Abstract:Background: Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888) is one of the species with medical and economic relevance that had been reported in the list of Cuban tick species. Some morphological characterizations about the R. microplus species in Cuba have been published, however, molecular studies are lacking. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have revealed a common ancestor for R. annulatus, R. australis and three clades of R. microplus within the Boophilus subgenus. These five clades were grouped in a complex name… Show more
“…The R. microplus specimens used in this experiment were kindly provided by the National Laboratory of Parasitology (LNP). The Cayo Coco hemoparasite-free LNP reference strain was used (Guzmán et al, 2021). Ticks were collected from clinically healthy cattle, maintained in individual boxes.…”
In this study, we report for the first time the successful infestation of rabbits with just-molted, unfed adults of Rhipicephalus microplus. Six New Zealand White rabbits were experimentally infested with 20 female and 20 male unfed adult ticks released into plastic chambers fixed on the shaved backs of each host. The attachment and feeding processes were successful. The biological characteristics of the ticks and the occurrence of adverse events in the tick-attachment area were studied. The average engorgement period was 10.7 days, and 33.3% of the engorged females completed the parasitic phase. The average weight of the recovered engorged females was 149.8 mg, with an average egg mass weight of 70.9 mg, a conversion efficiency index of 47.3%, and a hatching percentage of 88.31%. The adverse reactions found in the tick-attachment area were the usual inflammatory responses of the organism to infestation by these ectoparasites; however, it did not prevent the ticks from feeding and completing their life cycle. These data indicate that the infestation of rabbits with just-molted, unfed adult ticks could be a valuable, alternative animal model for rapid and economical evaluation of vaccine candidates and new molecules with acaricidal activity against Rhipicephalus microplus.
“…The R. microplus specimens used in this experiment were kindly provided by the National Laboratory of Parasitology (LNP). The Cayo Coco hemoparasite-free LNP reference strain was used (Guzmán et al, 2021). Ticks were collected from clinically healthy cattle, maintained in individual boxes.…”
In this study, we report for the first time the successful infestation of rabbits with just-molted, unfed adults of Rhipicephalus microplus. Six New Zealand White rabbits were experimentally infested with 20 female and 20 male unfed adult ticks released into plastic chambers fixed on the shaved backs of each host. The attachment and feeding processes were successful. The biological characteristics of the ticks and the occurrence of adverse events in the tick-attachment area were studied. The average engorgement period was 10.7 days, and 33.3% of the engorged females completed the parasitic phase. The average weight of the recovered engorged females was 149.8 mg, with an average egg mass weight of 70.9 mg, a conversion efficiency index of 47.3%, and a hatching percentage of 88.31%. The adverse reactions found in the tick-attachment area were the usual inflammatory responses of the organism to infestation by these ectoparasites; however, it did not prevent the ticks from feeding and completing their life cycle. These data indicate that the infestation of rabbits with just-molted, unfed adult ticks could be a valuable, alternative animal model for rapid and economical evaluation of vaccine candidates and new molecules with acaricidal activity against Rhipicephalus microplus.
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