Publications

update on tick-borne rickettsioses around the world: a geographic approach.	tick-borne rickettsioses are caused by obligate intracellular bacteria belonging to the spotted fever group of the genus rickettsia. these zoonoses are among the oldest known vector-borne diseases. however, in the past 25 years, the scope and importance of the recognized tick-associated rickettsial pathogens have increased dramatically, making this complex of diseases an ideal paradigm for the understanding of emerging and reemerging infections. several species of tick-borne rickettsiae that wer ...	0	24092850
rickettsia typhi in rodents and r. felis in fleas in yucatán as a possible causal agent of undefined febrile cases.	rickettsia typhi is the causal agent of murine typhus; a worldwide zoonotic and vector-borne infectious disease, commonly associated with the presence of domestic and wild rodents. human cases of murine typhus in the state of yucatán are frequent. however, there is no evidence of the presence of rickettsia typhi in mammals or vectors in yucatán. the presence of rickettsia in rodents and their ectoparasites was evaluated in a small municipality of yucatán using the conventional polymerase chain r ...	0	25923891
rickettsia spp. in seabird ticks from western indian ocean islands, 2011-2012.	we found a diversity of rickettsia spp. in seabird ticks from 6 tropical islands. the bacteria showed strong host specificity and sequence similarity with strains in other regions. seabird ticks may be key reservoirs for pathogenic rickettsia spp., and bird hosts may have a role in dispersing ticks and tick-associated infectious agents over large distances.	0	24751287
common epidemiology of rickettsia felis infection and malaria, africa.	this study aimed to compare the epidemiology of rickettsia felis infection and malaria in france, north africa, and sub-saharan africa and to identify a common vector. blood specimens from 3,122 febrile patients and from 500 nonfebrile persons were analyzed for r. felis and plasmodium spp. we observed a significant linear trend (p<0.0001) of increasing risk for r. felis infection. the risks were lowest in france, tunisia, and algeria (1%), and highest in rural senegal (15%). co-infections with r ...	0	24188709
forest refugia in western and central africa as 'museums' of mesozoic biodiversity.	the refugial speciation model, or 'species pump', is widely accepted in the context of tropical biogeography and has been advocated as an explanation for present species distributions in tropical western and central africa. in order to test this hypothesis, a phylogeny of the cryptic arachnid order ricinulei, based on four nuclear and mitochondrial dna markers, was inferred. this ancient clade of litter-dwelling arthropods, endemic to the primary forests of western and central africa and the neo ...	0	23193047
babesia ugwidiensis, a new species of avian piroplasm from phalacrocoracidae in south africa.	a new species of haematozoa, babesia ugwidiensis sp. nov. from a cormorant is described. this is the first species of piroplasm to be recorded from the phalacrocoracidae and the relationship of this parasite to other babesia spp. from marine hosts is discussed.	0	23193522
isolation and characterization of a virus from soft ticks (ornithodoros capensis group) collected on bush key, dry tortugas, florida.		1964	14106042
ornithodoros capensis (acarina: argasidae) infesting sooy tern (sterna fuscata) nasal cavities.		1966	5951287
the isolation of saumarez reef virus, a new flavivirus, from bird ticks ornithodoros capensis and ixodes eudyptidis in australia.	strains of a new flavivirus, for which the name saumarez reef virus is proposed, were isolated from seabird ticks collected from four localities. two strains were isolated from ticks of the species ornithodoros capensis neumann 1901 collected from the nests of sooty terns, sterna fuscata linnaeus 1766 on coral cays off the east coast of queensland, australia. the other three strains were isolated from ticks of the species ixodes eudyptidis maskell 1885 taken from two dead silver gulls larus nova ...	1977	75000
johnston atoll virus (quaranfil group) from ornithodoros capensis (ixodoidea: argasidae) infesting a gannet colony in new zealand.	ten strains of johnston atoll (ja) virus were isolated from ornithodoros capensis collected in a gannet (sula bassana serrator) colony in new zealand. its sensitivity to ether and sodium deoxycholate were confirmed and it was shown to have an rna genome. it multiplied in day-old chicks but, unlike the prototype virus, it was not pathogenic for them. transmission experiments and the high incidence of birds with neutralizing antibody indicate that the virus is maintained in the colony by a cycle i ...	1978	717630
host acquisition by ornithodoros capensis neumann (ixodoidea: argasidae).	forty percent of white-capped noddy tern, anous minutus, nests tagged in january 1977 were re-occupied the following nesting season in february 1978. this re-use of nests allows host acquisition by o. capensis, as the ticks remain in the core of the abandoned nest during the non-nesting season.	1981	7316404
diel rhythms of tick parasitism on incubating african penguins.	1. ticks (ornithodoros capensis neumann) were most abundant on incubating host african penguins (spheniscus demersus linnaeus) at 24.00 hours and least abundant during 09.00-12.00 hours during 4 day periods in may and october at 3 h intervals. 2. ticks were three times as abundant in may, the start of the breeding season, as in october, at its end. 3. air temperature and humidity appear less important than light levels in determining tick activity. 4. the degree of tick parasitism of breeding se ...	1987	2979515
reactions to argasid tick bites by island residents on the great barrier reef.	to attribute a cause and quantify allergic-like symptoms observed among island residents.	1991	1875814
phylogeny of ticks (ixodida) inferred from nuclear ribosomal dna.	phylogenetic relationships of 9 species of ticks were inferred from nucleotide sequences of the d1 domain of large subunit ribosomal dna (rdna), the v4 region of small subunit rdna and sequences immediately adjacent to these regions. six of the 7 subfamilies in the argasidae and ixodidae were represented: ornithodorinae and argasinae from the argasidae (soft ticks); and ixodinae, amblyomminae, haemaphysalinae and rhipicephalinae from the ixodidae (hard ticks). a mite, phytoseiulus persimilis, fr ...	1996	8818731
ticks of south carolina (acari: ixodoidea).	county and host records are reported for 19 species of ticks from south carolina: amblyomma americanum, amblyomma maculatum, amblyomma tuberculatum, aponomma latum, boophilus annulatus, boophilus microplus, dermacentor albipictus, dermacentor variablis, haemaphysalis leporispalustris, ixodes affinis, ixodes brunneus, ixodes cookei, ixodes marxi, ixodes minor, ixodes scapularis, ixodes texanus, ixodes woodi, rhipicephalus sanguineus, and ornithodoros capensis. ixodes woodi is recorded from south ...	1999	10672552
helminth and arthropod parasites of the brown pelican, pelecanus occidentalis, in puerto rico, with a compilation of all metazoan parasites reported from this host in the western hemisphere.	seven species of helminths and six species of arthropods are reported from 23 of 40 brown pelicans, pelecanus occidentalis, collected from various localities in puerto rico. helminth parasites include three nematodes (contracaecum multipapillatum, contracaecum mexicanum, and eustrongylides sp.), three trematodes (galactosomum darbyi, mesostephanus appendiculatoides, and ribeiroia ondatrae), and one cestode (tetrabothrium sulae). arthropod parasites include colpocephalum occidentalis, neottialges ...	2002	12427338
mitochondrial sequence variation in carlos capensis (neumann), a parasite of seabirds, collected on torishima island in japan.	partial mitochondrial 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequences in the ticks carios capensis collected from black-footed albatross. diomedea nigripes, colonies on torishima island, japan (30 degrees 28'n, 140 degrees 18'e), were examined. the sequence was compared with those of c. capensis from hawaii, south carolina, and texas. the sequences were all identical in ticks from torishima and 2 from hawaii. there were 2-3 transitions between the other hawaiian and texas ticks and torishima speci ...	2003	12659332
the mitochondrial genomes of soft ticks have an arrangement of genes that has remained unchanged for over 400 million years.	there are two major groups of ticks: soft ticks and hard ticks. the hard ticks comprise the prostriate ticks and the metastriate ticks. the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of one species of prostriate tick and two species of metastriate ticks had been sequenced prior to our study. the prostriate tick has the ancestral arrangement of mt genes of arthropods, whereas the two metastriate ticks have rearrangements of eight genes and duplicate control regions. however, the arrangement of genes in the mt ge ...	2004	15157222
experimental transmission of west nile virus (flaviviridae: flavivirus) by carios capensis ticks from north america.	seabird soft ticks, carios capensis (ixodida: argasidae), originally collected from coastal georgia, usa, were allowed to ingest a blood meal from pekin ducklings (anas domesticus) infected with wnv. after 35 days of extrinsic incubation, the ticks transmitted virus to naive ducklings. wnv was detected via plaque assay and rtpcr in ticks and in tissues and serum of ducklings 7 days post infestation.	2005	16187900
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
molecular and biological characterization of a novel coxiella-like agent from carios capensis.	the genus coxiella is currently defined by a single monotypic species, coxiella burnetii. novel coxiella spp. have been detected in ticks throughout the world. these bacteria have not been cultured or named, and their evolutionary relationships to c. burnetii are poorly known. a novel coxiella-like agent was detected by pcr amplification and sequencing of dna extracted from 64 pelican ticks, carios capensis, from devoux bank, south carolina, usa. pcr was used to amplify and characterize genes fr ...	2005	16481538
a case of histologically diagnosed tick infestation on the scalp of a korean child.	a scalp mass surgically excised from a 4-year-old korean boy was identified as a tick through histological observations. in sections of the mass, characteristic features of a tick, including its gross contour, cuticular structures, well developed musculature and salivary glands, and the capitulum, were discovered. in particular, the capitulum is anteriorly protruded, which strongly suggests that the specimen be a hard tick of family ixodidae. however, the present histological features were not e ...	2006	16809965
borrelia, coxiella, and rickettsia in carios capensis (acari: argasidae) from a brown pelican (pelecanus occidentalis) rookery in south carolina, usa.	argasid ticks are vectors of viral and bacterial agents of humans and animals. carios capensis, a tick of seabirds, infests the nests of brown pelicans, pelecanus occidentalis, and other ground nesting birds along the coast of south carolina. this tick is associated with pelican nest abandonment and could pose a threat to humans visiting pelican rookeries if visitors are exposed to ticks harboring infectious agents. we collected ticks from a pelican rookery on deveaux bank, south carolina and sc ...	2006	16821092
first detection of rickettsia in soft-bodied ticks associated with seabirds, japan.	rickettsia was first detected in seabird soft-bodied ticks, carios capensis and c. sawaii in japan. according to sequence analysis, rickettsia in japan was identical to rickettsia scc31 in c. capensis in the u.s.a. this suggested that an environmental circulation had consisted among microorganisms, ticks and long distance migratory seabirds around the pacific ocean.	2006	16714848
the complete mitochondrial genome of the sea spider nymphon gracile (arthropoda: pycnogonida).	mitochondrial genomes form units of genetic information replicating indepentently from nuclear genomes. sequence data (most often from protein-coding genes) and other features (gene order, rna secondary structure) of mitochondrial genomes are often used in phylogenetic studies of metazoan animals from population to phylum level. pycnogonids are primarily marine arthropods, often considered closely related to chelicerates (spiders, scorpions and allies). however, due to their aberrant morphology ...	2006	17087824
the complete mitochondrial genome of pseudocellus pearsei (chelicerata: ricinulei) and a comparison of mitochondrial gene rearrangements in arachnida.	mitochondrial genomes are widely utilized for phylogenetic and population genetic analyses among animals. in addition to sequence data the mitochondrial gene order and rna secondary structure data are used in phylogenetic analyses. arachnid phylogeny is still highly debated and there is a lack of sufficient sequence data for many taxa. ricinulei (hooded tickspiders) are a morphologically distinct clade of arachnids with uncertain phylogenetic affinities.	2007	17961221
the complete mitochondrial genome of the sea spider achelia bituberculata (pycnogonida, ammotheidae): arthropod ground pattern of gene arrangement.	the phylogenetic position of pycnogonids is a long-standing and controversial issue in arthropod phylogeny. this controversy has recently been rekindled by differences in the conclusions based on neuroanatomical data concerning the chelifore and the patterns of hox expression. the mitochondrial genome of a sea spider, nymphon gracile (pycnogonida, nymphonidae), was recently reported in an attempt to address this issue. however, n. gracile appears to be a long-branch taxon on the phylogenetic tre ...	2007	17908292
isolation of cell lines and a rickettsial endosymbiont from the soft tick carios capensis (acari: argasidae: ornithodorinae).	soft ticks are medically important ectoparasites of birds and mammals that are found throughout the world. this report describes isolation and partial characterization of two embryonic cell lines, cce2 and cce3, from the seabird soft tick carios capensis (neumann). sequencing of the mitochondrial 16s rrna gene and karyology confirmed the lines were derived from c. capensis. cce3 cells were diploid with a modal chromosome number of 20. the population doubling time for cell lines cce2 and 3 in pas ...	2007	18047211
transposon insertion reveals prm, a plasmid of rickettsia monacensis.	until the recent discovery of prf in rickettsia felis, the obligate intracellular bacteria of the genus rickettsia (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae) were thought not to possess plasmids. we describe prm, a plasmid from rickettsia monacensis, which was detected by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and southern blot analyses of dna from two independent r. monacensis populations transformed by transposon-mediated insertion of coupled green fluorescent protein and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase mark ...	2007	17575002
antibiotic treatment of the tick vector amblyomma americanum reduced reproductive fitness.	the lone star tick amblyomma americanum is a common pest and vector of infectious diseases for humans and other mammals in the southern and eastern united states. a coxiella sp. bacterial endosymbiont was highly prevalent in both laboratory-reared and field-collected a. americanum. the coxiella sp. was demonstrated in all stages of tick and in greatest densities in nymphs and adult females, while a rickettsia sp. was less prevalent and in lower densities when present.	2007	17476327
plasmids of the prm/prf family occur in diverse rickettsia species.	the recent discoveries of the prf and prm plasmids of rickettsia felis and r. monacensis have contravened the long-held dogma that plasmids are not present in the bacterial genus rickettsia (rickettsiales; rickettsiaceae). we report the existence of plasmids in r. helvetica, r. peacockii, r. amblyommii, and r. massiliae isolates from ixodid ticks and in an r. hoogstraalii isolate from an argasid tick. r. peacockii and four isolates of r. amblyommii from widely separated geographic locations cont ...	2008	18065613
