![]() ![]() Other livestock species and wildlife prevalent in the region appear only to have a minor role in maintaining this tick. Humans serve as accidental hosts, frequently confirmed by reports from both producers and veterinarians. The major role of pigs as hosts is consistent with fieldwork observations and underlines the importance of pigs for maintaining O. Three samples revealed mixed blood meals, namely, human–pig (1.3%), sheep–pig (1.3%), and bovine–pig (1.3%). Host origins for blood meal analysis from 79 of 349 ticks revealed that 46.8% had previously fed from pigs, 35.4% human, 13.9% bovine, 5.1% sheep, 1.3% rodent, and 1.3% from birds. PCR amplification of vertebrate cytochrome b was used to disclose the original host from which 349 ticks had derived their previous blood meal. Ticks collected from two pigpens located in southern Portugal were subjected to blood meal analysis. Investigation of arthropod blood meal composition provides evidence linking the vector to specific hosts, providing insights into possible disease reservoirs. The natural ecosystems maintaining this spirochete are not well understood, with details of competent vertebrate reservoirs and tick–host interactions poorly understood. ![]() ![]() In the Iberian Peninsula, this tick serves as the vector of human tick-borne relapsing fever caused by the spirochete Borrelia hispanica. ![]() erraticus is an important infectious disease vector both for humans and animals. This tick is often found living buried in the soil of traditional pigpens. The hematophagous soft tick Ornithodoros erraticus feeds nocturnally on multiple warm-blooded vertebrate hosts. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |