Mechanical transmission of lumpy skin disease virus by Rhipicephalus appendiculatus male ticks.
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an economically important, acute or sub-acute, viral disease of cattle that occurs across Africa and in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to investigate if lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) can be transmitted mechanically by African brown ear ticks (Rhipicephalus appendiculatus Neum.). Laboratory-bred R. appendiculatus males were fed on experimentally infected viraemic 'donor' cattle. Partially fed male ticks were then transferred to feed on an uninfected 'recipient' cow. The recipient animal became viraemic, showed mild clinical signs of LSD and seroconverted. Additionally, R. appendiculatus males were found to transmit LSDV through feeding on skin lacking visible lesions, demonstrating that viraemic animals without lesions at the feeding site of ticks may be a source of infection. This is the first time that transmission of poxviruses by a tick species has been demonstrated and the importance of this mode of transmission in the spread of LSDV in endemic settings is discussed.
Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey, UK.
E S M
ES
Tuppurainen
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
J C
JC
Lubinga
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
W H
WH
Stoltsz
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
M
M
Troskie
Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey, UK.
S T
ST
Carpenter
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
J A W
JA
Coetzer
Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.
E H
EH
Venter
Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright, Surrey, UK.
C A L
CA
Oura
D000349:Africa; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004199:Disease Vectors; D008166:Lumpy Skin Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000635:transmission*; D008167:Lumpy skin disease virus; D008297:Male; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D048494:Rhipicephalus / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D014766:Viremia