LYME TRANSMISSION & MAINTENANCE: Tick Vectors and Reservoir Hosts of Lyme / Borrelia in Australia
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Including examination of I. uriae (seabird)
& I. auritulus (bird) ticks |
Including examination of H. longicornis
(scrub/bush) & H. bispinosa ticks |
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Tick Vectors & Reservoir Hosts of Borrelia / Lyme:
In This Section: * A basic outline of the reasoning behind the information examined in the upcoming sections (Birds as Vector & Reservoir Hosts, Mammals as Vector & Reservoir Hosts, Rhipicephalus & Dermecentor Ticks). |
Initial investigations into Lyme disease in the Northern Hemisphere revealed that four Ixodes species (Scapularis, Pacificus, Ricinus, Persulcatus), from the Ixodidae family of ticks underlay the transmission of Lyme disease/ borreliosis. As the Tick Vectors of Lyme Borreliosis table demonstrates, since this early research into Lyme, numerous other species of ticks have been found to be implicated in the Lyme transmission cycle.
The discussions in the following three sections - Birds As Vectors and Reservoir Hosts ; Mammals as Vector and Reservoir Hosts and Rhipicephalus & Dermecentor Ticks - of the website examines four tick species from the Ixodidae family that are listed on the Tick Vector Table, that have been recorded as being in Australia. The ticks are also explored in relation to their respective animal hosts, with the presence of both the bird and mammal hosts in Australia being discussed.
In order to fully appreciate why the information presented in this section is relevant to understanding the extremely high possibility that the Borrelia bacteria underlying Lyme is in the Australian environment, an outline of the discussion in the following relevant sections is below:
The discussions in the following three sections - Birds As Vectors and Reservoir Hosts ; Mammals as Vector and Reservoir Hosts and Rhipicephalus & Dermecentor Ticks - of the website examines four tick species from the Ixodidae family that are listed on the Tick Vector Table, that have been recorded as being in Australia. The ticks are also explored in relation to their respective animal hosts, with the presence of both the bird and mammal hosts in Australia being discussed.
In order to fully appreciate why the information presented in this section is relevant to understanding the extremely high possibility that the Borrelia bacteria underlying Lyme is in the Australian environment, an outline of the discussion in the following relevant sections is below:
Birds as Vector and Reservoir Hosts
Examination of Ixode Ticks and Bird species involved in the Borrelia cycle in Australia:
Ixodes ticks that are listed in the Tick Vector Table as capable tick vectors of Lyme and that have been recorded in Australia include the I. uriae and
I. auritulus species. As these are both bird ticks, their role in the Borrelia cycle is discussed in conjunction with bird hosts that have been shown to
be either simply hosts/carriers of the tick, or those that are also reservoir hosts of the Borrelia bacteria.
Various birds that have been introduced into Australia, and are known reservoir hosts of Borrelia in the Northern Hemisphere are also discussed.
Examination of Ixode Ticks and Bird species involved in the Borrelia cycle in Australia:
Ixodes ticks that are listed in the Tick Vector Table as capable tick vectors of Lyme and that have been recorded in Australia include the I. uriae and
I. auritulus species. As these are both bird ticks, their role in the Borrelia cycle is discussed in conjunction with bird hosts that have been shown to
be either simply hosts/carriers of the tick, or those that are also reservoir hosts of the Borrelia bacteria.
Various birds that have been introduced into Australia, and are known reservoir hosts of Borrelia in the Northern Hemisphere are also discussed.
Mammals as Vector and Reservoir Hosts
Examination of Haemaphysalis Ticks and Mammals involved in the Borrelia cycle in Australia:
Haemaphysalis ticks that are listed in the Tick Vector Table as capable tick vectors of Lyme and that have been recorded in Australia are the H. bispinosa and H. longicornis species. While the immature (larvae, nymph) tick may feed on birds, these ticks are associated more so with their mammal hosts. These two ticks are discussed in conjunction with mammal hosts that have been shown to be either hosts/carriers of the tick, or those that are also reservoir hosts of the Borrelia bacteria.
In order to explain a little the importance of animal introduction and importation, the way in which Lyme can present as a clinical illness and contact transmission in animals is briefly outlined.
The introduction and importation of various mammal species into Australia that have been shown to have varying reservoir host competence of Borrelia underlying Lyme is also discussed.
Examination of Haemaphysalis Ticks and Mammals involved in the Borrelia cycle in Australia:
Haemaphysalis ticks that are listed in the Tick Vector Table as capable tick vectors of Lyme and that have been recorded in Australia are the H. bispinosa and H. longicornis species. While the immature (larvae, nymph) tick may feed on birds, these ticks are associated more so with their mammal hosts. These two ticks are discussed in conjunction with mammal hosts that have been shown to be either hosts/carriers of the tick, or those that are also reservoir hosts of the Borrelia bacteria.
In order to explain a little the importance of animal introduction and importation, the way in which Lyme can present as a clinical illness and contact transmission in animals is briefly outlined.
The introduction and importation of various mammal species into Australia that have been shown to have varying reservoir host competence of Borrelia underlying Lyme is also discussed.
Rhipicephalus and Dermacentor Ticks
Rhipicephalus Ticks: R. sanguineus and R. Microplus: These tick species are found in Australia. They are not listed on the Tick Vector Table, however they have also been implicated in the Borrelia cycle, in that they have been found to carry the Borrelia spirochete and are therefore possible vectors of Borrelia.
Rhipicephalus Ticks: R. sanguineus and R. Microplus: These tick species are found in Australia. They are not listed on the Tick Vector Table, however they have also been implicated in the Borrelia cycle, in that they have been found to carry the Borrelia spirochete and are therefore possible vectors of Borrelia.
Dermacentor Ticks: Although this family of ticks is not in Australia, this species is briefly mentioned in order to demonstrate that when looking at the vector competence of a particular species of ticks that findings on competence may be altered when ticks are examined in co-feeding studies (numerous tick species feeding together - which would emulate the natural environment), as opposed to ‘traditional laboratory’ studies where only one tick species is commonly examined.
