Vectorial competence of Amblyomma tonelliae to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii

TARRAGONA, EL; SOARES JOÃO FAVIO; F. B. COSTA; M. B. LABRUNA; S. N AVA

MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016 vol. 30 p. 410 - 415

0269-283X

The aim of this work was to test the vectorial competence of Amblyomma tonelliae to transmit Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). All parasitic stages of A. tonelliae were exposed to R. rickettsii by feeding on hosts inoculated with this pathogen. Thereafter, ticks were fed on uninfected hosts. All stages of A. tonelliae were able to acquire the R. rickettsii infection and maintain it by transstadial and transovarial transmission. When infected ticks were fed on uninfected hosts, these developed rickettsiosis disease. The vectorial competence of A. tonelliae to transmit R. rickettsii was demonstrated in this study. These results have epidemiological relevance because A. tonelliae is one of the tick species most likely to infest humans in Argentina, including areas where RMSF has been reported.