the complete mitochondrial genome of the sexual oribatid mite steganacarus magnus: genome rearrangements and loss of trnas.	complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes and the gene rearrangements therein are increasingly used as molecular markers for investigating phylogenetic relationships, especially for elucidating deep splits. contributing to the complete mt genomes of arthropods, especially arachnida, available so far, we provide the first complete mt genome of a sarcoptiform mite species, the sexually reproducing oribatid mite steganacarus magnus (acari, oribatida) which was determined by sequencing of long pcr product ...	2008	18992147
nyamanini and midway viruses define a novel taxon of rna viruses in the order mononegavirales.	here, we report the sequencing and classification of nyamanini virus (nymv) and midway virus (midwv), two antigenically related viruses that were first isolated in 1957 and 1966, respectively. although these viruses have been cultured multiple times from cattle egrets, seabirds, and their ticks, efforts to classify them taxonomically using conventional serological and electron microscopic approaches have failed completely. we used a random shotgun sequencing strategy to define the genomes of nym ...	2009	19279111
cell lines from the soft tick ornithodoros moubata.	primary cell cultures (n = 16) were initiated from tissues of embryonic and neonatal larval ornithodoros moubata following methods developed for hard ticks. after maintenance for 20-25 months in vitro, cell multiplication commenced in surviving cultures, leading to the establishment of six cell lines designated ome/ctvm21, 22, 24, 25, 26 and 27. all lines are maintained at 28 degrees c, with subculture at 2-8 week intervals. the cultures comprise heterogeneous populations of large cells of 15-10 ...	2009	19252822
the relationship between spotted fever group rickettsiae and ixodid ticks.	spotted fever group rickettsiae are predominantly transmitted by ticks. rickettsiae have developed many strategies to adapt to different environmental conditions, including those within their arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts. the tick-rickettsiae relationship has been a point of interest for many researchers, with most studies concentrating on the role of ticks as vectors. unfortunately, less attention has been directed towards the relationship of rickettsiae with tick cells, tissues, and ...	2009	19358804
quaranfil, johnston atoll, and lake chad viruses are novel members of the family orthomyxoviridae.	arboviral infections are an important cause of emerging infections due to the movements of humans, animals, and hematophagous arthropods. quaranfil virus (qrfv) is an unclassified arbovirus originally isolated from children with mild febrile illness in quaranfil, egypt, in 1953. it has subsequently been isolated in multiple geographic areas from ticks and birds. we used high-throughput sequencing to classify qrfv as a novel orthomyxovirus. the genome of this virus is comprised of multiple rna se ...	2009	19726499
wide dispersal and possible multiple origins of low-copy-number plasmids in rickettsia species associated with blood-feeding arthropods.	plasmids are mobile genetic elements of bacteria that can impart important adaptive traits, such as increased virulence or antibiotic resistance. we report the existence of plasmids in rickettsia (rickettsiales; rickettsiaceae) species, including rickettsia akari, "candidatus rickettsia amblyommii," r. bellii, r. rhipicephali, and reis, the rickettsial endosymbiont of ixodes scapularis. all of the rickettsiae were isolated from humans or north and south american ticks. r. parkeri isolates from b ...	2010	20097813
the complete mitochondrial genome of the citrus red mite panonychus citri (acari: tetranychidae): high genome rearrangement and extremely truncated trnas.	the family tetranychidae (chelicerata: acari) includes ~1200 species, many of which are of agronomic importance. to date, mitochondrial genomes of only two tetranychidae species have been sequenced, and it has been found that these two mitochondrial genomes are characterized by many unusual features in genome organization and structure such as gene order and nucleotide frequency. the scarcity of available sequence data has greatly impeded evolutionary studies in acari (mites and ticks). informat ...	2010	20969792
rickettsia hoogstraalii sp. nov., isolated from hard- and soft-bodied ticks.	a novel spotted fever group rickettsia was found in haemaphysalis sulcata ticks collected from sheep and goats in croatia in 2006. at the same time, a genetically identical organism was co-isolated with the embryonic cell line cce3 obtained from the soft tick carios capensis in georgia, usa. in this study, further phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of the novel rickettsial strain present in h. sulcata ticks were investigated. based on the cultivation of bacteria in mosquito and vero cell c ...	2010	19666817
stress response of brown pelican nestlings to ectoparasite infestation.	measurement of corticosterone has become a useful tool for assessing the response of individuals to ecological stressors of interest. enhanced corticosterone levels can promote survival of stressful events; however, in situations where a stressor persists and corticosterone levels remain elevated, the adrenocortical response can be detrimental. a potential ecological stressor for wild birds is parasitism by ectoparasites. we studied the stress response of 11-23-day-old brown pelican (pelecanus o ...	2010	19716827
migratory birds, ticks, and bartonella.	bartonella spp. infections are considered to be vector-borne zoonoses; ticks are suspected vectors of bartonellae. migratory birds can disperse ticks infected with zoonotic pathogens such as rickettsia and tick-borne encephalitis virus and possibly also bartonella. thus, in the present study 386 tick specimens collected in spring 2009 from migratory birds on the mediterranean islands capri and antikythera were screened for bartonella spp. rna. one or more ticks were found on 2.7% of the birds. m ...	2011	22957116
rickettsia felis, an emerging flea-transmitted human pathogen.	rickettsia felis was first recognised two decades ago and has now been described as endemic to all continents except antarctica. the rickettsiosis caused by r. felis is known as flea-borne spotted fever or cat-flea typhus. the large number of arthropod species found to harbour r. felis and that may act as potential vectors support the view that it is a pan-global microbe. the main arthropod reservoir and vector is the cat flea, ctenocephalides felis, yet more than 20 other species of fleas, tick ...	2011	24149035
tick cell lines for study of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus and other arboviruses.	abstract continuous cell lines derived from many of the vectors of tick-borne arboviruses of medical and veterinary importance are now available. their role as tools in arbovirus research to date is reviewed and their potential application in studies of tick cell responses to virus infection is explored, by comparison with recent progress in understanding mosquito immunity to arbovirus infection. a preliminary study of propagation of the human pathogen crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus (cc ...	2011	21955214
borrelia, rickettsia, and ehrlichia species in bat ticks, france, 2010.	argas vespertilionis, an argasid tick associated with bats and bat habitats in europe, africa, and asia has been reported to bite humans; however, studies investigating the presence of vector-borne pathogens in these ticks are lacking. using molecular tools, we tested 5 a. vespertilionis ticks collected in 2010 from the floor of a bat-infested attic in southwestern france that had been converted into bedrooms. rickettsia sp. avbat, a new genotype of spotted fever group rickettsiae, was detected ...	2012	23171714
tick cell culture isolation and growth of rickettsia raoultii from dutch dermacentor reticulatus ticks.	tick cell lines play an important role in research on ticks and tick-borne pathogenic and symbiotic microorganisms. in an attempt to derive continuous dermacentor reticulatus cell lines, embryo-derived primary cell cultures were set up from eggs laid by field ticks originally collected as unfed adults in the netherlands and maintained for up to 16 months. after several months, it became evident that cells in the primary cultures were infected with a rickettsia-like intracellular organism. supern ...	2012	23140894
tick-box for 3'-end formation of mitochondrial transcripts in ixodida, basal chelicerates and drosophila.	according to the trna punctuation model, the mitochondrial genome (mtdna) of mammals and arthropods is transcribed as large polycistronic precursors that are maturated by endonucleolytic cleavage at trna borders and rna polyadenylation. starting from the newly sequenced mtdna of ixodes ricinus and using a combination of mitogenomics and transcriptional analyses, we found that in all currently-sequenced tick lineages (prostriata, metastriata and argasidae) the 3'-end of the polyadenylated nad1 an ...	2012	23077630
detection and identification of putative bacterial endosymbionts and endogenous viruses in tick cell lines.	as well as being vectors of many viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, ticks harbour a variety of microorganisms which are not known to be pathogenic for vertebrate hosts. continuous cell lines established from ixodid and argasid ticks could be infected with such endosymbiotic bacteria and endogenous viruses, but to date very few cell lines have been examined for their presence. dna and rna extracted from over 50 tick cell lines deposited in the roslin w ...	2012	22743047
rickettsia species in african anopheles mosquitoes.	there is higher rate of r. felis infection among febrile patients than in healthy people in sub-saharan africa, predominantly in the rainy season. mosquitoes possess a high vectorial capacity and, because of their abundance and aggressiveness, likely play a role in rickettsial epidemiology.	2012	23118963
trans-oceanic host dispersal explains high seabird tick diversity on cape verde islands.	parasites represent ideal models for unravelling biogeographic patterns and mechanisms of diversification on islands. both host-mediated dispersal and within-island adaptation can shape parasite island assemblages. in this study, we examined patterns of genetic diversity and structure of ornithodoros seabird ticks within the cape verde archipelago in relation to their global phylogeography. contrary to expectations, ticks from multiple, geographically distant clades mixed within the archipelago. ...	2012	22513280
molecular evidence for the presence of rickettsia felis in the feces of wild-living african apes.	rickettsia felis is a common emerging pathogen detected in mosquitoes in sub-saharan africa. we hypothesized that, as with malaria, great apes may be exposed to the infectious bite of infected mosquitoes and release r. felis dna in their feces.	2013	23405087
host specialization in ticks and transmission of tick-borne diseases: a review.	determining patterns of host use, and the frequency at which these patterns change, are of key importance if we are to understand tick population dynamics, the evolution of tick biodiversity, and the circulation and evolution of associated pathogens. the question of whether ticks are typically host specialists or host generalists has been subject to much debate over the last half-century. indeed, early research proposed that morphological diversity in ticks was linked to host specific adaptation ...	2013	24109592
endogenous tick viruses and modulation of tick-borne pathogen growth.	ticks transmit a wide range of viral, bacterial and protozoan pathogens, many of which can establish persistent infections of lifelong duration in the vector tick and in some cases are transmitted transovarially to the next generation. in addition many ixodid and argasid tick cell lines and, by inference the parent ticks from which they were derived, harbor endogenous viruses (etv) of which almost nothing is known. in general, low level persistent infections with viral pathogens (arboviruses) ar ...	2013	23875176
complete mitochondrial genome sequence data provides genetic evidence that the brown dog tick rhipicephalus sanguineus (acari: ixodidae) represents a species complex.	ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites of great medical and veterinary significance that can transmit bacteria, protozoa, fungi and viruses, and cause a variety of human and animal diseases worldwide. in the present study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of rhipicephalus sanguineus from china (rsc) and compared with that of r. sanguineus from usa (rsu). nucleotide sequence difference in the full mt genome was 11.23% between rsc and rsu. for the 13 protein-coding genes, compari ...	2013	23630448
[biology and breeding of ornithodoros capensis neumann (acarian argasidae)].		2013	13694525
massive infection of seabird ticks with bacterial species related to coxiella burnetii.	seabird ticks are known reservoirs of bacterial pathogens of medical importance; however, ticks parasitizing tropical seabirds have received less attention than their counterparts from temperate and subpolar regions. recently, rickettsia africae was described to infect seabird ticks of the western indian ocean and new caledonia, constituting the only available data on bacterial pathogens associated with tropical seabird tick species. here, we combined a pyrosequencing-based approach with a class ...	2014	24657860
diversity and global distribution of the coxiella intracellular bacterium in seabird ticks.	the obligate intracellular bacterium coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of q fever, a widespread zoonotic disease whose most common animal reservoirs are domestic ruminants. recently, a variety of coxiella-like organisms have also been reported from non-mammalian hosts, including pathogenic forms in birds and forms without known effects in ticks, raising questions about the potential importance of non-mammalian hosts as reservoirs of coxiella in the wild. in the present study, we examine ...	2014	24915875
genome sequence of rickettsia hoogstraalii, a geographically widely distributed tick-associated bacterium.	rickettsia hoogstraalii is a tick-associated member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae that is geographically widely distributed. we report here the draft genome of r. hoogstraalii strain croatica(t) (=dsm 22243 = utmb 00003), which was isolated from haemaphysalis sulcata ticks collected in croatia.	2014	25377719
upolu virus and aransas bay virus, two presumptive bunyaviruses, are novel members of the family orthomyxoviridae.	emerging and zoonotic pathogens pose continuing threats to human health and ongoing challenges to diagnostics. as nucleic acid tests are playing increasingly prominent roles in diagnostics, the genetic characterization of molecularly uncharacterized agents is expected to significantly enhance detection and surveillance capabilities. we report the identification of two previously unrecognized members of the family orthomyxoviridae, which includes the influenza viruses and the tick-transmitted tho ...	2014	24574415
piroplasms of new zealand seabirds.	blood and ectoparasitic ticks were collected from migratory seabirds in new zealand, including australasian gannets (n = 13) from two sites and red-billed gulls (n = 9) and white-fronted terns (n = 2) from a third location. blood smears were screened for parasite presence by microscopy, while dna from blood samples was subjected to pcr for the presence of tick-transmitted protozoan haemoparasites belonging to the order piroplasmida. parasites were identified by comparing small subunit ribosomal ...	2014	25204728
ticks of australia. the species that infest domestic animals and humans.	the book australian ticks by f.h.s. roberts (1970) is a land-mark in australian tick biology. but it is time for a new and improved book on the ticks of australia. the present book has identification guides and accounts of the biology and diseases associated with the 16 species of ticks that may feed on domestic animals and humans in australia. these comprise five argasid (soft) ticks: argas persicus (poultry tick), argas robertsi (robert's bird tick), ornithodoros capensis (seabird soft tick), ...	2014	24943801
