Persistently infected calves as reservoirs for acquisition and transovarial transmission of Babesia bovis by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

ABSTRACT: Babesia bovis is a deadly disease of cattle resulting in severe economic losses in the vast regions of the world where it is endemic. If reintroduced into the United States, babesiosis would cause significant mortality in the naïve cattle population. In order to address the risk to U.S. cattle, it is essential to quantify the transovarial transmission efficiency in adult female Boophilus microplus ticks following acquisition feeding on persistently infected cattle. This study tested the hypothesis that infection rates are the same for larval progeny derived from females fed to repletion during persistent or acute infection. Increasing parasite levels during acute infection correlated with an increasing number of females harboring kinetes detectable in hemolymph (r = 0.9). The percent infec

SUBMITTER: Howell JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2045367 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature