Evaluating the Clinical and Immune Responses to Spotted Fever Rickettsioses in the Guinea Pig‐Tick‐<i>Rickettsia</i> System

Levin, Michael; Cross, Claire E.; Ross, Anne-Marie L.; Snellgrove, Alyssa N; Willeford, Bridget V.; Alugubelly, Navatha; Varela‐Stokes, Andrea S.

doi:10.1002/cpz1.584

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Additionally, ear-skin biopsies were collected from guinea pigs at 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 days post-infestation (dpi) using sterile 2-mm-diameter ear punches (Kent Scientific Corporation, Torrington, CT) and tested for rickettsial DNA by PCR assays to identify systemic infections. This method has been used successfully previously to identify systemic infections in vector competence studies (Levin et al 2020, Stanley et al 2020, Stokes et al 2022). All guinea pigs were euthanized at 14 dpi.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquisition of Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) through co-feeding with infected Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory

Johnson

Snellgrove

McBride

et al. 2023

Journal of Medical Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Haemaphysalis longicornis (Neumann) is an invasive ixodid tick originating from eastern Asia which recently has become established in the United States. In its native range, this tick can transmit several pathogens to animals and humans, but little is known about its ability to acquire and transmit pathogens native to the United States. Geographic overlap with ticks such as Dermacentor variabilis (Say), a known vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, makes investigation into the interactions between H. longicornis and D. variabilis of interest to the public health community. Previous studies have shown that H. longicornis can serve as a competent vector of R. rickettsii under laboratory settings, but there is little information on its ability to acquire this pathogen via other biologically relevant routes, such as co-feeding. Here, we assess the ability of H. longicornis nymphs to acquire R. rickettsii through co-feeding with infected D. variabilis adults on a vertebrate animal model under laboratory conditions. The median infection prevalence in engorged H. longicornis nymphs across 8 cohorts was 0% with an interquartile range (IQR) of 4.13%. Following transstadial transmission, the median infection prevalence in flat females was 0.7% (IQR = 2.4%). Our results show that co-feeding transmission occurs at low levels in the laboratory between these 2 species. However, based on the relatively low transmission rates, this may not be a likely mechanism of R. rickettsii introduction to H. longicornis.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acquisition of Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) through co-feeding with infected Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory

Johnson

Snellgrove

McBride

et al. 2023

Journal of Medical Entomology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Evaluating the Clinical and Immune Responses to Spotted Fever Rickettsioses in the Guinea Pig‐Tick‐Rickettsia System

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The guinea pig was the original animal model developed for investigating spotted fever rickettsiosis (SFR). This model system has persisted on account of the guinea pig's conduciveness to tick transmission of SFR agents and ability to recapitulate SFR in humans through clinical signs that include fever, unthriftiness, and in some cases the development of an eschar. The guinea pig is the smallest animal model for SFR that allows the collection of multiple blood and skin samples antemortem for longitudinal studies. This unit provides the basic protocols necessary to establish, maintain, and utilize a guinea pig-tick-Rickettsia model for monitoring the course of infection and immune response to an infection by spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) that can be studied at biosafety level 2 (BSL-2) and arthropod containment level 2 (ACL-2); adaptations must be made for BSL-3 agents. The protocols cover methods for tick feeding and colony development, laboratory infection of ticks, tick transmission of Rickettsia to guinea pigs, and monitoring of the course of infection through clinical signs, rickettsial burden, and immune response. It should be feasible to adapt these methods to study other tick-borne pathogens.

show abstract

Enhancing brown dog tick rearing (Rhipicephalus sanguineus): In vivo feeding using mice (Mus musculus) as blood sources

Phasomkusolsil,

Takhampunya,

Im-erbsin

et al. 2025

Experimental Parasitology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Evaluating the Clinical and Immune Responses to Spotted Fever Rickettsioses in the Guinea Pig‐Tick‐Rickettsia System

Cited by 3 publications

References 57 publications

Acquisition of Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) through co-feeding with infected Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory

Acquisition of Rickettsia rickettsii (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) by Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) through co-feeding with infected Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory

Evaluating the Clinical and Immune Responses to Spotted Fever Rickettsioses in the Guinea Pig‐Tick‐Rickettsia System

Enhancing brown dog tick rearing (Rhipicephalus sanguineus): In vivo feeding using mice (Mus musculus) as blood sources

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About