Behaviour of Babesia microti in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and the use of ticks, Hyalomma a. anatolicum and Ixodes ricinus as potential vectors
1981
Knoke, Miguel Angel Reyes | D.W. Brocklesby | D. W. Brocklesby | British Council, London | British Council, London
The "behaviour of Babesia microti in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguicudatus) and the use of Hyalomma a. anatolicum and Ixodes ricinus as vectors was studied. The Mongolian gerbil (Meriones ungniculatus) was found to be a suitable host for B. microti and the used Ixodid ticks. Attempts were made to transmit B. microti using larvae of H. a. anatolicum and I. ricinus as vectors. Larvae were fed on gerbils which were known to be exhibiting a parasitaemia of 20-30% infected red blood cells. After moulting the resulting nymphs were applied to uninfected gerbils and the gerbils monitored for the presence of B. microti in thin blood smears and by sub-inoculation of blood into uninfected gerbils. B. microti was not detected either in any of the gerbils on which the nymphs had been fed or in any of the sub-inoculated gerbils, suggesting, that under the conditions of this study, H. a. anatolicum and I. ricinus larvae are incapable of affecting the transmission of this parasite. Some evidence was obtained, however, that B. microti under- took some form of development following the ingestion of infected red blood cells by immature larval stages of both ticks and nymphs of H. a. anatolicum.
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