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Natural occurrence of lethal aspergillosis in the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari:Ixodidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2011

E. MIRANDA-MIRANDA ,
R. COSSIO-BAYUGAR ,
F. MARTÍNEZ-IBAÑEZ ,
R. CASASANERO-ORDUÑA  and
J. FOLCH-MALLOL
E. MIRANDA-MIRANDA*
Affiliation:
Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitología Veterinaria del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac No. 8534, Colonia Progreso Jiutepec, MorelosMéxicoC.P. 62550
R. COSSIO-BAYUGAR
Affiliation:
Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitología Veterinaria del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac No. 8534, Colonia Progreso Jiutepec, MorelosMéxicoC.P. 62550
F. MARTÍNEZ-IBAÑEZ
Affiliation:
Centro Nacional de Servicios de Constatación en Salud Animal SAGARPA, Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla No. 8534, Colonia Progres, Jiutepec, MorelosMéxicoC.P. 62550
R. CASASANERO-ORDUÑA
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Av. Universidad s/n., Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, MéxicoC.P. 62210
J. FOLCH-MALLOL
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Av. Universidad s/n., Colonia Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, MéxicoC.P. 62210
*
*Corresponding author: Centro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria en Parasitología Veterinaria del Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Boulevard Cuauhnahuac No. 8534, Colonia Progreso, Jiutepec, MorelosMéxico, C.P. 62550. Tel: +52 777 31928 50 ext. 119. Fax: +52 777 31928 50 ext. 129. E-mail: miranda.estefhan@inifap.gob.mx and estefanm2001@yahoo.com.mx
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Summary

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.

Keywords

tick infestationbiochemical phenotyping18S rRNAribotypingaspergillosisentomopathogen
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 139 , Issue 2 , February 2012 , pp. 259 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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