Acquired resistance of horses to Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) ticks

Abstract

Acquired immunity of horses to larvae, nymphs and adults of the Amblyomma cajennense tick was evaluated through three consecutive experimental infestations of tick-bite naı̈ve hosts. Data from these infestations were compared to those from field-sensitized horses and donkeys. It was observed that tick-bite naı̈ve horses developed a low level of resistance after two infestations as shown by a significant decrease in larval yield and a tendency for lower engorged weight of nymphs during third infestation. Ticks fed on field-sensitized horses had a similar biological performance to that observed on the third infestation of tick-bite naı̈ve horses but the mean engorged nymph weight was significantly lower than that of the first infestation from tick-bite naı̈ve horses. Donkeys presented the strongest resistance with significantly lower engorged weights of all instars and of the egg mass compared to the first infestation of tick-bite naı̈ve horses. Donkeys also displayed a significantly higher resistance than field-sensitized horses as demonstrated by significantly lower egg mass weights. Overall these results indicate that donkeys but not horses maintain a strong resistance to A. cajennense ticks. The importance of these findings in relation to vectoring of tick-borne diseases is discussed.