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Monitoring of naturally acquired and artificially induced immunity toAmblyomma variegatum andRhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks under field and laboratory conditions

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Abstract

The ability of rabbits, goats and cattle to acquire immunity to the ixodid ticksAmblyomma variegatum andRhipicephalus appendiculatus was studied under laboratory and field conditions. Rabbits were successfully immunized with crude salivary gland extract (SGE) and midgut extract (ME) obtained from flat or partly fed femaleR. appendiculatus ticks. The lowest numbers of larvae were produced by females fed on rabbits immunized with unfed midgut extract. Similar reductions in larval production could be induced after three infestations of rabbits with adultR. appendiculatus. Also, successive feedings of nymphs ofR. appendiculatus on rabbits resulted in significantly reduced engorgement weights. Skin testing with SGE induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, which could be correlated with immunity toR. appendiculatus in rabbits. Moreover, circulating antibodies were detected in rabbits with an ELISA using SGE ofR. appendiculatus.

Immunity toA. variegatum nymphs could be induced in rabbits by repeated infestations, but this failed in goats. Immunization of goats with midgut extract from adultA. variegatum did not protect against subsequent nymphal challenge, but strong skin reactions were noticed when adults ticks fed on immunized goats. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of SGE and ME fromA. variegatum revealed the presence of 48 protein bands in SGE and 29 bands in midgut extract. Western blotting employing serum from a rabbit immune toR. appendiculatus recognized a number of bands in SGE fromR. appendiculatus, but also in SGE ofA. variegatum.

Immunity acquired by cattle to ixodid tick infestations under field conditions was monitored by skin testing with SGE and western blot analysis. In general, cattle with the lowest tick numbers manifested the strongest delayed-type hypersensitivity responses. Finally, western blot analysis employing sera from tick-infested and tick-naive cattle could not be related to actual immune status.

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Author notes

  1. D. Zivkovic

    Present address: Department of Experimental Zoology, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  2. A. Cossé

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, 32000, Technion, Haifa, Israel

  3. T. A. Niewold

    Present address: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht, The Netherlands

  4. Ashrafel Said

    Present address: Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Protozoology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 80165, 3508TD, Utrecht, (The Netherlands)

    F. Jongejan, M. J. C. Thielemans, A. Cossé, T. A. Niewold, Ashrafel Said & G. Uilenberg

  2. “Economics of Ticks in Zambia” Project GCP/ZAM/029/DEN, FAO, P.O. Box30563, Lusaka, (Zambia)

    R. G. Pegram & D. Zivkovic

  3. Division of Immunology, Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 80.165, 3508 TD, Utrecht, (The Netherlands)

    E. J. Hensen

  4. Central Veterinary Research Institute (CVRI), Balmoral, P.O. Box 33980, Lusaka, (Zambia)

    E. T. Mwase

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  1. F. Jongejan
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  6. M. J. C. Thielemans
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  9. Ashrafel Said
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  10. G. Uilenberg
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Jongejan, F., Pegram, R.G., Zivkovic, D. et al. Monitoring of naturally acquired and artificially induced immunity toAmblyomma variegatum andRhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks under field and laboratory conditions. Exp Appl Acarol 7, 181–199 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01194059

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01194059

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