Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)
Hard ticks pose a threat to animal and human health. Active life stages need to feed on a vertebrate host in order to complete their life cycle. To study processes such as tick-pathogen interactions or drug efficacy and pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to maintain tick colonies under defined labora...
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| Format: | Artículo |
| Language: | Inglés |
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MDPI
2025
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22258 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/5/1107 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051107 |
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| author | Sebastian, Patrick Król, Nina Novoa, María Belén Nijhof, Ard Menzo Pfeffer, Martin Nava, Santiago Obiegala, Anna |
| author_browse | Król, Nina Nava, Santiago Nijhof, Ard Menzo Novoa, María Belén Obiegala, Anna Pfeffer, Martin Sebastian, Patrick |
| author_facet | Sebastian, Patrick Król, Nina Novoa, María Belén Nijhof, Ard Menzo Pfeffer, Martin Nava, Santiago Obiegala, Anna |
| author_sort | Sebastian, Patrick |
| collection | INTA Digital |
| description | Hard ticks pose a threat to animal and human health. Active life stages need to feed on a vertebrate host in order to complete their life cycle. To study processes such as tick-pathogen interactions or drug efficacy and pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to maintain tick colonies under defined laboratory conditions, typically using laboratory animals. The aim of this study was to test a membrane-based artificial feeding system (AFS) applicable for Amblyomma ticks using Amblyomma tonelliae as a biological model. Adult ticks from a laboratory colony were fed in a membrane-based AFS. For comparison, other A. tonelliae adults were fed on calf and rabbit. The proportions of attached (AFS: 76%; calf/rabbit: 100%) and engorged females (AFS: 47.4%; calf/rabbit: 100%) in the AFS were significantly lower compared to animal-based feeding (p = 0.0265). The engorgement weight of in vitro fed ticks (𝑥̲ = 658 mg; SD ± 259.80) did not significantly differ from that of ticks fed on animals (p = 0.3272, respectively 0.0947). The proportion of females that oviposited was 100% for all three feeding methods. However, the incubation period of eggs (𝑥̲ = 54 days; SD ± 7) was longer in the AFS compared to conventional animal-based feeding (p = 0.0014); 𝑥̲ = 45 days; SD ± 2 in the rabbit and (p = 0.0144). 𝑥̲ = 48 days; SD ± 2 in the calf). Egg cluster hatching (𝑥̲ = 41%; SD ± 44.82) was lower in the AFS than in the other feeding methods (rabbit: 𝑥̲ = 74%; SD ± 20; p = 0.0529; calf: 𝑥̲ = 81%; SD ± 22; p = 0.0256). Although the attachment, development, and the hatching of AFS ticks were below those from animal-based feeding, the method may be useful in future experiments. Nevertheless, further experiments with a higher number of tick specimens (including immature life stages) and different attractant stimuli are required to confirm the preliminary results of this study and to evaluate the applicability of AFS for Amblyomma ticks as an alternative to animal-based feeding methods. |
| format | Artículo |
| id | INTA22258 |
| institution | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina) |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | MDPI |
| publisherStr | MDPI |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | INTA222582025-05-13T15:07:50Z Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Sebastian, Patrick Król, Nina Novoa, María Belén Nijhof, Ard Menzo Pfeffer, Martin Nava, Santiago Obiegala, Anna Amblyomma Ticks Feeding Systems Tick-borne Diseases Laboratory Animals Laboratory Experimentation Garrapata Sistema de Alimentación Enfermedad Transmitida por Garrapatas Animal de Laboratorio Experimentación en Laboratorio Hard ticks pose a threat to animal and human health. Active life stages need to feed on a vertebrate host in order to complete their life cycle. To study processes such as tick-pathogen interactions or drug efficacy and pharmacokinetics, it is necessary to maintain tick colonies under defined laboratory conditions, typically using laboratory animals. The aim of this study was to test a membrane-based artificial feeding system (AFS) applicable for Amblyomma ticks using Amblyomma tonelliae as a biological model. Adult ticks from a laboratory colony were fed in a membrane-based AFS. For comparison, other A. tonelliae adults were fed on calf and rabbit. The proportions of attached (AFS: 76%; calf/rabbit: 100%) and engorged females (AFS: 47.4%; calf/rabbit: 100%) in the AFS were significantly lower compared to animal-based feeding (p = 0.0265). The engorgement weight of in vitro fed ticks (𝑥̲ = 658 mg; SD ± 259.80) did not significantly differ from that of ticks fed on animals (p = 0.3272, respectively 0.0947). The proportion of females that oviposited was 100% for all three feeding methods. However, the incubation period of eggs (𝑥̲ = 54 days; SD ± 7) was longer in the AFS compared to conventional animal-based feeding (p = 0.0014); 𝑥̲ = 45 days; SD ± 2 in the rabbit and (p = 0.0144). 𝑥̲ = 48 days; SD ± 2 in the calf). Egg cluster hatching (𝑥̲ = 41%; SD ± 44.82) was lower in the AFS than in the other feeding methods (rabbit: 𝑥̲ = 74%; SD ± 20; p = 0.0529; calf: 𝑥̲ = 81%; SD ± 22; p = 0.0256). Although the attachment, development, and the hatching of AFS ticks were below those from animal-based feeding, the method may be useful in future experiments. Nevertheless, further experiments with a higher number of tick specimens (including immature life stages) and different attractant stimuli are required to confirm the preliminary results of this study and to evaluate the applicability of AFS for Amblyomma ticks as an alternative to animal-based feeding methods. EEA Rafaela Fil: Sebastian, Patrick. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL); Argentina Fil: Sebastian, Patrick. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL); Argentina Fil: Król, Nina. University of Leipzig. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health; Alemania Fil: Novoa, María Belen. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IdICaL); Argentina Fil: Novoa, María Belen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL); Argentina Fil: Nijhof, Ard Menzo. Freie Universität Berlin. Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine; Alemania Fil: Pfeffer, Martin. University of Leipzig. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health; Alemania Fil: Nava, Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL); Argentina Fil: Nava, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL); Argentina Fil: Obiegala, Anna. University of Leipzig. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health; Alemania 2025-05-13T15:04:11Z 2025-05-13T15:04:11Z 2023-05 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22258 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/5/1107 2076-2607 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051107 eng info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-PE-E5-I109-001, Convocatoria: Estudios para el control de enfermedades subtropicales y/o transmitidas por vectores (Tristeza Bovina, Garrapatas, Miasis, Tripanosomiasis, Lengua Azul y la info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf MDPI Microorganisms 11 (5) : 1107. (May 2023) |
| spellingShingle | Amblyomma Ticks Feeding Systems Tick-borne Diseases Laboratory Animals Laboratory Experimentation Garrapata Sistema de Alimentación Enfermedad Transmitida por Garrapatas Animal de Laboratorio Experimentación en Laboratorio Sebastian, Patrick Król, Nina Novoa, María Belén Nijhof, Ard Menzo Pfeffer, Martin Nava, Santiago Obiegala, Anna Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title | Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title_full | Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title_fullStr | Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title_short | Preliminary Study on Artificial versus Animal-Based Feeding Systems for Amblyomma Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) |
| title_sort | preliminary study on artificial versus animal based feeding systems for amblyomma ticks acari ixodidae |
| topic | Amblyomma Ticks Feeding Systems Tick-borne Diseases Laboratory Animals Laboratory Experimentation Garrapata Sistema de Alimentación Enfermedad Transmitida por Garrapatas Animal de Laboratorio Experimentación en Laboratorio |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/22258 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/5/1107 https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11051107 |
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