Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks transmit Theileria parva from persistently infected cattle in the absence of detectable parasitemia: implications for East Coast fever epidemiology.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:East Coast fever (ECF) is a devastating disease of cattle and a significant constraint to improvement of livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa. The protozoan parasite causing ECF, Theileria parva, undergoes obligate sexual stage development in its tick vector Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Tick-borne acquisition and transmission occurs transstadially; larval and nymphal ticks acquire infection while feeding and transmit to cattle when they feed after molting to the next stage. Much of the current knowledge relating to tick-borne acquisition and transmission of T. parva has been derived from studies performed during acute infections where parasitemia is high. In contrast, tick-borne transmission during the low-level persistent infections characteristic of endemic transmission

SUBMITTER: Olds CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5834894 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature