title: Evaluation of Rhipicephalus sanguineus as a potential biologic vector of Ehrlichia platys.
abstract: The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae), transmits several diseases among dogs including Ehrlichia canis infection. The role of Rhipicephalus sanguineus as a biologic vector for E platys, the rickettsial agent of infectious canine cyclic thrombocytopenia, was studied in dogs. Laboratory-cultured, pathogen-free nymph ticks were fed to repletion on dogs acutely infected with E platys. Tick engorgement coincided with the development of initial parasitemia and thrombocytopenia in the infected dogs. Following repletion, nymph ticks were allowed to molt under controlled conditions. One-month-old E platys-exposed adult ticks failed to infect naive dogs in animal transmission studies. The presence of E platys was not detected in midguts or salivary glands of similarly exposed adult ticks by use of light and transmission electron microscopy. These studies indicate that R sanguineus may not transmit E platys infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Gaunt
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hair
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kocan
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Henk
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Casey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D004536:Ehrlichia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000662:veterinary; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000662:veterinary; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology*