Attempts to transmit Babesia (Nuttallia) microti in laboratory mice by the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus

Abstract

Irvin A. D. and Brocklesby D. W. 1972. Attempts to transmit Babesia (Nuttallia) microti in laboratory mice by the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. International Journal for Parasitology, 2, 99–103. The rodent piroplasm Babesia microti is easily maintained in laboratory mice by syringe passage, but experimental tick transmission has not been successfully achieved. Attempts were made to effect experimental transmission using a tick species ( Rhipicephalus appendiculatus) readily maintained in the laboratory. Larval ticks fed on parasitaemic mice failed to transmit infection when ground up and inoculated into clean mice. Nymphal ticks from the same batches also failed to transmit infection when applied to mice. Larval ticks applied to a rabbit into which parasitaemic blood was inoculated failed to become infected, even though the rabbit's blood remained infective for 3 days on mechanical passage into clean mice. Piroplasms were detected in the gut of engorged larvae but not in ova laid by female ticks which had engorged on parasitaemic mice.