A new method for in vitro feeding of Rhipicephalus australis (formerly Rhipicephalus microplus) larvae: a valuable tool for tick vaccine development.

Background: Rhipicephalus microplus is a hard tick that has a major impact on cattle health in tropical and subtropical regions because it feeds on cattle and is implicated in the transmission of pathogens that cause diseases such as bovine anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Presently, acaricides are used to control tick infestation but this is becoming increasingly less effective due to the emergence of tick strains that are resistant to one or more classes of acaricides. Anti-tick vaccines are a promising alternative to control tick infestation in cattle.

ANTIDotE: anti-tick vaccines to prevent tick-borne diseases in Europe.

Ixodes ricinus transmits bacterial, protozoal and viral pathogens, causing disease and forming an increasing health concern in Europe. ANTIDotE is an European Commission funded consortium of seven institutes, which aims to identify and characterize tick proteins involved in feeding and pathogen transmission. The knowledge gained will be used to develop and evaluate anti-tick vaccines that may prevent multiple human tick-borne diseases.

Sequencing of the smallest Apicomplexan genome from the human pathogen Babesia microti.

We have sequenced the genome of the emerging human pathogen Babesia microti and compared it with that of other protozoa. B. microti has the smallest nuclear genome among all Apicomplexan parasites sequenced to date with three chromosomes encoding ∼3500 polypeptides, several of which are species specific.

Canine babesiosis in Europe: how many diseases?

Babesiosis, recognized since ancient times as an important disease of livestock and more recently as an emerging disease in dogs worldwide, is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Babesia and is transmitted by ticks. The pathophysiology of canine babesiosis has been extensively studied but many questions remain unanswered, especially regarding the diversity of disease manifestations in different European countries. Continued investigation of the similarities and differences in host-parasite interplay in canine babesiosis in different European countries should lead to a better understanding of the disease process, potentially leading to better prediction of disease outcome and the development of new treatment modalities.

First molecular diagnosis of Babesiavogeli in domestic dogs from Turkey.

Microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears collected from three naturally infected dogs originating from Turkey revealed the presence of large (around 4.5-5.0 microm) intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites in all dogs.

Veterinary parasitic vaccines: pitfalls and future directions.

Most available antiparasitic drugs are safe, cheap and highly effective against a broad spectrum of parasites. However, the alarming increase in the number of parasite species that are resistant to these drugs, the issue of residues in the food chain and the lack of new drugs stimulate development of alternative control methods in which vaccines would have a central role. Parasite vaccines are still rare, but there are encouraging signs that their number will increase in the next decade.