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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Animal Disease Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #386434
Research Project: Development of Detection and Control Strategies for Bovine Babesiosis and Equine Piroplasmosis

Location: Animal Disease Research Unit

Title: Assessment of an in vitro tick feeding system for the successful feeding of adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks

Author
item ASRI, BTISSAM - Hassan Ii University
item TAHIR, DJAMEL - Institut Pasteur - France
item EVANS, ALEC - Clinvet Morocco
item MEYER, LEON - Clinvet Morocco
item RHALEM, ABDELKBIR - Hassan Ii University
item BOUSLIKHANE, MOHAMMED - Hassan Ii University
item Ueti, Massaro
item MADDER, MAXIME - University Of Pretoria

Submitted to: Parasitologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/20/2023
Publication Date: 3/24/2023
Citation: Asri, B., Tahir, D., Evans, A., Meyer, L.N., Rhalem, A., Bouslikhane, M., Ueti, M.W., Madder, M. 2023. Assessment of an in vitro tick feeding system for the successful feeding of adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks. Parasitologia. 3(2):101–108. https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia3020012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia3020012

Interpretive Summary: In this study, we assessed the attachment and feeding of adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus ticks using an artificial feeding system. We also determined if anticoagulants affect tick attachment and feeding. Adult ticks were fed with bovine blood meal collected in heparin lithium, citrate phosphate dextrose, or mechanically defibrinated blood. Overall, the cumulative tick attachment after four days was over 70%. Ticks fed on heparinized blood reached up complete engorgement stage, whereas, for other blood meals, ticks remained semi-engorged status. Female ticks were repleted on day seven post attachment. Following oviposition, mass weight and hatchability were determined. The in vitro tick feeding was successfully used to feed adult R. appendiculatus tick to repletion.

Technical Abstract: This study assessed the efficiency of a new in vitro tick feeding system for the adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus tick and compared the impact of different blood anticoagulating factors on their feeding process. A total of 10 feeders were each seeded with 30 or 60 R. appendiculatus adults. Bovine blood was added into each unit and changed every 12 h for 4 to 10 days during which tick attachment and engorgement was assessed. The tick attachment observed 4 days after feeding was 80.0% (48/60), 75.8% (182/240), and 70.8% (170/240) for lithium heparin, citrate phosphate dextrose, and defibrinated blood, respectively, with no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the anticoagulants used. However, the ticks fed on heparinized and defibrinated blood reached repletion status. The in vitro tick feeding system was successfully used to feed adult R. appendiculatus ticks until repletion. This system could be used to facilitate studies on tick-pathogen interactions, such as those involved in the East Coast fever disease.