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Article
Open AccessEvaluation of a semi-automated in vitro feeding system for Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes ricinus adults
The long feeding duration of ixodid ticks and need for regular blood changes turns the artificial feeding of ticks into a tedious process. To reduce the number of blood changes, a semi-automated system (SAS) f...
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Article
Open AccessDistribution of ticks infesting ruminants and risk factors associated with high tick prevalence in livestock farms in the semi-arid and arid agro-ecological zones of Pakistan
Tick infestation is the major problem for animal health that causes substantial economic losses, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. To better understand the spatial distribution of tick specie...
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Article
Toxocara vitulorum infection in German beef cattle
Toxocara vitulorum is an ascarid that is frequently found in sub-tropical regions but little is known about infections in more temperate climates. In this study, we report the occurrence ...
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Article
Open AccessOptimization of an artificial tick feeding assay for Dermacentor reticulatus
The development of standardized in vitro feeding methods for ixodid ticks has been hampered by their complex feeding behaviour and the long duration of their blood meal. In this study, we aimed to optimize sev...
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Article
Field trials assessing deltamethrin (Butox®) treatments of sheep against Culicoides species
Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges may transmit various diseases of economic importance, including bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg (SV) virus, which affect ruminants. Du...
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Article
Open AccessANTIDotE: anti-tick vaccines to prevent tick-borne diseases in Europe
Ixodes ricinus transmits bacterial, protozoal and viral pathogens, causing disease and forming an increasing health concern in Europe. ANTIDotE is an European Commission funded consortium of seven institutes, whi...
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Article
Open AccessFeeding behaviour of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) on cattle and sheep in northeast Germany
Culicoides spp. play an important role in the transmission of several vector-borne pathogens such as Bluetongue and Schmallenberg virus in Europe. To better understand the biology of local Culicoides species, a s...
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Article
Open AccessAbsence of zoonotic Bartonella species in questing ticks: First detection of Bartonella clarridgeiae and Rickettsia felis in cat fleas in the Netherlands
Awareness for flea- and tick-borne infections has grown in recent years and the range of microorganisms associated with these ectoparasites is rising. Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of Cat Scratch Disea...
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Article
Open AccessPotential role of ticks as vectors of bluetongue virus
When the first outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV8) was recorded in North-West Europe in August 2006 and renewed outbreaks occurred in the summer of 2007 and again in 2008, the question was raised ho...
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Article
Open AccessDifferential expression of genes in salivary glands of male Rhipicephalus (Boophilus)microplus in response to infection with Anaplasma marginale
Bovine anaplasmosis, caused by the rickettsial tick-borne pathogen Anaplasma marginale (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae), is vectored by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus)microplus in many tropical and subtropical regions ...
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Article
Open AccessSubolesin expression in response to pathogen infection in ticks
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are vectors of pathogens worldwide that cause diseases in humans and animals. Ticks and pathogens have co-evolved molecular mechanisms that contribute to their mutual development and su...
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Article
Open AccessSelection of reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR studies in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks and determination of the expression profile of Bm86
For accurate and reliable gene expression analysis, normalization of gene expression data against reference genes is essential. In most studies on ticks where (semi-)quantitative RT-PCR is employed, normalizat...
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Article
Open AccessEvidence of the role of tick subolesin in gene expression
Subolesin is an evolutionary conserved protein that was discovered recently in Ixodes scapularis as a tick protective antigen and has a role in tick blood digestion, reproduction and development. In other organis...
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Article
Open AccessExpression of recombinant Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, R. annulatus and R. decoloratus Bm86 orthologs as secreted proteins in Pichia pastoris
Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp. ticks economically impact on cattle production in Africa and other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Tick vaccines constitute a cost-effective and environmentally fr...
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Article
Open AccessExperimental transmission of Anaplasma marginale by male Dermacentor reticulatus
Bovine anaplasmosis has been reported in several European countries, but the vector competency of tick species for Anaplasma marginale from these localities has not been determined. Because of the wide distributi...
