title: Recent developments in elucidating tick vector relationships for anaplasmosis and equine piroplasmosis.
abstract: This brief review focuses first on several epidemiologically relevant aspects of anaplasmosis, including: (1) the role of male ticks as intrastadial, biological vectors of Anaplasma through interhost transfer; (2) the application of molecular diagnostic assays in assessing tick vector competence and evaluating the role of chronically infected carrier cattle as sources of Anaplasma marginale infection in vector ticks; (3) opportunities provided by a recently developed in vitro tick feeding system in quantitating studies of tick-hemoparasite-host interactions. Lastly, current knowledge of the status of New World ticks as experimental and/or natural vectors of equine piroplasms is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Animal Disease Research Unit, ARS-USDA, Moscow, ID 83844-2201, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stiller
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Coan
mesh_terms: D000712:Anaplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D000818:Animals; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003870:Dermacentor; D006734:Horse Diseases; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D013987:Ticks; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology