Genetic characterization of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) ticks from dogs in Portugal.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The taxonomic status of the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu stricto) is a subject of on-going debate; there is a consensus that populations of this tick species should be referred to as R. sanguineus (sensu lato) until its taxonomic status is resolved. Recent genetic studies revealed the existence of more than one lineage of R. sanguineus (s.l.) in temperate countries. In this study, we assessed the genetic identity of ticks collected from rural dogs living in several areas located in all major geographical regions of Portugal.

Methods

A total of 347 ticks were collected from rural dogs living in different regions of Portugal. These ticks were morphologically identified and partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences (~300 bp) were obtained from r

SUBMITTER: Dantas-Torres F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5346838 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature