Abstract
Blood meal analysis (BMA) from ticks allows for the identification of natural hosts of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). The aim of this study is to identify the blood meal sources of field collected on-host ticks using PCR analysis. DNA of four genera of ticks was isolated and their cytochrome b (Cyt b) gene was amplified to identify host blood meals. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on data of Cyt b sequences using Neighbor Joining (NJ) and Maximum Parsimony (MP) analysis using MEGA 5.05 for the clustering of hosts of tick species. Twenty out of 27 samples showed maximum similarity (99%) with GenBank sequences through a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) while 7 samples only showed a similarity range of between 91–98%. The phylogenetic trees showed that the blood meal samples were derived from small rodents (Leopoldamys sabanus, Rattus tiomanicus and Sundamys muelleri), shrews (Tupaia glis) and mammals (Tapirus indicus and Prionailurus bengalensis), supported by 82–88% bootstrap values. In this study, Cyt b gene as a molecular target produced reliable results and was very significant for the effective identification of ticks’ blood meal. The assay can be used as a tool for identifying unknown blood meals of field collected on-host ticks.
Highlights
The tick is a member of the class Arachnida that belongs to the sub-class Acari
A total of 27 engorged ticks collected from four different localities (Table 2) were amplified from cytochrome b (Cyt b) using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) analysis
Six species of hosts comprising three rodents (Leopoldamys sabanus, Sundamys muelleri and Rattus tiomanicus); a shrew, Tupaia glis and two mammals identified as Tapirus indicus and Prionailurus bengalensis, were identified
Summary
The tick is a member of the class Arachnida that belongs to the sub-class Acari It relies heavily on other animals as hosts to complete their life cycle (Mihalca et al 2012). Ticks that live in close proximity to humans, especially those on rodents, play a significant role in the transmission of several diseases (Chul-Min et al 2006). Besides their role as hosts, rodents serve as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens (Paulauskas et al 2009, Harrison et al 2010, Paziewska et al 2010). The close association between rodents and human is a risk factor for the transmission of diseases such as rickettsiosis, babesiosis and Lyme borreliosis (Killilea et al 2008, Kia et al 2009, Mihalca et al 2012)
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