tick-borne infections in human and animal population worldwide.	the abundance and activity of ectoparasites and its hosts are affected by various abiotic factors, such as climate and other organisms (predators, pathogens and competitors) presenting thus multiples forms of association (obligate to facultative, permanent to intermittent and superficial to subcutaneous) developed during long co-evolving processes. ticks are ectoparasites widespread globally and its eco epidemiology are closely related to the environmental conditions. they are obligatory hematop ...	2015	27047089
the recent evolution of a maternally-inherited endosymbiont of ticks led to the emergence of the q fever pathogen, coxiella burnetii.	q fever is a highly infectious disease with a worldwide distribution. its causative agent, the intracellular bacterium coxiella burnetii, infects a variety of vertebrate species, including humans. its evolutionary origin remains almost entirely unknown and uncertainty persists regarding the identity and lifestyle of its ancestors. a few tick species were recently found to harbor maternally-inherited coxiella-like organisms engaged in symbiotic interactions, but their relationships to the q fever ...	2015	25978383
tick-borne pathogens and the vector potential of ticks in china.	ticks, as obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites, attack a broad range of vertebrates and transmit a great diversity of pathogenic microorganisms. they are considered second only to mosquitoes as vectors of human disease, and the most important vector of pathogens of domestic and wild animals. of the 117 described species in the chinese tick fauna, 60 are known to transmit one or more diseases: 36 species isolated within china and 24 species isolated outside china. moreover, 38 of these species ca ...	2015	25586007
detection of rickettsia and ehrlichia spp. in ticks associated with exotic reptiles and amphibians imported into japan.	one of the major routes of transmission of rickettsial and ehrlichial diseases is via ticks that infest numerous host species, including humans. besides mammals, reptiles and amphibians also carry ticks that may harbor rickettsia and ehrlichia strains that are pathogenic to humans. furthermore, reptiles and amphibians are exempt from quarantine in japan, thus facilitating the entry of parasites and pathogens to the country through import. accordingly, in the current study, we examined the presen ...	2015	26207382
ornithodoros faccinii n. sp. (acari: ixodida: argasidae) parasitizing the frog thoropa miliaris (amphibia: anura: cycloramphidae) in brazil.	most argasid ticks from the neotropical region are parasites of mammals and birds, with a few records from reptiles. many species of the genus ornithodoros are known only through larval descriptions, and their chaetotaxy and morphological characteristics have been used to separate the taxa. in the present study, we describe the larva and the nymph of first instar of a new species of the genus ornithodoros that was collected from frogs of the species thoropa miliaris.	2015	25963542
genomic characterization of the genus nairovirus (family bunyaviridae).	nairovirus, one of five bunyaviral genera, includes seven species. genomic sequence information is limited for members of the dera ghazi khan, hughes, qalyub, sakhalin, and thiafora nairovirus species. we used next-generation sequencing and historical virus-culture samples to determine 14 complete and nine coding-complete nairoviral genome sequences to further characterize these species. previously unsequenced viruses include abu mina, clo mor, great saltee, hughes, raza, sakhalin, soldado, and ...	2016	27294949
rickettsia felis, an emerging flea-borne rickettsiosis.	rickettsia felis is an emerging insect-borne rickettsial pathogen and the causative agent of flea-borne spotted fever. first described as a human pathogen from the usa in 1991, r. felis is now identified throughout the world and considered a common cause of fever in africa. the cosmopolitan distribution of this pathogen is credited to the equally widespread occurrence of cat fleas (ctenocephalides felis), the primary vector and reservoir of r. felis. although r. felis is a relatively new member ...	2016	27340613
a new argasid tick species (acari: argasidae) associated with the rock cavy, kerodon rupestris wied-neuwied (rodentia: caviidae), in a semiarid region of brazil.	the rock cavy kerodon rupestris (wied-neuwied, 1820) is a rodent species endemic to northeastern brazil. earlier studies have associated the argasid tick ornithodoros talaje (guérin-méneville, 1849) with rocky cavy; however, a recent study proposed that o. talaje is not established in brazil, where previous reports of this species were possibly misidentifications of closely related species, yet to be properly determined. here, we describe a new species of ornithodoros koch, 1844 associated with ...	2016	27655282
