title: Disruption of pregnancy in rabbits serving as hosts for feeding ticks.
abstract: The effect of tick infestation on reproductive success of mammals was studied by using rabbits bred after they had served as hosts for Dermacentor variabilis . Mating success, pregnancy incidence, litter size and neonatal viability were reduced in tick-exposed rabbits, and the proportional number of abnormalities found in preimplantation-stage embryos was much higher than in unexposed controls. Fecundity was restored by prolonging the interval between tick exposure and breeding or by treatment with an acaricide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sonenshine
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Juneja