Tahereh Dabaghmanesh1, Qasem Asgari2, Mohammad Djaefar Moemenbellah-Fard3, Aboozar Soltani3, Kourosh Azizi4. 1. Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 2. Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 3. Research Centre for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. 4. Research Centre for Health Sciences, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran azizik@sums.ac.ir azizi_ko@yahoo.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The visceral leishmaniasis parasite, Leishmania infantum, is naturally transmitted through the bites of phlebotomine sand flies. Alternative routes of transmission are questioned. The main aim is to verify the passage of L. infantum kDNA in ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, blood feeding on a parasitemic dog in Shiraz, south of Iran. METHODS: A total of 180 Leishmania-free ticks collected from fields and bred on lab rodents, were divided into eight groups and allowed to feed on a dog (Canis familiaris) for fixed periods of time. These and all third generation stages of ticks were checked for L. infantum kDNA using conventional PCR protocol. RESULTS: The infection rate was significantly higher in female than male ticks (p=0.043). The rates were higher among nymphs (25/60; 42%) than adult ticks (37/120; 30.8%). The kDNA of L. infantum was not detected in ticks 24 h post-feeding. It was, however, positive among the second to fourth groups of nymphs (4/10; 40%, 10/20; 50% and 11/20; 55%) and adult (12/30; 40%, 14/30; 46.6% and 11/30; 36.6%) ticks. Eggs and unfed larvae recovered from the third and fourth adult groups (2 weeks, 4 weeks) were 100% PCR-positive. The data revealed the passage of L. infantum kDNA in nymphs and adults of brown dog tick following fixed time intervals post blood feeding on an infected dog. CONCLUSIONS: The natural transovarial and transstadial passage of kDNA through ticks was shown by PCR.
BACKGROUND: The visceral leishmaniasis parasite, Leishmania infantum, is naturally transmitted through the bites of phlebotomine sand flies. Alternative routes of transmission are questioned. The main aim is to verify the passage of L. infantum kDNA in ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, blood feeding on a parasitemic dog in Shiraz, south of Iran. METHODS: A total of 180 Leishmania-free ticks collected from fields and bred on lab rodents, were divided into eight groups and allowed to feed on a dog (Canis familiaris) for fixed periods of time. These and all third generation stages of ticks were checked for L. infantum kDNA using conventional PCR protocol. RESULTS: The infection rate was significantly higher in female than male ticks (p=0.043). The rates were higher among nymphs (25/60; 42%) than adult ticks (37/120; 30.8%). The kDNA of L. infantum was not detected in ticks 24 h post-feeding. It was, however, positive among the second to fourth groups of nymphs (4/10; 40%, 10/20; 50% and 11/20; 55%) and adult (12/30; 40%, 14/30; 46.6% and 11/30; 36.6%) ticks. Eggs and unfed larvae recovered from the third and fourth adult groups (2 weeks, 4 weeks) were 100% PCR-positive. The data revealed the passage of L. infantum kDNA in nymphs and adults of brown dog tick following fixed time intervals post blood feeding on an infected dog. CONCLUSIONS: The natural transovarial and transstadial passage of kDNA through ticks was shown by PCR.
Authors: Thaís Rabelo Santos-Doni; Milena Araúz Viol; Valéria Marçal Felix Lima; Bruno César Miranda Oliveira; Lucas Vinicius Shigaki Matos; Alvimar José da Costa; Jancarlo Ferreira Gomes; Katia Denise Saraiva Bresciani Journal: Vet Res Commun Date: 2021-09-23 Impact factor: 2.816