Establishment and Validation of Sporozoite Ak-93 Infection in Laboratory-Reared Tick Using In Vivo and In Vitro Assays.

BACKGROUND

Tropical Theileriosis caused by is a tick-borne disease which transmitted by the ixodid tick members of the genus . Studies on different aspects of disease require to access infective sporozoite of parasite which produced by tick vector. This study was carried out to establish of life cycle to achieve infected ticks.

METHODS

Laboratory rabbit and calf were used for rearing of different instars. Unfed nymphs were fed on infected calf. Clinical signs, Giemsa stained smears and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods were used for detection of infection in blood and tick specimens. Susceptible calf was used for confirmation of sporozoites maturation and infectivity in bioassay test.

RESULTS

two and three-host strategies of life cycle was lasted 90 and 116 days respectively. The PCR confirmed infection in blood and tick samples. Maturation of sporozoites was confirmed in bioassy test. First clinical symptom of disease was seen earlier in the case of transmission of disease through feeding of live ticks in comparison with blood injection method.

CONCLUSION

Complete life cycle of was done and confirmed by clinical signs, microscopic examination, molecular methods and bioassay test. According to published reports to date, this is the first report of establishment of tick infection with using susceptible calf under controlled conditions in Iran.