracellular bacteria. tick ixodes is the principle vector in europe, and amblyomma amenicanum in the united states. bacterial organisms replicate in a tick, and are transmited from infected cells in a vector to the blood cells of animals or humans. human ehrlichiosis is a name for a group of ...	2006	16683411
mating success of two geographically distinct populations of gulf coast ticks, amblyomma maculatum koch.	gulf coast ticks collected from refugio co., tx and osage co., ks are reproductively compatible despite differences in genetic haplotypes, geographic separation and seasonal phenologies. two heifers per mating combination (tx males x tx females, ks males x ks females, tx males x ks females, ks males x tx females) were each infested with 360 pairs of gulf coast ticks. only mean pre-oviposition and mean egg conversion efficiency index for the texas male-kansas female mating were significantly diff ...	2006	16713094
[study of foveae dorsales of nymphs and adults of four species of ticks (acari: ixodidae) by scanning electron microscopy].	the foveae dorsalis, the external opening of the sex pheromone 2,6-dichlorophenol producer gland, of amblyomma cajennense, dermacentor nitens, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus and rhipicephalus sanguineus was studied with scanning electron microscopy. at least three specimens from each stage: unfed larvae, nymphs, females and males, and females fed for 4 to 6 days were examined. the foveae dorsales were not observed in larvae and r. (b.) microplus males. the foveae dorsales were observed as p ...	2006	16978471
[parasites of the central american tapir tapirus bairdii (perissodactyla: tapiridae) in chiapas, mexico].	we analyzed 19 samples of baird's tapir feces from la sepultura biosphere reserve, collected between march and july 1999. we also took samples directly from a male tapir captured at the montes azules biosphere reserve. both reserves are in chiapas, mexico. we used five techniques: flotation, macmaster, micrometric, ritchie's sedimentation and ferreira's quantitative. in addition, we collected ectoparasites from animals captured in both reserves and from a captive couple from tuxtla gutierrez, ch ...	2006	18494314
isolation of rickettsia rickettsii and rickettsia bellii in cell culture from the tick amblyomma aureolatum in brazil.	brazilian spotted fever (bsf) is a highly lethal disease caused by rickettsia rickettsii. in the present study, rickettsial infection was evaluated in 669 amblyomma aureolatum adult ticks collected from naturally infested dogs in taiaçupeba, a bsf-endemic area in the state of são paulo. ten (1.49%) ticks were infected with rickettsia bellii, and 6 (0.89%) ticks were infected with r. rickettsii. both rickettsia species were isolated and established in vero cell cultures. the rickettsia isolates w ...	2006	17114770
the use of a pour-on and spray dip containing amitraz to control ticks (acari: ixodidae) on cattle.	knockdown and persistence efficacies of a pour-on containing amitraz 1% and cypermethrin 1% and a spray dip containing 12.5% amitraz were compared. knock-down and persistence efficacies of the amitraz spray dip against rhipicephalus (boophilus) decoloratus and amblyomma hebraeum were significantly higher for the duration of the trial than those of the pour-on. in the case of rhipicephalus appediculatus and rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, efficacy was significantly higher on days 2 and 5. resistan ...	2006	17120621
health evaluation of a radiocollared population of free-ranging baird's tapirs (tapirus bairdii) in costa rica.	the health of a population of free-ranging tapirs (tapirus bairdii) inhabiting corcovado national park, costa rica, was assessed as part of an ongoing ecologic study. nineteen tapirs were immobilized between march 1997 and february 2000, and samples of blood, skin biopsies, and ectoparasites were collected. ticks were identified as amblyomma oblongoguttatum or a. coelebs. hematology and serum biochemistry results suggest statistically significant differences between free-ranging and captive popu ...	2005	17323556
ticks on crested francolins, francolinus sephaena, and on the vegetation on a farm in limpopo province, south africa.	ticks were collected at approximately bi-monthly intervals between june 1996 and june 1997 from crested francolins, francolinus sephaena, and from the vegetation on a mixed cattle and wildlife farm in limpopo province, south africa. the birds were infested with the immature stages of 13 tick species, of which amblyomma hebraeum, amblyomma marmoreum and hyalomma marginatum rufipes were the most numerous and prevalent. ten ixodid tick species were collected from the vegetation, of which the immatu ...	2005	16562738
migratory songbirds disperse ticks across canada, and first isolation of the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, from the avian tick, ixodes auritulus.	during a 3-yr comprehensive study, 196 ixodid ticks (9 species) were collected from 89 passerine birds (32 species) from 25 localities across canada to determine the distribution of avian-associated tick species and endogenous lyme disease spirochetes, borrelia burgdorferi johnson, schmid, hyde, steigerwalt, and brenner. we report the following first records of tick parasitism on avian hosts: the rabbit-associated tick, ixodes dentatus marx, from manitoba and ontario; the mouse tick, ixodes muri ...	2005	17089744
redescription of amblyomma fuscum neumann, 1907 (acari: ixodidae), a rare south america tick confirmed in brazil.	the species amblyomma fuscum neumann, 1907 is a rare tick found on the neotropical region, but it has not been recorded as a valid taxon in some lists proposed by current taxonomists. after a comparison between the brazilian material of a. fuscum deposited in the acari collection of the butantan institute, são paulo, brazil, and the male type deposited in leiden museum of natural history, the netherlands, we confirm the taxonomic validity of a. fuscum and redescribe the adult specimens based on ...	2005	15980961
effects of combining the fungi beauveria bassiana and metarhizium anisopliae on the mortality of the tick amblyomma variegatum (ixodidae) in relation to seasonal changes.	the effect of formulation, fungal concentration, type and seasonal changes on the mortality of the tick amblyomma variegatum was investigated. a previous study demonstrated high pathogenicity of strains of the fungi beauveria bassiana and metarhizium anisopliae against the ticks rhipicephalus appendiculatus and amblyomma variegatum (kaaya et al. j invertebr pathol 1996; 67: 15-20). the present study was undertaken to explore possible additive or synergistic effects of the two fungi on a. variega ...	2005	15983739
feeding predilection of gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum koch, nymphs on cattle.	gulf coast tick nymphs successfully attached and fed on cattle after being freely released. six hereford heifers were each infested with approximately 2000 gulf coast tick nymphs, three with a strain originating from refugio co., tx, and three with ticks from osage co., ks by free release on the head and legs to simulate field acquisition of questing nymphs. two re-infestations were conducted, the first at 7 days and the second at 28 days. nymph dispersal was estimated by daily inspection of 22 ...	2005	15993001
diagnosis of hepatozoon spp. in amblyomma ovale and its experimental transmission in domestic dogs in brazil.	transmission of hepatozoon spp. to dogs was investigated using four species of ixodid ticks: rhipicephalus sanguineus, amblyomma aureolatum, amblyomma ovale and amblyomma cajennense. we collected completely or partially engorged adult ticks of these species from dogs that were naturally infested and positive for hepatozoon spp. we selected some of these ixodids and inoculated them orally in four negative dogs. the other ticks were dissected and examined for oocysts. of all dogs inoculated orally ...	2005	16081219
ticks (acari: ixodida) on wild carnivores in brazil.	the present study reports field data of ticks infesting wild carnivores captured from july 1998 to september 2004 in brazil. additional data were obtained from one tick collection and from previous published data of ticks on carnivores in brazil. during field work, a total of 3437 ticks were collected from 89 cerdocyon thous (crab-eating fox), 58 chrysocyon brachyurus (maned wolf), 30 puma concolor (puma), 26 panthera onca (jaguar), 12 procyon cancrivorus (crab-eating raccoon), 4 speothos venati ...	2005	16082932
a collection of ticks (ixodidae) from wild birds in uruguay.	thirty nine wild birds from seven families (alcedinidae, emberizidae, furnariidae, parulidae, trochilidae, turdidae and tyrannidae) were caught from 4 to 7 of february, 2004 at rincón da vassoura (31 degrees 15' s 56 degrees 03' w) department of tacuarembó, uruguay. ninety one nymphs and forty one larvae of ixodidae were recovered from them. the majority of ticks were conventionally identified but 16s mitochondrial rdna sequences were obtained for larvae and nymphs of amblyomma with uncertain sp ...	2005	16132744
ticks parasitizing reptiles in the bahamas.	two species of reptile ticks, amblyomma dissimile koch and amblyomma torrei pérez vigueras (acari: ixodidae), are reported from the bahama islands for the first time. the widespread neotropical (including the caribbean and southern florida) a. dissimile was recovered on andros island from three species of reptiles all for the first time: the andros iguana cyclura cychlura cychlura cuvier, the andros curly tail lizard leiocephalus carinatus coryi schmidt, and the andros boa epicrates striatus fow ...	2005	16134982
amblyomma tigrinum (acari: ixodidae): new data on hosts and biology of immature stages and on dna composition.	biological data of immature stages of amblyomma tigrinum were obtained from larvae and nymphs both fed on rats and rabbits. data from nymphs recovered from a wild rodent (galea musteloides) are also reported. additional results in dna composition of males moulted from nymphs fed on laboratory and wild hosts are presented. the ticks were maintained in darkness at 27 +/- 1 degrees c and 83-86% rh. the mean recovery rates were 49.1% and 43.6% with a moulting success of 96.2% and 90.8% in larvae fed ...	2005	16143451
hemorrhagic disease in dogs infected with an unclassified intraendothelial piroplasm in southern brazil.	a hemorrhagic disease affecting dogs in brazil, referred to popularly as "nambiuvú" (bloody ears) and believed to be transmitted by ticks, has been observed in animals infected with an organism described originally in 1910 as a piroplasm, and known locally as rangelia vitalii. in this series of 10 cases, the disease was characterized by anaemia, jaundice, fever, spleno- and lymphadenomegaly, hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract, and persistent bleeding from the nose, oral cavity and tips, ma ...	2005	16153781
tick infestations of the eastern cottontail rabbit (sylvilagus floridanus) and small rodentia in northwest alabama and implications for disease transmission.	studies were conducted over a four-county area of northwest alabama to determine the association of eastern cottontail rabbits with dermacentor variabilis, the eastern united states vector of rocky mountain spotted fever. a secondary objective was to compare infestations of this tick on rabbits with infestations on commonly encountered rodent species as a means of determining the relative importance of each in the disease transmission cycle. these epidemiologic surveys were conducted in response ...	2005	16599149
theileriosis in a white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) fawn.	a white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) fawn was collected in missouri (usa) and submitted for diagnostic evaluation. necropsy and histologic examination revealed severe amblyomma americanum infestation, pronounced icterus, and marked hemosiderin deposition in the liver and spleen. whole blood evaluation revealed a normocytic normochromic anemia and a piroplasm parasitemia of approximately 70%. the piroplasm was identified as theileria cervi by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of th ...	2005	16456174
the molecular and biological analysis of ixodid ticks histamine release factors.	we previously described a dermacentor varibialis (dv) cdna that encodes a ubiquitously expressed and tick saliva-secreted functional histamine release factor (hrf) homolog. in this study gene specific primers based on dvhrf open reading frame nucleotide sequence were utilized to amplify three orthologs, from the wood tick, d. andersoni (da), the black legged tick, the southern cattle tick, boophilus microplus (bm) and the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (aa). at nucleotide level, sequence c ...	2005	16323052
observations on distribution and seasonal activity of the gulf coast tick in mississippi.	medical importance of the gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum koch, has been highlighted with the recent discovery of a new rickettsial pathogen associated with this tick. accordingly, distribution and seasonal collection records of a. maculatum were assessed in mississippi by using three sources of data: sampling of experimental field plots, national tick collection records, and mississippi department of health human tick biting records. a. maculatum was collected in 17/82 (21%) mississippi co ...	2005	15799527
detection of a typhus group rickettsia in amblyomma ticks in the state of nuevo leon, mexico.	the state of nuevo leon, mexico has had outbreaks of typhus group rickettsiosis, most recently recognized in 1997. evaluation of the sera of 345 patients with a dengue-like illness revealed that 25.5% had antibodies reactive with typhus group rickettsiae and 16% had antibodies to rickettsia parkeri. rickettsiae were detected by pcr and shell-vial isolations in the field-collected amblyomma ticks. molecular characterization by dna sequence analysis of the glta, ompb, and 17-kda gene identified th ...	2005	16481535
phylogenetic analysis of a novel molecular isolate of spotted fever group rickettsiae from northern peru: candidatus rickettsia andeanae.	phylogenetic analysis of five rickettsial genes (17-kda gene, glta, ompb, ompa, and sca4) from two molecular isolates of candidatus rickettsia andeanae from two ticks (amblyomma maculatum and ixodes boliviensis) collected from two domestic horses living in two separate locations in northern peru (coletas and naranjo) was conducted to more clearly characterize this recently reported novel spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsia. following nested polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification of the 1 ...	2005	16481537
novel spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr) infecting amblyomma americanum ticks in ohio, usa.		2005	16481541
overcoming barriers to the transformation of the genus ehrlichia.	while bacterial transformation has evolved since the early 20th century to allow for the genetic manipulation of a variety of microbial agents, rickettsial organisms have proved resistant to such advances until only recently. the ehrlichia are small, gram-negative, obligately intracellular bacterial parasites, which belong to the family anaplasmataceae and cause a variety of infections in human and animal hosts. e. chaffeensis is the causative agent of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis and is tr ...	2005	16481548
the amblyomma maculatum koch, 1844 (acari: ixodidae: amblyomminae) tick group: diagnostic characters, description of the larva of a. parvitarsum neumann, 1901, 16s rdna sequences, distribution and hosts.	a review of the largely confused amblyomma maculatum koch, 1844 tick group of the subgenus anastosiella santos dias, 1963 (a. neumanni ribaga, 1902, a. maculatum, a. parvitarsum neumann, 1901, a. tigrinum koch, 1844 and a. triste koch, 1844) is presented together with a discussion of the diagnostic characters used for the determination of adults, nymphs and, to a lesser extent, larvae. a key for this tick group is produced, including the description of the larva of a. parvitarsum, 1901. sequence ...	2005	15841347
ehrlichia under our noses and no one notices.	ehrlichia chaffeensis, an obligately intracellular bacterium, resides within a cytoplasmic vacuole in macrophages, establishes persistent infection in natural hosts such as white-tailed deer and canids, and is transmitted transstadially and during feeding by ticks, particularly amblyomma americanum. ehrlichial cell walls contain glycoproteins and a family of divergent 28 kda proteins, but no peptidoglycan or lipopolysaccharide. the dense-cored ultrastructural form preferentially expresses certai ...	2005	16358425
capillary tube feeding system for studying tick-pathogen interactions of dermacentor variabilis (acari: ixodidae) and anaplasma marginale (rickettsiales: anaplasmataceae).	a capillary tube feeding (ctf) system was adapted for studying the interaction between dermacentor variabilis (say) and the rickettsial cattle pathogen anaplasma marginale theiler. a. marginale undergoes a complex developmental cycle in ticks that begins in midguts and ends by transmission from salivary glands. in this ctf system, male d. variabilis were fed a. marginale-infected blood or cultured tick cells. ticks that fed on highly rickettsemic calves developed midgut and salivary gland infect ...	2005	16366000
repellent efficacy of four commercial deet lotions against amblyomma hebraeum (acari: ixodidae), the principal vector of rickettsia africae in southern africa.	african tick bite fever, caused by rickettsia africae, is an emerging zoonotic infection in rural sub-saharan africa and the french west indies. we tested the repellent efficacy of four commercial diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) lotions against amblyomma hebraeum koch, the principal vector of r. africae in southern africa, by using a human bioassay in which repellent-treated fingers were presented to questing tick nymphs hourly for 4h. three lotions with 19.5, 31.6 and 80% deet concentrations, ...	2005	15993907
distribution of borreliae among ticks collected from eastern states.	lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the united states and is transmitted by borrelia burgdorferi-infected ixodes species. the disease is typically characterized by an erythema migrans (em) rash at the site of tick feeding. em rashes have also been associated with feeding by amblyomma americanum ticks despite evidence suggesting that they are incompetent vectors for lyme disease. in 1996, a borrelia organism only recently cultivated in the laboratory was described i ...	2005	16417434
rickettsial infection in animals and brazilian spotted fever endemicity.	we compared the rickettsial infection status of amblyomma cajennense ticks, humans, dogs, and horses in both brazilian spotted fever (bsf)-endemic and -nonendemic areas in the state of sao paulo, brazil. most of the horses and few dogs from bsf-endemic areas had serologic titers against rickettsia rickettsii antigens. in contrast, no dogs or horses from bsf-nonendemic areas had serologic titers against r. rickettsii antigens, although they were continually exposed to a. cajennense ticks. all hum ...	2005	15752445
factors influencing in vitro infectivity and growth of rickettsia peacockii (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae), an endosymbiont of the rocky mountain wood tick, dermacentor andersoni (acari, ixodidae).	rickettsia peacockii, a spotted fever group rickettsia, is a transovarially transmitted endosymbiont of rocky mountain wood ticks, dermacentor andersoni. this rickettsia, formerly known as the east side agent and restricted to female ticks, was detected in a chronically infected embryonic cell line, dae100, from d. andersoni. we examined infectivity, ability to induce cytopathic effect (cpe) and host cell specificity of r. peacockii using cultured arthropod and mammalian cells. aposymbiotic dae1 ...	2005	16288906
ticks and tick-borne disease in guatemalan cattle and horses.	blood samples and ticks were collected from 48 cattle and 74 horses from seven sites in the peten region of guatemala. data on body condition, mucous membrane capillary refill time and tick infestation levels were recorded for each animal in the study. horses had significantly higher levels of tick infestation than cattle, as well as poorer body condition scores. seroprevalence of babesia spp. was 95.8% for b. bovis in cattle, 89.6% for b. bigemina in cattle, and 92.7% for b. equi in horses. ser ...	2005	15936147
a cross-reactive tick cement antigen is a candidate broad-spectrum tick vaccine.	truncated constructs of 64p (64trps), a secreted cement protein from salivary glands of the tick rhipicephalus appendiculatus, provided cross-protection against rhipicephalus sanguineus and ixodes ricinus, apparently by targeting antigens in the midgut and salivary glands of adults and nymphs, causing mortality. tick feeding on 64trp-immunised animals stimulated local inflammatory immune responses (involving basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, mast cells, macrophages and dendritic-like cells) t ...	2005	15913855
an attenuated ehrlichia ruminantium (welgevonden stock) vaccine protects small ruminants against virulent heartwater challenge.	heartwater is a tick-borne disease of ruminants caused by the intracellular rickettsia ehrlichia ruminantium. the only commercially available immunization procedure involves infecting animals with cryopreserved sheep blood containing virulent e. ruminantium organisms, followed by treatment with tetracyclines when fever develops. the virulent welgevonden stock of e. ruminantium was attenuated by continuous propagation of the organisms in a canine macrophage-monocyte cell line (dh82), followed by ...	2005	15705474
susceptibility of amblyomma variegatum ticks to acaricides in ghana.	abstract. the susceptibility of unfed and fed stages of larvae, nymphs and adult females of amblyomma variegatum ticks were tested using shaw's filter paper dip method against four acaricides; chlorfenvinphos and dioxathion, chlorfenvinphos, gamma benzene hexachloride and amitraz at four different concentrations including the recommended dose rates. based on their lethal concentrations (lc50 & lc90) chlorfenvinphos and dioxathion combined and chlorfenvinphos alone placed first and second, respec ...	2005	15792105
