Natural occurrence of lethal aspergillosis in the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari:Ixodidae).
Parasitology
; 139(2): 259-63, 2012 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-22018391
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to describe an unreported entomopathogenic fungus that naturally infects the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari Ixodidae). Engorged female ticks, showed symptoms of fungal infection after controlled tick infestation of cattle. Infected ticks developed a distinctive dark colour, a pale mould grew over the cuticle and the ticks eventually died covered with fungal conidiophores. The responsible fungus was isolated and cultured on mycological medium and submitted to microscopic morphology, biochemical phenotyping and 18S rRNA ribotyping analyses, which identified it as aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus. Spores from the cultured fungus were experimentally sprayed over healthy engorged female ticks, obtaining an 80% prevalence of experimental infection of healthy ticks and their egg masses, the larval progeny after incubation under laboratory conditions was also infected. These results demonstrate that A. flavus is the causative agent of the natural fungal disease of the cattle tick R. microplus described here.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Aspergillus flavus
/
Rhipicephalus
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Parasitology
Ano de publicação:
2012
Tipo de documento:
Article