It was recently demonstrated that the lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum could harbor filarial nematodes within the genus
Acanthocheilonema. In this study,
Ixodes scapularis (deer) ticks collected from Southern Connecticut were evaluated for their potential to harbor filarial nematodes. Non-engorged nymphal and
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It was recently demonstrated that the lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum could harbor filarial nematodes within the genus
Acanthocheilonema. In this study,
Ixodes scapularis (deer) ticks collected from Southern Connecticut were evaluated for their potential to harbor filarial nematodes. Non-engorged nymphal and adult stage
Ixodes scapularis ticks
were collected in Southern Connecticut using the standard drag method.
In situ hybridization with filarial nematode specific sequences demonstrated the presence of filarial nematodes in
Ixodes ticks. Filarial nematode specific DNA sequences were amplified and confirmed by direct sequencing in
Ixodes nymphal and adult ticks using either general filarial nematode or
Onchocercidae family specific PCR primers. Phylogenetic analysis of the 12S rDNA gene sequence indicated that the filarial nematode infecting
Ixodes scapularis ticks is most closely related to the species found in
Amblyoma americanum ticks and belongs to the genus of
Acanthocheilonema. Our data also demonstrated that infection rate of these filarial nematode in
Ixodes ticks is relatively high (about 22% and 30% in nymphal and adult
Ixodes ticks, respectively). In summary, the results from our studies demonstrated that filarial nematode infection was found in
Ixodes ticks similar to what has been found in
Amblyomma americanum ticks.
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