manipulation of host cytokine network by ticks: a potential gateway for pathogen transmission.	ticks are obligatory blood-feeding arthropods that secrete various immunomodulatory molecules to antagonize host inflammatory and immune responses. cytokines play an important role in regulating these responses. we investigated the extent to which ticks interact with the sophisticated cytokine network by comparing the effect of salivary gland extracts (sge) of 3 ixodid tick species, dermacentor reticulatus, amblyomma variegatum and ixodes ricinus, all of which are important vectors of tick-borne ...	2005	15796016
ehrlichial infection in cameroonian canines by ehrlichia canis and ehrlichia ewingii.	ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii are agents of emerging human ehrlichioses in north america and are transmitted primarily by amblyomma americanum ticks, while ehrlichia canis is the globally distributed cause of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (cme) and is transmitted by the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus. although e. canis and ehrlichia ruminantium are endemic in africa, the presence of ehrlichial agents in dogs and ticks in cameroon has not been investigated. the objective o ...	2005	16181750
geographic distribution of ticks (acari: ixodidae) in iowa with emphasis on ixodes scapularis and their infection with borrelia burgdorferi.	in iowa, public concern regarding lyme disease has increased markedly over the last decade. in response to these concerns, a statewide surveillance program was initiated in 1990 based on ticks received by the department of entomology at iowa state university. ticks were received from health care professionals, state government agencies, and the general public. a total of 5,343 ticks from all 99 iowa counties were identified during the 12 years of this study. dermacentor variabilis was the most n ...	2005	16187889
first report of the male of amblyomma rotundatum (acari: ixodidae) from a field-collected host.	an adult male of the tick amblyomma rotundatum koch was collected on a naturally infested lizard, tropidurus sp. (squamata: tropiduridae), at monte negro, state of rondonia, brazil. the tick's identity was confirmed morphologically and by analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal dna. this is the third known male specimen of a. rotundatum, a species that has been shown to reproduce exclusively by parthenogenesis. the two previously reported male specimens seemed to be p ...	2005	16465732
acaricide efficiency of amitraz/cypermethrin and abamectin pour-on preparations in game.	the efficacy of an amitraz/cypermethrin pour-on preparation (1% w/v each) was tested against natural tick infestations of buffaloes, eland and blesbok in three separate trials. the eland were also treated with a 0.02% abamectin (w/v) acaricidal pour-on preparation. the amitraz/cypermethrin pour-on was effective against amblyomma hebraeum, rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi, rhipicephalus appendiculatus and hyalomma marginatum rufipes on the buffaloes. both acaricides were effective against r. appendi ...	2005	16562734
histopathology of tick-bite lesions in naturally infested capybaras (hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) in brazil.	in the present work features of tick-bite lesions were evaluated in capybaras naturally infested with amblyomma cajennense and amblyomma dubitatum ticks. gross appearance of tick bite site was characterized by a mild swelling and erythema. microscopic examination revealed the cement cone, a tube-like homogenous eosinophilic mass penetrating deep into the dermis. this structure was surrounded in the dermis by a cellular infiltrate and free eosinophilic granules and was associated to edema of vari ...	2005	16323054
detection of babesia caballi in amblyomma variegatum ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected from cattle in the republic of guinea.	a reverse line blot hybridisation (rlb) assay was applied to screen amblyomma variegatum adult ticks (n = 504) collected from n'dama cattle in the republic of guinea. in a pcr, the v1 hypervariable region of the 16s ribosomal rna (rrna) gene was amplified with a set of primers unique for species of the genera anaplasma and ehrlichia, and the v4 hypervariable region of the 18s rrna gene was amplified with primers specific for members of the genera theileria and babesia. amplified pcr products fro ...	2005	16252481
amblyomma latepunctatum, a valid tick species (acari: ixodidae) long misidentified with both amblyomma incisum and amblyomma scalpturatum.	in 2000, we initiated an investigation on the tick fauna of rondônia state, where we collected many specimens of amblyomma scalpturatum neumann, 1906 and amblyomma incisum neumann, 1906. in addition, we also collected a third group of ticks that were morphologically closely related to those 2 species, but sufficiently different to be considered a distinct species; members of this group were subsequently identified as amblyomma latepunctatum tonelli-rondelli, 1939, through comparison with the typ ...	2005	16108543
drop off rhythm and survival periods of amblyomma lepidum (acari: ixodidae) under field conditions.	in this study, engorged amblyomma lepidum ticks were found to drop off in two peaks, one in the morning and one in the evening. most larvae and females engorged during the morning hours between 06.00 h and 10.00 h with a peak around 08.00 h, whereas the majority of the nymphs dropped in the evening between 18.00 h and 24.00 h with the peak around 22.00 h. although the effect of time on drop-off patterns of the ticks was statistically significant (p< or = 0.001), there were no significant seasona ...	2005	16132736
[the effect of immersion in distilled water on the engorged larvae and nymphs of amblyomma cajennense (fabricius,1787)(acari: ixodidae)].	to evaluate the effect of the immersion of engorged larvae and nymphs of amblyomma cajennense, these stages were immersed by 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours in test tubes containing distilled water. the period of premolt of the nymphs increased proportionally to the time of immersion (p<0.05). the ecdisis period, the longevity and the mortality (days) were similar in all of treatments (p>0.05). the percentage of ecdisis in nymphs was reduced after 72 hours of immersion of the larvae (p<0.05). none of th ...	2005	16153347
experimental infection of adult and juvenile coyotes with domestic dog and wild coyote isolates of hepatozoon americanum (apicomplexa: adeleorina).	each of five adult and four juvenile coyotes (canis latrans) was exposed to an oral dose of 50 hepatozoon americanum oocysts recovered from amblyomma maculatum ticks that previously fed on either naturally infected domestic dogs (canis familiaris) or naturally infected wild coyotes. all coyotes exposed to h. americanum became infected, regardless of isolate source, and all exhibited mild to moderate clinical disease that simulated american canine hepatozoonosis in naturally infected dogs. at 100 ...	2005	16244069
characterization of stages of hepatozoon americanum and of parasitized canine host cells.	american canine hepatozoonosis is caused by hepatozoon americanum, a protozoan parasite, the definitive host of which is the tick, amblyomma maculatum. infection of the dog follows ingestion of ticks that harbor sporulated h. americanum oocysts. following penetration of the intestinal mucosa, sporozoites are disseminated systemically and give rise to extensive asexual multiplication in cells located predominantly in striated muscle. the parasitized canine cells in "onion skin" cysts and in granu ...	2005	16301575
reptile trade and the risk of exotic tick introductions into southern south american countries.	ticks exotic for the neotropical region were found on python regius imported into argentina and chile. all ticks (7 males and 3 females) were classified as amblyomma latum koch, 1844 ( = aponomma latum). additionally, four lots comprising 18 males of the argentinean tortoise tick, amblyomma argentinae neumann, 1904, were found on a terrestrial tortoise, chelonoidis chilensis, and on three terrestrial tortoises (probably c. chilensis) imported to uruguay presumably from argentina). these findings ...	2005	15969465
description of the larva of amblyomma longirostre (koch,1844)(acari: ixodidae) by light and scanning electron microscopy.	the description of the larva of amblyomma longirostre (koch, 1844) is based on optical and scanning electron microscopy. larvae (f1) were obtained under laboratory conditions from an engorged a. longirostre female, which had been collected on a coendu prehensilis (linnaeus) (rodentia: erethizontidae) from the jaraguá mountain, são paulo municipality, state of são paulo, brazil. several characters are presented including the chaetotaxy of idiosoma, palps and haller's organ, campaniform sensillum ...	2005	16153345
rickettsia parkeri as a paradigm for multiple causes of tick-borne spotted fever in the western hemisphere.	among the many contributions made to rickettsiology by entomologist and rickettsiologist ralph r. parker was his discovery in 1937 of a novel rickettsia isolated from the gulf coast tick, amblyomma maculatum. this bacterium was subsequently characterized as a unique rickettsial species in 1965 and named rickettsia parkeri in honor of its discoverer. during the next several decades r. parkeri was generally considered as one of several "nonpathogenic" spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae that res ...	2005	16481534
the impact of 2 dipping systems on endemic stability to bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis in cattle in 4 communally grazed areas in limpopo province, south africa.	a 12-month study was conducted in 4 communal grazing areas in the bushbuckridge region, limpopo province, south africa. the main objective was to investigate the impact of reduced acaricide application on endemic stability to bovine babesiosis (babesia bigemina and babesia bovis) and anaplasmosis (anaplasma marginale) in the local cattle population. to this end 60 cattle in each communal grazing area were bled at the beginning and the conclusion of the experimental period and their sera were ass ...	2005	16642719
microbiologic evaluation of patients from missouri with erythema migrans.	borrelia lonestari infects amblyomma americanum, the tick species that is the most common cause of tick bites in southeast and south-central united states, and this spirochete has been detected in an erythema migrans (em)-like skin rash in 1 patient. therefore, b. lonestari is considered to be a leading candidate for the etiologic agent of em in this region.	2005	15668867
borreliacidal activity of saliva of the tick amblyomma americanum.	amblyomma americanum (linneaus) (acari: ixodidae), an important tick vector of human and animal disease, is not a competent vector of the bacterial agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi, although its range overlaps the geographical distribution of lyme disease within the united states. a possible mechanism that could prevent acquisition of b. burgdorferi spirochetes from infected hosts is the toxic effect of a. americanum saliva on b. burgdorferi. the data presented here indicate that afte ...	2005	15752182
repellency of deet and ss220 applied to skin involves olfactory sensing by two species of ticks.	responses of host-seeking nymphs of the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say and lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (linnaeus) (acari: ixodidae) to the repellents n,n-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet) and (1s, 2's)-2-methylpiperidinyl-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxamide (ss220) were studied using fingertip laboratory bioassays. ethanol solutions of both compounds applied to the skin strongly repelled both species of ticks at 0.8 and 1.6 micromole of compound/cm2 skin. the ticks were also repelled wh ...	2005	15752184
improving the specificity of 16s rdna-based polymerase chain reaction for detecting borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-causative agents of human lyme disease.	16s rdna sequences of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were aligned with the 16s rdna sequences of borrelia hermsii, borrelia turicatae, and borrelia lonestari in order to identify primers that might be used to more specifically identify agents of human lyme disease in ticks in human skin samples.	2005	15752343
ticks (acari: ixodoidea: argasidae, ixodidae) of chile.	the tick species recorded from chile can be listed under the following headings: (1) endemic or established: argas keiransi estrada-peña, venzal and gonzalez-acuña, a. neghmei kohls and hoogstraal; ornithodoros amblus chamberlin; otobius megnini (dugès); amblyomma parvitarsum neumann; a. tigrinum koch; ixodes auritulus neumann; i. chilensis kohls; i. cornuae arthur, i. sigelos keirans, clifford and corwin; i. stilesi neumann; i. uriae white; rhipicephalus sanguineus koch. (2) probably establishe ...	2005	15777007
comparison of in vitro and in vivo ectoparasiticide activity of experimental benzimidazole-carbamate with permethrin and amitraz.	a series of in vitro and in vivo bioassays were conducted to assess the ectoparasiticide activity of isopropyl-4-nitro-2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1-benzimidazole-carbamate, an experimental benzimidazole-carbamate class compound. this compound was less potent than permethrin against ectoparasiticide-susceptible larvae of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae); larvae of the southern cattle tick, boophilus microplus (canestrini); and adult stable fly, stomoxys calcitrans (l. ...	2005	15799532
anointing chemicals and ectoparasites: effects of benzoquinones from millipedes on the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum.	many mammals and birds roll on or rub themselves with millipedes that discharge benzoquinones. chemicals transferred from millipedes onto the integument of anointing animals are thought to deter ectoparasites. we tested the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.), for responses to three widespread components of millipede defensive secretions, 1,4-benzoquinone; 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (toluquinone); and 2-methoxy-3-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone (mmb). in toxicity tests, ticks were confined for 1 hr ...	2005	15839480
influence of meso- and microscale habitat structure on focal distribution of sympatric ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae).	we compared the distribution of sympatric ixodes scapularis say and amblyomma americanum (l.) within several suitable forested habitats at different spatial scales and characterized differences in microhabitat features accounting for the observed distribution of questing ticks. we used automatic data loggers placed in the shrub and litter layers to contrast mesoclimate and microclimate conditions experienced by questing ticks. larger numbers of i. scapularis were collected at sites where the for ...	2005	15962776
