Insights into the involvement of male Hyalomma anatolicum ticks in transmitting Anaplasma marginale, lumpy skin disease virus and Theileria annulata

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 56; no. 5; p. 167
• Main Authors: Ali, Sikandar, Ahmad, Abdullah Saghir, Ashraf, Kamran, Khan, Jawaria Ali, Rashid, Muhammad Imran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-06-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anaplasma marginale; Anaplasma marginale - isolation & purification; Anaplasmosis - transmission; Animal diseases; Animals; Arachnids; Bacteria; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calves; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - microbiology; Cattle Diseases - parasitology; Cattle Diseases - transmission; Cattle Diseases - virology; Disease transmission; Economic impact; Ectoparasites; Female; Females; Hyalomma anatolicum; Infections; Ixodidae - microbiology; Ixodidae - virology; Larva - virology; Larvae; Life Sciences; Livestock; Lumpy skin disease; Lumpy Skin Disease - transmission; Lumpy Skin Disease - virology; Lumpy skin disease virus - isolation & purification; Lumpy skin disease virus - physiology; Male; Males; Parasitic diseases; Pathogens; Polymerase chain reaction; Regular Articles; Skin diseases; Theileria annulata; Theileria annulata - isolation & purification; Theileriasis - transmission; Tick-borne diseases; Ticks; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Viruses; Zoology; Intrastadial transmission; Lumpy skin disease virus; Co-feeding; Anaplasma marginale; Hyalomma anatolicum; Theileria annulata
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-024-04022-x

Ticks can transmit viruses, bacteria, and parasites to humans, livestock, and pet animals causing tick-borne diseases (TBDs) mechanically or biologically in the world. Lumpy skin disease virus,
Anaplasma marginale
, and
Theileria annulata
inflict severe infections in cattle, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. The study investigated the potential transmissions of LSDV,
A. marginale
, and
T. annulata
through male
Hyalomma anatolicum
ticks in cattle calves. Two 6-month-old Holstein crossbred calves designated as A and B were used. On day 1, 15 uninfected female ticks (IIa) and infected batch of 40 male ticks (I) were attached on calf A for 11 days. Filial transmission of the infections was observed in female ticks (IIb) collected from calf A, where 8 female ticks had been co-fed with infected male ticks. The blood sample of calf B was found positive through PCR for the infections. The larvae and egg pools obtained from the infected ticks were also tested positive in PCR. The study confirmed the presence of these mixed pathogens and potential intra-stadial and transovarial transmissions of
A. marginale
,
T. annulata
, and LSDV in male and female ticks of
H. anatolicum
and experimental calves to establish the feasibility of infections through an in vivo approach.