Abstract
The ecology and host feeding patterns of many soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) remain poorly understood. To address soft tick–host feeding associations, we fed Ornithodoros turicata Dugès on multiple host species and evaluated quantitative PCR (qPCR) and stable isotope analyses to identify the vertebrate species used for the bloodmeal. The results showed that a qPCR with host-specific probes for the cytochrome b gene successfully identified bloodmeals from chicken (Gallus gallus L.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus L), and swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) beyond 330 days post-feeding and through multiple molting. Also, qPCR-based bloodmeal analyses could detect multiple host species within individual ticks that fed upon more than one species. The stable isotope bloodmeal analyses were based on variation in the natural abundance of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) isotopes in ticks fed on different hosts. When compared to reference isotope signatures, this method discerned unique δ13C and δ15N signatures in the ticks fed on each host taxa yet could not discern multiple host species from O. turicata that fed on more than one host species. Given the significance of soft tick-borne zoonoses and animal diseases, elucidating host feeding patterns from field-collected ticks using these methods may provide insight for an ecological basis to disease management.
Highlights
The identification of host bloodmeal sources in arthropod vectors provides vital information in vector-borne disease ecology, which enables vector-specific control and a proactive vector–host–pathogen risk assessment [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
A significant difference was observed in the quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) (qPCR) array results in tick samples from the CS cohort based on experiment days (P < 0.01, Cochran–Armitage trend test) (Table 3), indicating that the starvation period had affected the qPCR outcome
The SI-based bloodmeal analysis technique was proven capable of discerning the difference among O. turicata cohorts which fed on different single vertebrate host blood taxa
Summary
The identification of host bloodmeal sources in arthropod vectors provides vital information in vector-borne disease ecology, which enables vector-specific control and a proactive vector–host–pathogen risk assessment [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. The primary challenge of conducting bloodmeal analyses in arthropod vectors enduring starvation periods lasting months to years, such as in ticks, is that the DNA obtained from previous life stage bloodmeals is degraded during molting [11, 12]. To overcome this challenge, techniques such as reverse lineblot hybridization have shown potential due to its improved sensitivity to low quantities of DNA and the ability to use a large panel of host-specific probes [13, 14]. This approach to bloodmeal analysis may be limited by availability of existing host blood probe data and optimization procedures [10, 13, 14]
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