the fc fragment mediates the uptake of immunoglobulin c from the midgut to hemolymph in the ixodid tick amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae).	the phenomenon of immunoglobulin uptake from the midgut into the hemolymph has been observed in both argasid and ixodid ticks, but the mechanism of the uptake is not known. using capillary feeding of adult amblyomma americanum (l.) female ticks, we investigated the role of immunoglobulin g fc and fab fragments in the uptake process. intact igg and fragments labeled with 125i were introduced alone or as a mixture with a 10-fold molar excess of unlabeled compounds into ticks, and then the concentr ...	2005	15962788
relative encounter frequencies and prevalence of selected borrelia, ehrlichia, and anaplasma infections in amblyomma americanum and ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) ticks from central new jersey.	to evaluate their relative importance in tick-borne disease transmission in new jersey, host-seeking amblyomma americanum (l.) and ixodes scapularis say adults and nymphs were collected during spring activity periods in 2003 and 2004 to determine relative frequencies at which these ticks were encountered from an area known to be hyperendemic for lyme disease. although similar numbers of the two species were encountered during early spring of both years, a. americanum were encountered more often ...	2005	15962799
sequence variation of the ribosomal dna second internal transcribed spacer region in two spatially-distinct populations of amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae).	sequence analysis of the ribosomal dna second internal transcribed spacer (its 2) region in 2 spatially distinct populations of amblyomma americanum (l.) revealed intraspecific variation. nucleotide sequences from multiple dna extractions and several polymerase chain reaction amplifications of eggs from mixed-parentage samples from both populations of ticks revealed that 12 of 1,145 (1.0%) sites varied. three of the 12 sites of variation were distinct between the 2 a. americanum populations, whi ...	2005	15986597
polymerase chain reaction detection of cytauxzoon felis from field-collected ticks and sequence analysis of the small subunit and internal transcribed spacer 1 region of the ribosomal rna gene.	cytauxzoon felis produces a disease in domestic cats in the midwest (u.s.a.), which often leads to a fatal outcome. although the clinical disease process is well described, there are still many unanswered questions about this organism. for example, it is unknown whether species of ticks other than dermacentor variabilis can serve as vectors for transmission. with recent reports of surviving cats from limited geographic areas, another relevant question is the potential for genetically less virule ...	2005	15986625
transcription analysis of the major antigenic protein 1 multigene family of three in vitro-cultured ehrlichia ruminantium isolates.	ehrlichia ruminantium, an obligate intracellular bacterium transmitted by ticks of the genus amblyomma, causes heartwater disease in ruminants. the gene coding for the major antigenic protein map1 is part of a multigene family consisting of a cluster containing 16 paralogs. in the search for differentially regulated genes between e. ruminantium grown in endothelial and tick cell lines that could be used in vaccine development and to determine if differences in the map1 gene cluster exist between ...	2005	15995193
possible tick-borne human enterovirus resulting in aseptic meningitis.	enterovirus-specific genetic sequences were isolated from two amblyomma americanum tick pools. identical genetic sequences were later obtained from cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with aseptic meningitis and a recent history of tick attachment. these observations suggest the possibility of an emerging tick-borne human enterovirus associated with aseptic meningitis.	2005	16000481
rapid detection methods and prevalence estimation for borrelia lonestari glpq in amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) pools of unequal size.	dna was extracted from pools of amblyomma americanum ticks collected from vegetation at two sites in fort leonard wood, missouri and tested for the presence of borrelia spp. two new methods were developed to detect borrelia lonestari dna by targeting the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpq) gene. the first method detected b. lonestari dna using a sybr green i melting curve analysis of the pcr product obtained with glpq gene primers. the second method, a glpq taqman assay, detected and ...	2005	16011431
detection of ehrlichia spp. in raccoons (procyon lotor) from georgia.	raccoons (procyonis lotor) and opossums (didelphis virginianus) acquired from six contiguous counties in the piedmont physiographic region of georgia were investigated for their potential role in the epidemiology of ehrlichial and anaplasmal species. serum was tested by indirect fluorescent antibody (ifa) assay for the presence of antibodies reactive to ehrlichia chaffeensis, e. canis, and anaplasma phagocytophilum (hga agent). nested polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay was used to test whole ...	2005	16011433
identification of candidate sialome components expressed in ixodid tick salivary glands using secretion signal complementation in mammalian cells.	ixodid ticks manipulate mammalian host pathways by secreting molecules from salivary glands. novel cdnas containing functional secretion signals were isolated from ixodid tick salivary glands using a signal sequence trap. only 15/61 rhipicephalus appendiculatus and 1/7 amblyomma variegatum cdnas had significant identity (< 1e-15) to previously identified sequences. polypeptides that may interact with host pathways included a kinase inhibitor. two proteins encoded homologues of the yolk protein v ...	2005	16033433
rnai-mediated gene silencing to assess the role of synaptobrevin and cystatin in tick blood feeding.	in addition to being the conduit for pathogens into hosts, tick saliva contains a broad array of secretory products that facilitate prolonged tick attachment and blood feeding. proteins found in tick saliva modulate host hemostasis and immune responses. however, it is not clear whether ticks manipulate the immune responses of their hosts by disrupting the antigen-processing pathways of the hosts. protein secretion into tick saliva from the salivary glands is due to exocytosis of vesicular membra ...	2005	16040003
cross-reactivity between antigens from amblyomma cajennense and a. hebraeum (acari: ixodidae).	laboratory animals exposed to feeding ticks develop resistance which is reflected by a decline in tick engorgement weight, egg-laying by adults and reduced egg viability. serum antibodies from these hosts and their reaction with tick antigens have been detected by different methods, including precipitation techniques, immunofluorescent techniques, elisa and western blots. however, little is known about the effects of antibodies on ticks that engorge on resistant hosts, or which tissues of the ti ...	2004	15214694
the caribbean amblyomma program: some ecologic factors affecting its success.	the caribbean amblyomma program has been operational for 8 years. however, owing to funding availability, some islands did not commence eradication activities until late 1997. during the past 2 years, 6 of the 9 islands (st. kitts, st. lucia, anguilla, montserrat, barbados, and dominica) under the program have attained the status of provisional freedom from the tropical bont tick (tbt). there are several administrative and technical reasons why the attainment of the program goals took longer tha ...	2004	15604510
characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in flea and tick specimens from northern peru.	evidence of spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsiae was obtained from flea pools and individual ticks collected at three sites in northwestern peru within the focus of an outbreak of febrile disease in humans attributed, in part, to sfg rickettsia infections. molecular identification of the etiologic agents from these samples was determined after partial sequencing of the 17-kda common antigen gene (htra) as well as pairwise nucleotide sequence homology with one or more of the following genes: glt ...	2004	15528680
[random amplified polymorphic dna analysis of the genomes among 7 species of ticks].	to study genomic polymorphic dna and genetic distance of 7 species of ticks.	2004	15587156
[rickettsia africae, the agent of african tick-bite fever: an emerging pathogen in the west indies and reunion island (indian ocean)].	rickettsia africae is the agent of african tick bite fever, an emerging disease transmitted by amblyomma ticks in sub-saharan africa. in 1998, we reported the first documented case of r. africae in the new world, in a patient who had returned from guadeloupe. in order to confirm the presence of r. africae in the west indies, entomologic surveys were conducted from 1999 to 2003 to collect amblyomma, which are considered as potential vectors and reservoirs of the bacteria. ticks were used as epide ...	2004	15462202
rickettsia parkeri in amblyomma triste from uruguay.	our goal was to detect whether spotted fever group rickettsia are found in the suspected vector of rickettsioses, amblyomma triste, in uruguay. rickettsia parkeri was detected in a. triste, which suggests that this species could be considered a pathogenic agent responsible for human rickettsioses in uruguay.	2004	15496258
a thrombin inhibitor from the ixodid tick, amblyomma hebraeum.	a novel thrombin inhibitor named amblin was identified from the haemolymph of the ixodid (hard) tick, amblyomma hebraeum, and the coding cdna was isolated from a tick cdna library. this cdna codes for a preprotein of 166 amino acids, including a predicted signal peptide composed of 15 amino acids n-terminal to the mature amblin. the 151-amino-acid mature amblin contains 14 cysteines and two kunitz-like domains. it displays high sequence similarity with a tissue factor pathway inhibitor (tfpi), i ...	2004	15527983
ticks (acari: ixodidae) parasitizing wild carnivores in phu khieo wildlife sanctuary, thailand.	ixodid ticks were collected and identified from 8 wild carnivore species in phu khieo wildlife sanctuary, northeastern thailand. six tick species belonging to 4 genera were recovered and identified from 132 individuals. these included amblyomma testudinarium (n = 36), haemaphysalis asiatica (n = 58), h. hystricis (n = 31), h. semermis (n = 3), rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides (n = 3), and ixodes granulatus (n = 1). leopard cats (prionailurus bengalensis) (n = 19) were infested with 4 tick species, ...	2004	15270119
amblyomma cajennense ticks induce immediate hypersensitivity in horses and donkeys.	since host immune reaction to ticks interferes with tick-borne pathogen transmission, it is important to recognize naturally occurring tick-host immune relationships to better understand the epidemiology of such infectious diseases. amblyomma cajennense is an important tick-borne disease vector in the neotropical region and horses maintain it in domestic environments. in the present work intradermal testing of a. cajennense tick exposed horses and donkeys using crude tick antigens was used to ev ...	2004	15285143
cutaneous hypersensitivity induced in rabbits by extracts of the tick amblyomma cajennense (acari: ixodidae).	the cutaneous hypersensitivity test was used to correlate host resistance to ticks and type of reactions elicited by aomblyomma cajennense (fabricius, 1787) tick extract in rabbits. rabbits were divided into 3 groups of 2 animals each: naive, pre-infested and control. cutaneous hypersensitivity was induced by intradermal inoculation of 25 microg extract in 0.03 ml of phosphate buffered saline (pbs) in rabbit ears. control rabbits were inoculated with pbs only. the ear thickness was measured with ...	2004	15214693
spotted fever group rickettsiae from ticks captured in sudan.	ticks were collected from ruminants in various areas of sudan in 1998 and 2000. primer pairs of rickettsial citrate synthase gene (glta) and a spotted fever group (sfg) rickettsial 190-kda surface antigen gene (rompa), respectively, were used for identification. polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-positive products were used for dna sequencing. the glta gene was detected in 55% of the ticks examined (57/104). among the 57 ticks studied, 19 were positive for the rompa gene. thus, 18% of the ticks exa ...	2004	15218219
a new type of antimicrobial protein with multiple histidines from the hard tick, amblyomma hebraeum.	a novel 11 kda antimicrobial protein, named as hebraein, and having a unique amino acid sequence, was purified from the hemolymph of fed female amblyomma hebraeum ticks. a full-length cdna clone encoding hebraein was isolated from a cdna library made from tick synganglia. hebraein consists of 102 amino acids, including 6 cysteine residues; has 9 histidines in its c-terminal domain that are mainly present as hx repeats; and has no significant similarity to any known protein. the secondary structu ...	2004	15247144
human otoacariasis: a retrospective study from an area of sri lanka.	intra-aural ticks were present in 870 (15.2%) of 5714 patients who reported with ear-related complaints to the ear, nose and throat ward at ratnapura hospital, sabaragamuwa province, sri lanka, from january 2000 to december 2001. a retrospective study of 383 of these otoacariasis cases showed that the majority (70.8%) of surgically-removed ticks were nymphal amblyomma integrum, together with nymphal and adult rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, r. sanguineus, hyalomma brevipunctata, h. marginatum, a ...	2004	15186938
an updated list of the ticks of ghana and an assessment of the distribution of the ticks of ghanaian wild mammals in different vegetation zones.	twenty one species of ticks belonging to five genera of the family ixodidae (order acari, sub-order ixodida) - amblyomma, haemaphysalis, hyalomma, ixodes and rhipicephalus (including the sub-genus rhipicephalus (boophilus)) - were collected from 1260 mammals, representing 29 species, 14 families and 6 orders, in four vegetation zones in ghana during the period 1971-1978. four other species were collected from humans in 1977. in all, eight species appeared to be new records for ghana: amblyomma t ...	2004	15191626
evaluation of immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice (mus musculus) for infection with ehrlichia chaffeensis and transmission to amblyomma americanum ticks.	experiments on the natural history of ehrlichia chaffeensis, the agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (hme), would be facilitated by the availability of a laboratory animal model for transmission to vector ticks. five strains of mice were evaluated for their susceptibility to infection with e. chaffeensis and transmission competence: c57bl/6 mice, inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) deficient mice, mhc i deficient (beta2m /) mice, mhc ii deficient mice (abb /), and b and t cell deficient (ra ...	2004	15671738
lack of susceptibility of guinea pigs and gerbils to experimental infection with ehrlichia chaffeensis.	guinea pigs and mongolian gerbils were experimentally infected with ehrlichia chaffeensis (st. vincent strain, 10 passages in vitro). the infection was monitored by serial blood sampling for pcr and by xenodiagnosis with amblyomma americanum larvae. exposure to the pathogen was confirmed using serology. neither guinea pigs nor gerbils were susceptible to infection with e. chaffeensis, and ticks fed upon these animals did not become infected with the pathogen.	2004	15682515
molecular differentiation of metastriate tick immatures.	hard ticks, family ixodidae, are divided into two groups, the metastriata and the prostriata, based on morphological differences. in the united states, there are four medically important genera of the ixodidae: ixodes, amblyomma, dermacentor, and rhipicephalus. ixodes is the only genus in and representative of the prostriata, whereas the latter three genera are members of the metastriata. all developmental stages of the prostriata can be easily differentiated from the metastriata using morpholog ...	2004	15682516
effects of 20-hydroxyecdysone and other hormones on egg development, and identification of a vitellin-binding protein in the ovary of the tick, amblyomma hebraeum.	partially fed adult female amblyomma hebraeum ticks were injected with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20e; up to 43 microg/g body weight (bw)), juvenile hormone iii (jh iii; up to 100 microg/g bw), bovine insulin (up to 2000 mu/g bw), or triiodothyronine (up to 200 ng/g bw) in an attempt to stimulate vitellogenesis. of these, only 20e stimulated synthesis and release of vitellogenin (vg). immunoblot analysis revealed that vg-synthesis occurred in the fat body. however, consistent with earlier observations ...	2004	15183281
molecular evidence for a spotted fever group rickettsia species in the tick amblyomma longirostre in brazil.	two amblyomma longirostre adult male ticks were collected from a brazilian porcupine coendou prehensilis l. in the state of rondonia, western amazon, brazil. the two ticks were pooled for dna extraction and tested for the presence of rickettsial dna by amplifying portions of the glta, 17-kda, ompa, and ompb rickettsial genes by polymerase chain reaction (pcr). portions of the four genes were amplified from the sample and subsequently sequenced. these results indicated the presence of a rickettsi ...	2004	15185961
rickettsia species infecting amblyomma cooperi ticks from an area in the state of são paulo, brazil, where brazilian spotted fever is endemic.	owing to the potential role of the tick amblyomma cooperi in the enzootic cycle of rickettsia rickettsii, the etiologic agent of brazilian spotted fever (bsf), this study evaluated infection by rickettsia species in a. cooperi ticks collected from an area in brazil where bsf is endemic. among a total of 40 a. cooperi adult ticks collected in an area of bsf endemicity in the state of são paulo, pcr analysis detected dna of rickettsia bellii in 16 ticks (40%), and 3 other ticks (7.5%) were positiv ...	2004	14715737
a proteomics approach to characterizing tick salivary secretions.	the saliva of ticks contains a complex mixture of bioactive molecules including proteins that modulate host responses ensuring successful feeding. the limited amount of saliva that can be obtained from ticks has hampered characterization of salivary proteins using traditional protein chemistry. recent improvements in two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics provide new tools to characterize small amounts of protein. these methods were employed to characterize sa ...	2004	15198089
rickettsia parkeri: a newly recognized cause of spotted fever rickettsiosis in the united states.	ticks, including many that bite humans, are hosts to several obligate intracellular bacteria in the spotted fever group (sfg) of the genus rickettsia. only rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of rocky mountain spotted fever, has been definitively associated with disease in humans in the united states. herein we describe disease in a human caused by rickettsia parkeri, an sfg rickettsia first identified >60 years ago in gulf coast ticks (amblyomma maculatum) collected from the southern united states ...	2004	14999622
disease agents in amblyomma americanum from northeastern georgia.	amblyomma americanum (lone star tick) is known or suspected to vector several organisms that are implicated as human pathogens, including ehrlichia chaffeensis, e. ewingii, and borrelia lonestari. these three agents have also been detected in white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). because northeastern georgia has a high abundance of both lone star ticks and white-tailed deer, and one of these organisms, e. chaffeensis, is already known to be endemic in the area, we assayed individual adult ...	2004	15311471
ehrlichia prevalence in amblyomma americanum, central texas.		2004	15338551
water relations in eggs of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum, with experimental work on the capacity for water vapor absorption.	this study shows that water stress is not countered in eggs of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.), using water vapor, and suggests involvement of liquid water as a developmental cue. eggs fail to maintain an equilibrium water content in subsaturated air, hence, gain not equal to loss, with net water losses occurring at relative humidities near saturation and these eggs exhibit a three-fold drop in viability, but not incubation period, as compared to eggs held in saturated air. amblyom ...	2004	15347026
susceptibility of mosquito and tick cell lines to infection with various flaviviruses.	the genus flavivirus consists of more than 70 virus species and subtypes, the majority of which are transmitted by mosquitoes or ticks, although some have no known vector (nkv). the ability of these viruses to infect cultured cells derived from mosquito or tick species offers a useful insight into the suitability of such vectors to harbour and replicate particular viruses. we undertook a comparative study of the susceptibility of mammalian vero cells, a clonal mosquito cell line (c6/36) and rece ...	2004	15347394
ehrlichia ruminantium grows in cell lines from four ixodid tick genera.	continuous cell lines from the ticks amblyomma variegatum, boophilus decoloratus, boophilus microplus, hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, ixodes scapularis, ixodes ricinus and rhipicephalus appendiculatus were tested for ability to support growth of the rickettsial pathogen ehrlichia (previously cowdria) ruminantium. five e.ruminantium isolates, from west africa, south africa and the french west indies, were used. twelve tick cell lines were inoculated with e.ruminantium derived either from culture ...	2004	15053931
detection of rickettsia africae in patients and ticks along the coastal region of cameroon.	rickettsia africae was identified in seven (6%) of 118 patients with acute fevers of unknown etiology proven not to be malaria or typhoid fever from clinics along the coastal region of cameroon by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) amplification and sequencing of the citrate synthase (glta) and outer membrane protein a (ompa) genes of rickettsia. the majority (71%) of the patients were female. clinical manifestations included fever (100%), headache (71%), myalgia (71%), arthralgia (43%), pulmonary ...	2004	15381820