coxiella detection in ticks from wildlife and livestock in malaysia.	recent studies have shown that ticks harbor coxiella-like bacteria, which are potentially tick-specific endosymbionts. we recently described the detection of coxiella-like bacteria and possibly coxiella burnetii in ticks found from rural areas in malaysia. in the present study, we collected ticks, including haemaphysalis bispinosa, haemaphysalis hystricis, dermacentor compactus, dermacentor steini, and amblyomma sp. from wildlife and domesticated goats from four different locations in malaysia. ...	2016	27763821
[genetic characterization of the caspiy virus (casv) (bunyaviridae, nairovirus) isolated from the laridae (vigors, 1825) and sternidae (bonaparte, 1838) birds and the argasidae (koch, 1844) ticks ornithodoros capensis neumann, 1901, in western and eastern coasts of the caspian sea].	full-genome sequencing of the caspiy virus (casv - caspiy virus) (id genbank kf801658) revealed its attribution to the nairovirus genus of the bunyaviridae family as a separate species. casv forms separate line, which is the most close to the hughes virus (hugv) and sakhalin virus (sakv) groups containing viruses linked with seabirds and ticks parasitizing on them and distributed over the shelf and island ecosystems in the northern eurasia, as well as the north and south america.	2016	25065142
coxiella-like endosymbiont in argasid ticks (ornithodoros muesebecki) from a socotra cormorant colony in umm al quwain, united arab emirates.	coxiella burnetii is a pathogen causing q fever in domestic animals and humans. seabirds have been implicated as possible reservoirs of this bacterium in the arabian gulf and in the western indian ocean. recently, coxiella species closely related to c. burnetii was detected from ticks collected from oil rigs used as roosting areas by socotra cormorants (phalacrocorax nigrogularis) in the western arabian gulf. we collected ticks from the largest breeding colony of socotra cormorants in the united ...	2016	26515059
[the taxonomy of the baku virus (bakv; reoviridae, orbivirus) isolated from the birds obligate parasites argasidae ticks in azerbaijan, turkmenistan, and uzbekistan].	the baku virus (bakv) was originally isolated from the ticks ornithodoros capensis neumann, 1901 (acari: argasidae) collected from the seagull (larus argentatus) seating nests on the islands of the baku archipelago, the caspian sea. bakv was assigned to kemerovo group (kemv) (orbivirus, reoviridae). the bakv was frequently isolated from the ticks o. coniceps canestrini, 1980, collected from l. argentatus and tern (sterna hirundo) nests in turkmenia and pigeon (columba livia neglecta) nests in uz ...	2016	24772642
detection of a novel rickettsia sp. in soft ticks (acari: argasidae) in algeria.	argasid ticks are vectors of viral and bacterial agents that can infect humans and animals. in africa, relapsing fever borreliae are neglected arthropod-borne pathogens that cause mild to deadly septicemia and miscarriage. it would be incredibly beneficial to be able to simultaneous detect and identify other pathogens transmitted by argasid ticks. from 2012 to 2014, we conducted field surveys in 4 distinct areas of algeria. we investigated the occurrence of soft ticks in rodent burrows and yello ...	2016	26408401
linking morphometric and genetic divergence with host use in the tick complex, ornithodoros capensis sensu lato.	host specific adaptations in parasites can lead to the divergence of conspecific populations. however, this divergence can be difficult to measure because morphological changes may not be expressed or because obvious changes may simply reflect phenotypic plasticity. combining both genetic and phenotypic information can enable a better understanding of the divergence process and help identify the underlying selective forces, particularly in closely-related species groups. here, we link genetic an ...	2016	27729267
the tick (acari: ixodidae) fauna of herald's beacon islet, australia.	a rare opportunity to travel to herald's beacon islet with permission from the australian government to collect ticks allowed for a survey of the tick fauna of the island to be undertaken for the first time. the avian fauna of the island, which serve as hosts, was also recorded and includes one new species record for the island. the seabird soft tick ornithodoros capensis neumann and the seabird hard tick amblyomma loculosum neumann were found to be present on the island. images of the ticks pre ...	2017	28064411
detection of relapsing fever borrelia spp., bartonella spp. and anaplasmataceae bacteria in argasid ticks in algeria.	argasid ticks (soft ticks) are blood-feeding arthropods that can parasitize rodents, birds, humans, livestock and companion animals. ticks of the ornithodoros genus are known to be vectors of relapsing fever borreliosis in humans. in algeria, little is known about relapsing fever borreliosis and other bacterial pathogens transmitted by argasid ticks.	2017	29145396
a molecular survey of tick-borne pathogens from ticks collected in central queensland, australia.	central queensland (cq) is a large and isolated, low population density, remote tropical region of australia with a varied environment. the region has a diverse fauna and several species of ticks that feed upon that fauna. this study examined 518 individual ticks: 177 rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick), 123 haemaphysalis bancrofti (wallaby tick), 102 rhipicephalus australis (australian cattle tick), 47 amblyomma triguttatum (ornate kangaroo tick), 57 ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick), 9 ...	2018	29336689