| dc.description.abstract | Background
Ixodes hexagonus is one of several tick species that is found in The Netherlands. Ixodes hexagonus is a hard tick which belongs to the Ixodidae family. The hedgehog is its main host, but also other mammals serve as hosts. This tick is a vector for several different pathogens, but until now little is known. The aim of this study was to achieve high attachment rates of I. hexagonus on artificial membrane by using different attachment stimuli, and eventually use in vitro feeding to study its vector role. The main question in this study was: can Ixodes hexagonus, while being fed in vitro, transmit Anaplasma and Borrelia during their feeding process?
Materials and methods
I. hexagonus was fed in vitro. Two systems were used (ticks-up and ticks-down system) in this study. To achieve higher attachment rates, several attachment stimuli were used. I. hexagonus from the UCTD colony were used in these experiments. Eventually, partially engorged field ticks were used to answer the main question of this study. These ticks were placed in the in vitro feeding units, which were provided with the most successful attachment stimuli.
Results
Higher attachment rates were mainly seen in the ticks-down system (TD-system). The ticks-up system (TU-system) showed lower attachment rates. The highest attachment rates among colony ticks were acquired in the TD-system with the following attachment stimuli: three days preconditioned ticks, membranes that were in the odourbox for 11 days, the concentrated bovine sebum extract (2nd batch), the faeces extract and cow hair.
Among the 21 used field ticks in the TD-system, no attachment was seen. Attachment of male ticks was seen in both the TU-system and the TD-system. Only one of the ticks, used in a forced feeding experiment, survived longer than 24 hours. None of the ticks survived 48 hours or longer.
Conclusion
As shown in the results, higher attachment rates among colony ticks were achieved in the TD-system, with a specific combination of multiple attachment stimuli. The forced feeding technique used in this experiment was not useful to demonstrate transmission of Anaplasma and Borrelia, because of the low survival rate. Like female ticks, male Ixodes hexagonus ticks also attached to the membrane. Whether they play a role in transmission of pathogens is unclear. As a result, more research has to be done, because no conclusions can be drawn regarding transmission of Anaplasma and Borrelia during in vitro feeding. | |
