The interaction between the immune response of rabbits to heterologous antigens and a primary infestation with Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi.

Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi feeding on hosts inoculated with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) suppressed the primary antibody response to the two antigens. In addition, while the ticks paralysed most hosts in the studies, fatality associated with this toxicosis occurred only in rabbits which had received SRBC, either alone or with BSA. Only those hosts inoculated with BSA developed any resistance against the ticks, manifested by a slight reduction of engorged weights and development of anti-tick antibodies. These results suggest that R. e. evertsi infestation induces a degree of reduced host immune responsiveness to heterologous antigens.