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Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasit Vectors / Experimental infection of horses with Rickettsia rickettsii.
Parasites & vectors2016; 9(1); 499; doi: 10.1186/s13071-016-1784-y

Experimental infection of horses with Rickettsia rickettsii.

Abstract: Rickettsia rickettsii is vectored by ticks, and some vertebrate hosts can be sources of infection to ticks during bacteremic periods. In Brazil, the main vector for R. rickettsii is the tick Amblyomma sculptum, a member of the A. cajennense complex. Horses, in turn, are one of the major hosts for A. sculptum. In this study, horses experimentally infected with R. rickettsii were assessed for clinical changes and their capability to transmit the infection to A. sculptum ticks. Four horses were infected with R. rickettsii through either intraperitoneal injection or infestation with R. rickettsii-infected A. sculptum ticks. Simultaneously, the animals were infested with non-infected A. sculptum ticks. The horses were monitored for 30 days by clinical examination, hematological and biochemical tests, real-time PCR of blood for the detection of Rickettsia, and inoculation of blood in guinea pigs. IgG antibody titers were followed until the horses have shown seronegativity or until the end of the experiment. Uninfected ticks that fed on horses were subjected to real-time PCR and/or were fed on susceptible rabbits. The horses showed no clinical, hematological or blood biochemical alterations, and bacteremia was not detected by real-time PCR or by inoculation of horse blood into guinea pigs. Anti-R. rickettsii antibodies were detected in horses from 10 days to 2 years after infection. Uninfected ticks, after feeding on infected horses, showed 2.1 % positivity in real-time PCR, but failed to transmit the infection to rabbits at a next feeding stage. Rickettsia rickettsii-infected horses did not manifest illness and are not competent amplifier hosts of R. rickettsii for A. sculptum ticks.
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Publication Date: 2016-09-13 PubMed ID: 27624315PubMed Central: PMC5022194DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1784-yGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article is about a study conducted on horses to assess their response to Rickettsia rickettsii infection and the ability to transmit the infection to ticks. The study found horses do not display symptoms after infection and do not efficiently transfer the bacteria to ticks.

Introduction

  • In this research paper, the focus is on understanding the disease dynamics of Rickettsia rickettsii, a bacteria spread by ticks.
  • The main vector, in terms of transmission, for R. rickettsii in Brazil is the Amblyomma sculptum tick, a type of cajennense tick.
  • The experiment uses horses as a host species for the study, as they are a major host for A. sculptum ticks.

Methodology

  • The experiment involved four horses, infected with R. rickettsii through two methods: direct intraperitoneal injection or exposure to infected A. sculptum ticks.
  • The horses were then exposed to non-infected A. sculptum ticks to see if they would catch the infection.
  • Health monitoring and various tests, including clinical examinations and real-time PCR of blood to detect Rickettsia, were carried out on the horses over a 30-day period.
  • Besides this, their blood was also inoculated in guinea pigs to check for bacteremia.
  • The horses’ IgG antibody levels were noted until they were either no-longer present or until the end of the experiment.

Results

  • The researchers found that the horses showed no clinical signs or changes in blood chemistry associated with disease following infection with R. rickettsii.
  • The presence of R. rickettsii was not detected in the horses’ blood
  • However, antibodies against R. rickettsii were noted from 10 days to 2 years after infection, indicating that the horses’ immune systems had responded to the bacteria.
  • In testing ticks that had fed on the infected horses, only a minor proportion (2.1%) showed the presence of R. rickettsii in real-time PCR tests, and none of these ticks were able to transmit the infection to rabbits in subsequent feedings.

Conclusion

  • From these findings, the researchers determined that horses infected with R. rickettsii did not show any sickness and, importantly, were not an effective source for transmitting the infection to the A. sculptum ticks.

Cite This Article

APA
Ueno TE, Costa FB, Moraes-Filho J, Agostinho WC, Fernandes WR, Labruna MB. (2016). Experimental infection of horses with Rickettsia rickettsii. Parasit Vectors, 9(1), 499. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-016-1784-y

Publication

Parasites & vectors
ISSN: 1756-3305
NlmUniqueID: 101462774
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 1
Pages: 499
PII: 499

Researcher Affiliations

Ueno, Tatiana Evelyn Hayama
  • Agribusiness Technology Agency of São Paulo State, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. tatianaueno@apta.sp.gov.br.
Costa, Francisco B
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Moraes-Filho, Jonas
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Agostinho, Washington Carlos
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fernandes, Wilson Roberto
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Labruna, Marcelo B
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horses
  • Ixodidae / microbiology
  • Rabbits
  • Rickettsia rickettsii
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / blood
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / microbiology
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / veterinary
  • Time Factors

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Citations

This article has been cited 9 times.
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