<strong><em>Amblyomma dissimile</em> Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizes bird captured in Canada</strong>

Abstract

We document Amblyomma dissimile Koch (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing a bird in Canada. A partially engorged A. dissimile nymph was collected from a Veery, Catharus fuscescens (Stephens) (Passeriformes: Turdidae), in Toronto, Ontario during spring migration. This constitutes the first authentic host record of A. dissimile on a bird in North America and, likewise, on a Veery, plus a new distributional record in Canada. Veeries could theoretically transport A. dissimile from as far south as southeastern Brazil, a distance of over 7,500 km. Experimentally, A. dissimile can transmit Ehrlichia ruminantium (Ricksettiales), which causes heartwater, a severe disease of cattle and other ungulates. Since a fully engorged A. dissimile nymph could likely molt during the summer in northern latitudes, this tick species could potentially parasitize local reptiles, people or ungulates, and cause autochtonous disease. Because A. dissimile is known to harbor rickettsiae in South America and is a laboratory vector of E. ruminantium, the medical and veterinary profession must be vigilant that A. dissimile may pose a health risk.

Microbial community structure reveals instability of nutritional symbiosis during the evolutionary radiation of Amblyomma ticks

“…Interestingly, we found two Amblyomma species, A. geayi and A. latepunctatum , that are co‐infected by their respective ancestral Coxiella ‐LE but that also share the same Francisella ‐LE, which is also closely related to the Francisella ‐LE of A. dissimile . The genetic proximity of Francisella ‐LE in these three unrelated Amblyomma species suggests recent HT events through co‐feeding: while these three Amblyomma species feed on very different vertebrate hosts, hampering the possibility of co‐feeding, the immature stages of A. dissimile are commonly found in diverse mammals or birds (Binetruy, Chevillon, et al, ; Guglielmone & Nava, ; Scott & Durden, ), suggesting that they may be ecological bridges driving HT of Francisella ‐LE across tick species.…”

Occurrence of Amblyomma dissimile on wild crocodylians in southern Mexico

“…The role of crocodiles in the enzootic cycle of diseases transmitted by ticks is uncertain, but some species of lizards act as reservoir hosts of Rickettsia helvetica, a bacterium that causes fever and meningitis in humans (Fournier et al 2000, Nilsson et al 2010, Tijsse-Klasen et al 2010. Al though A. dissimile is a primary parasite of amphibians and reptiles (Burridge & Simmons 2003), it also parasitizes mammals and birds, and is known to transmit Ehrlichia ruminantium (Ricksettiales), a bacterium causing heartwater, a severe disease of cattle, goats, sheep, and other ungulates (Jongejan 1992, Guglielmone & Nava 2010, Scott & Durden 2015.…”

First Record of Ixodes affinis Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Infected with Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Collected from a Migratory Songbird in Canada

“…Clearly, some passerine migrants, such as the Common Yellowthroat and Swainson's Thrush, have the capacity to fly long distances much greater than 425 km during a 5-day engorgement period. The presence of Neotropical Amblyomma and Ixodes ticks on passerine migrants in Canada during spring migration provides irrefutable evidence that birds transport ticks thousands of kilometres, and disperse them widely across southern Canada [8,29,37,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. When certain passerine migrants have warm temperatures, high energy diets, and southern winds, they can fly to Canada more than 10 times the distance that some researchers claim.…”