Detection of Human Blood in the Bat Tick <I>Carios</I> (<I>Ornithodoros</I>) <I>kelleyi</I> (Acari: Argasidae) in Iowa

Abstract

The argasid tick Carios (Ornithodoros) kelleyi Cooley & Kohls is a common ectoparasite of bats and has been found in massive numbers in homes with associated bat colonies in eastern Iowa. This tick feeds nearly exclusively on bats in nature. Several inhabitants of infested homes complained of "bug bites" at night while asleep that may have resulted in erythematous, edematous, urticaric skin lesions and constitutional signs and symptoms. We provide laboratory evidence that a single, engorged C. kelleyi nymph contained host blood from a human female. The clinical implications of our Þndings are intriguing but unclear.

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…There is evidence from the United States of America that C. kelleyi will feed on humans, sometimes with deleterious consequences (Gill et al 2004). A number of potential pathogens have been isolated from C. kelleyi, including Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella (Loftis et al 2005;Reeves et al 2006).…”

Novel Relapsing Fever Spirochete in Bat Tick

“…Although the ecologic parameters that maintain B. hermsii and B. turicatae differ, human infections usually occur in rustic cabins (B. hermsii) and caves (B. turicatae) inhabited by ticks and their terrestrial vertebrate hosts (1). Recently, Gill et al (4) provided evidence that the argasid bat tick, Carios kelleyi, feeds upon humans. Subsequently, Loftis et al (5) used PCR analysis and DNA sequencing to detect in C. kelleyi an unidentifi ed Borrelia species that was closely related to B. turicatae and B. parkeri.…”

Prevalence and Diversity of Bartonella spp. in Bats in Peru

“…[2][3][4] Although the knowledge of bats was mostly associated with viruses, several studies also reported the detection of bacterial agents in bats and their ectoparasites [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] and have suggested potential for human infection. 14 The genus of Bartonella includes a group of gram-negative bacteria that are highly adapted to intracellular persistence in a wide variety of vertebrates, including rodents, insectivores, carnivores, ungulates, and other mammals. A number of Bartonella species have been associated with human illnesses and are responsible for a growing spectrum of emerging diseases.…”