Abstract
Tick-host bloodmeal associations are important factors when characterizing risks of associated pathogen transmission and applying appropriate management strategies. Despite their biological importance, comparatively little is known about soft tick (Argasidae) host associations in the United States compared to hard ticks (Ixodidae). In this study, we evaluated a PCR and direct Sanger sequencing method for identifying the bloodmeal hosts of soft ticks. We collected 381 cave-associated Ornithodoros turicata near San Antonio, Texas, USA, and also utilized eight colony-reared specimens fed artificially on known host blood sources over 1.5 years ago. We correctly identified the vertebrate host bloodmeals of two colony-reared ticks (chicken and pig) up to 1,105 days post-feeding, and identified bloodmeal hosts from 19 out of 168 field-collected soft ticks, including raccoon (78.9%), black vulture (10.5%), Texas black rattlesnake (5.3%), and human (5.3%). Our results confirm the retention of vertebrate blood DNA in soft ticks and advance the knowledge of argasid host associations in cave-dwelling O. turicata.
Highlights
The identification of arthropod host-feeding patterns through bloodmeal analysis can provide key information for vertebrate host contact and pathogen transmission networks [1,2,3,4]
Reservoir hosts of Leishmania were identified by studying previous bloodmeals of sand flies [5], and host-feeding patterns in mosquitoes allowed for an enhanced understanding of the reservoirs of West Nile virus [6, 7]
Bloodmeal analysis was conducted on eight O. turicata from a colonized population with known prior bloodmeals, with personnel conducting the molecular work blinded to the vertebrate species
Summary
The identification of arthropod host-feeding patterns through bloodmeal analysis can provide key information for vertebrate host contact and pathogen transmission networks [1,2,3,4]. Bloodmeal analysis, applied to ticks, has repeatedly been associated with limited success [10, 11], likely owing to DNA degradation during the molt and many months since prior bloodmeal acquisition. Given their importance as vectors of human pathogens, several studies have conducted bloodmeal analysis of hard ticks (Ixodidae), identifying vertebrate hosts in 20–93% of analyzed ticks [12, 13]. Relatively few studies have attempted to identify the bloodmeal hosts of argasid ticks (soft ticks)
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