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Full-Text Articles in Veterinary Medicine
Characterization Of Rickettsial Infection Dynamics Within Dermacentor Variabilis And Amblyomma Maculatum, Emma Kate Harris
Characterization Of Rickettsial Infection Dynamics Within Dermacentor Variabilis And Amblyomma Maculatum, Emma Kate Harris
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia are primarily associated with their reservoir host and vector, the tick. Rickettsial colonization and maintenance within the arthropod is a key component of vector competence and pathogen transmission to the mammalian host. Contemporary detection of novel tick hosts for rickettsial species, combined with an unprecedented rise in human cases of SFG rickettsiosis, necessitates a deeper understanding of tick/Rickettsia interactions. The hypothesis for this work is that if primary tick/Rickettsia pairings do not exist then rickettsial determinants account for primary vector/pathogen relationships. To this end, Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma maculatum ticks were exposed to R. rickettsii, …
Signal Transduction And Rickettsial Infection Of Tick Cells, Natthida Petchampai
Signal Transduction And Rickettsial Infection Of Tick Cells, Natthida Petchampai
LSU Doctoral Dissertations
Spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia are obligate intracellular bacteria that are carried by ticks. One such tick, Dermacentor variabilis is a vector for the etiologic agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, R. rickettsii. These ticks also carry a non-pathogenic R. montanensis, the agent used in this study. Interestingly, field data collected from infected D. variabilis throughout the United States revealed that the majority of Rickettsia in ticks are non-pathogenic species such as R. montanensis. Although ticks serve as both vector and reservoir hosts for SFG Rickettsia, many questions regarding tick-Rickettsia interaction remain unresolved. Therefore, the overall goal of this research …