Ornithodoros

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Ornithodoros
Temporal range: Neogene–present
Ornithodoros-savignyi.jpg
Ornithodoros savignyi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Ixodida
Family: Argasidae
Subfamily: Ornithodorinae
Genus: Ornithodoros
C. L. Koch, 1837
Type species
Ornithodoros savignyi
Audouin, 1827
Synonyms

Ornithodoros is a genus in the soft-bodied tick family, Argasidae. [1] It is distinguished from other genera in the family by the absence of a lateral 'suture' line. [2] Ornithodoros ticks are parasitic associates of shelter-seeking vertebrates, such as mammals, birds and reptiles. [3]

Contents

Prior to its reclassification in 1844, the genus Ornithodoros was described under the genus Argas. [3]

Physiology

SEM image of ventral view of female Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) tartakovskyi SEM image of ventral view of female Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) tartakovskyi..png
SEM image of ventral view of female Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) tartakovskyi

The opening between the midgut and hindgut has been lost, preventing these ticks from excreting digestive waste products from their bodies. [5]

Habitat

The genus Ornithodoros have been documented worldwide, with the highest occurrence in the Paleartic realm. [3]

Life cycle

The life cycle of all species of Ornithodoros is parasitic and relies on one or multiple hosts, [6] most of which are shelter-seeking vertebrates, and can also parasitize humans. [7] Mating and moulting occur in close proximity to sites frequented by the hosts, such as nests. [6] Once a larvae hatches, it seeks out a host for its first meal of blood. After feeding for several hours to days, it detaches and molts into a nymph. The nymph will then reattach to a host and repeat the cycle for up to seven instars. Once it reaches adulthood, it continues to feed on the hosts multiple times.

Some Ornithodoros species can reproduce multiple times and may also exhibit autogeny. [8] The life span of some species may extend up to ten years. [8]

Disease

Due to their status as obligate hematophages, Ornithodoros ticks are constantly exposed to blood-borne pathogens. [9] When feeding on a host, small amounts of their saliva may enter the host and transmit infections. Ornithodoros is commonly recognized as a vector for tick-borne relapsing fever. [6] In addition to transmitting bacteria such as Borrelia , it is also responsible for causing relapsing fever. [7] Species of Ornithodoros are also known to transmit the African Swine Fever Virus, [10] which causes African swine fever in pigs or other closely related animals such as wild boars. [10]

Taxonomy

Ornithodoros is one of nine genera in the Argasid subfamily Ornithodorinae. The genus currently contains 48 species over 4 subgenera. [1] [11]

Microargas

Ornamentum

Ornithodoros

Pavlovskyella

Etymology

The Linnean name derives from ornithos (Greek : ὄρνιθος) and doros (Greek : Δωρόν), meaning "bird" and "gift", respectively.

References

  1. 1 2 Mans, Ben J.; Kelava, Samuel; Pienaar, Ronel; Featherston, Jonathan; de Castro, Minique H.; Quetglas, Juan; Reeves, Will K.; Durden, Lance A.; Miller, Myrna M.; Laverty, Theresa M.; Shao, Renfu; Takano, Ai; Kawabata, Hiroki; Moustafa, Mohamed Abdallah Mohamed; Nakao, Ryo (2021-07-01). "Nuclear (18S-28S rRNA) and mitochondrial genome markers of Carios (Carios) vespertilionis (Argasidae) support Carios Latreille, 1796 as a lineage embedded in the Ornithodorinae: re-classification of the Carios sensu Klompen and Oliver (1993) clade into its respective subgenera". Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 12 (4) 101688. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101688. ISSN   1877-959X.
  2. Ali, Abid; Khan, Mehran; Numan, Muhammad; Alouffi, Abdulaziz; Almutairi, Mashal M.; Pienaar, Ronel; de Castro, Minique H.; Chitimia-Dobler, Lidia; Muñoz-Leal, Sebastián; Mans, Ben J. (August 2024). "Description of a new Ornithodoros ( Pavlovskyella ) (Ixodida: Argasidae) tick species from Pakistan". Parasitology. 151 (9): 919–932. doi:10.1017/S0031182024000982. ISSN   0031-1820. PMC   11770527 . PMID   39355937.
  3. 1 2 3 Estrada-Peña, A.; Kleinerman, G.; Baneth, G. (2017), Estrada-Peña, Agustín; Mihalca, Andrei Daniel; Petney, Trevor N. (eds.), "Genus Ornithodoros Koch, 1844" , Ticks of Europe and North Africa, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 41–43, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-63760-0_10, ISBN   978-3-319-63759-4 , retrieved 2025-03-25
  4. Muñoz-Leal, Sebastián; Nova-Cancino, Valentina; Sobieski, Adam; Cachu, Pedro; Tkach, Vasyl; Michalski, Michelle (November 2024). "Description of Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) tartakovskyi using scanning electron microscopy, with notes on the morphology of Pavlovskyella sensu stricto and Theriodoros subgenera". Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 15 (6) 102392. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102392 . PMID   39216360.
  5. Roberts, Larry S.; Janovy, John Jr. (2009). Foundations of Parasitology (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill. p.  647. ISBN   978-0-07-302827-9.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ticks". Center for Disease Control and Prevention. December 31, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Saleh, Meriam N.; Allen, Kelly E.; Lineberry, Megan W.; Little, Susan E.; Reichard, Mason V. (June 2021). "Ticks infesting dogs and cats in North America: Biology, geographic distribution, and pathogen transmission". Veterinary Parasitology. 294 109392. doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109392. PMC   9235321 . PMID   33971481.
  8. 1 2 Filatov, Serhii; Krishnavajhala, Aparna; Lopez, Job E. (2023-11-29). Tortosa, Pablo (ed.). "Autogenous reproduction by Ornithodoros turicata (Ixodida: Argasidae) females and vertical transmission of the tick-borne pathogen Borrelia turicatae (Spirochaetales: Borreliaceae )". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 89 (11) e01032-23. Bibcode:2023ApEnM..89E1032F. doi:10.1128/aem.01032-23. ISSN   0099-2240. PMC   10686054 . PMID   37877726.
  9. "About Ticks and Tickborne Disease". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 15, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Pereira De Oliveira, Rémi; Hutet, Evelyne; Lancelot, Renaud; Paboeuf, Frédéric; Duhayon, Maxime; Boinas, Fernando; Pérez de León, Adalberto A.; Filatov, Serhii; Le Potier, Marie-Frédérique; Vial, Laurence (December 2020). "Differential vector competence of Ornithodoros soft ticks for African swine fever virus: What if it involves more than just crossing organic barriers in ticks?". Parasites & Vectors. 13 (1) 618. doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04497-1 . ISSN   1756-3305. PMC   7725119 . PMID   33298119.
  11. Mans, Ben J.; Featherston, Jonathan; Kvas, Marija; Pillay, Kerry-Anne; de Klerk, Daniel G.; Pienaar, Ronel; de Castro, Minique H.; Schwan, Tom G.; Lopez, Job E.; Teel, Pete; Pérez de León, Adalberto A.; Sonenshine, Daniel E.; Egekwu, Noble I.; Bakkes, Deon K.; Heyne, Heloise (2019-01-01). "Argasid and ixodid systematics: Implications for soft tick evolution and systematics, with a new argasid species list". Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 10 (1): 219–240. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.09.010. ISSN   1877-959X.