The control of Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks in Egypt and other countries relies principally on the application of acaricides which have many drawbacks. Recently, cattle vaccination against ticks showed a potential unconventional approach to control ticks. As a target, salivary glands contain various proteins that may play specific roles during attachment, feeding and may modulate the immune system of the host. We have performed immunoscreening on expression normalized cDNA library to identify unique R. annulatus proteins from salivary gland (RaSal) that are particularly expressed during engorgement. We also present the cloning and sequencing of four novel cDNAs (RaSal1-4) from salivary glands that are expressed during feeding. RaSal4 shows 13 cysteine amino acid residues forming 6 potential disulfide bonds. We detected the expression level of the four genes during embryogenesis in eggs collected at 6, 12 and 18 days after oviposition. RT-PCR analysis detected these proteins at days 12 and 18 while slight amplification was detected at day 6 for only RaSal2. The expression of these salivary genes may put forward new vaccines to control tick infestations and tick-borne diseases.
Turmeric essential oil (EO) possesses multiple beneficial properties, including insecticidal and anti-inflammatory effects, making it a strong candidate for pest control.
The study focused on the effectiveness of turmeric EO against the ectoparasitic tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus, using various tests to measure repellency and toxicity.
Findings revealed that the major compound Ar-turmerone in turmeric EO significantly repelled and killed adult and nymphal ticks, while also reducing their reproductive capabilities, highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides.
* The study tested different commercial acaricides, disinfectants, and natural products for their ability to prevent tick eggs from hatching, finding that certain acaricides like chlorpyrifos and amitraz were particularly effective.
* In field tests, phoxim showed a 40% effectiveness in preventing hatching of tick eggs, while another acaricide, deltamethrin, was only 8.79% effective, highlighting the potential for specific chemicals and natural products to control tick populations.
* The study tested different concentrations of ivermectin and EOCs on Rhipicephalus annulatus tick isolates, finding that while all EOCs were toxic to the ticks, no true synergistic effect with ivermectin was identified despite some combinations showing increased mortality.
* The research suggests that combining ivermectin with certain EOCs, especially D-limonene and cinnamaldehyde, could enhance tick control methods, and further research is recommended to assess effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
Problem Addressed: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne disease with high fatality rates and an expansive geographic distribution, yet disease prevalence data in Cameroon is lacking.
Objective: This study aimed to determine CCHF virus (CCHFV) seroprevalence and tick distribution among cattle herders and febrile patients in West and Centre Cameroon.
Methods And Approach: Two cross-sectional serological studies of human and cattle were conducted from October to December 2021 and from June to July 2022, which included the collection of ticks.
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral infection causing significant economic impacts on cattle and buffalo populations in Egypt, prompting a study to explore its recent outbreaks and transmission methods.
Researchers collected various samples from cattle and buffaloes, including skin biopsies, nasal swabs, blood, and hard ticks, using advanced molecular techniques like multiplex PCR and real-time quantitative PCR to analyze the data.
The study found a high prevalence of LSDV in the sampled animals and confirmed that hard ticks (Rhipicephalus annulatus) are likely involved in the spread of the virus, marking an important step in understanding and controlling the disease.
