CASE REPORT
A seven-legged tick – anomalous Ixodes ricinus female (Acari: Ixodidae) from Poland
1
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
2
Laboratory of Electron and Confocal Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
Corresponding author
Julia Koczwarska
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Morphological anomalies are considered a rare phenomenon among natural tick populations. New cases of abnormalities in ticks are being described, such as body assymetries, nanism, gynandromorphism and limb malformations. The tick removed from a cat was morphologically identified to species and developmental stage. The time of feeding on the host was determined. The specimen was tested using PCR and Real-Time PCR methods for the presence of the common tick-borne pathogens: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia spp, Borrelia spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Rickettsia spp. For visualisation of the anomalous structures, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed. The tick was identified as a slightly engorged adult female of I. ricinus exhibiting ectromely of leg I on the left side of the idiosoma. The specimen was tested positive for two medically important pathogens: A. phagocytophilum and N. mikurensis. The case report describes a rare case of a morphological anomaly in an I. ricinus tick from Poland.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The study received a grant (Grant No. OPUS 2020/37/B/
NZ6/01587) from the National Science Centre (NCN),
Kraków, Poland
REFERENCES (45)
2.
Taank V, Lattanzio FA, Sultana H, et al. Double anus in an Ixodes scapularis nymph, a medically important tick vector. Parasit Vectors. 2021;14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071....
3.
Flávia Gomes Azzi C, Junior Lima Aprígio C, Vidal de Souza R, et al. Morphological abnormality in larvae of Amblyomma oblongoguttatum (Acari: Ixodidae). Vet Not. 2019;25(1):1–10. http://doi.org/10.14393/VTN-v2....
4.
Dominguez L, Perez E, Bermudez Castillero S. First report of abnormal morphology in the tick Dermacentor dissimilis (Acari: Ixodidae) and evidence of molt nymph-adult on hosts from Nicaragua. Acarol Stud. 2020;2(1):46–50.
5.
Keskin A. New Teratological Tick Specimens (Acari: Ixodidae) From Turkey. KSÜ Doga Bilimleri Dergisi. 2018;21(1):88–90. https://doi.org/10.18016/ksudo....
6.
Soghigian J, Ridge GE, Stafford KC 3rd, et al. The first evidence of nanism in Ixodes (Ixodes) scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), found parasitizing a human host. J Med Entomol. 2017;54(5):1224–1228. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tj....
7.
Chitimia-Dobler L, Pfeffer M. Gynandromorphism and local morpho -logical abnormalities in Dermacentor reticulatus (Acari: Ixodidae). Syst Appl Acarol. 2017;22(4):449. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.2....
8.
Ren Q, Chen Z, Luo J, et al. Abnormal Development of Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis (Acari: Ixodidae). J Insect Sci. 2016;16(1):66. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa....
9.
Robinson GG. Cases of abnormal development in the argasid tick, Ornithodorus moubata. Parasitology. 1943;35(1–2):23–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s00311....
10.
Domínguez L, Bermúdez, S. Firsts records of abnormalities and gynandromorphism in hard ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) from Panama. Syst Appl Acarol. 2020;25(7):1199–1208. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.2....
11.
Balinandi S, Mugisha L, Bbira J, et al. General and Local Morphological Anomalies in Amblyomma lepidum (Acari: Ixodidae) and Rhipicephalus decoloratus Infesting Cattle in Uganda. J Med Entomol. 2019;56(3):873–877. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tj....
12.
Buczek A, Bartosik K, Buczek S, et al. Anomalies in Hyalomma marginatum larvae (Acari: Ixodidae) in relation to taxonomic studies. Syst Appl Acarol. 2017;22(3):423–430. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.2....
13.
Belozerov VN, Van Niekerk DJ, Butler HJB. Population structure of Argas arboreus (Acari: Argasidae) ticks associated with seasonally abandoned argasmixed heronries, dominated by cattle egrets (Bubulcusibis), in South Africa. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2003;70(4). https://doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v....
14.
Chitimia-Dobler L, Bestehorn M, Bröker M, et al. Morphological anomalies in Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes inopinatus collected from tick-borne encephalitis natural foci in Central Europe. Exp Appl Acarol. 2017;72(4):379–397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
15.
Diyes CP, Rajakaruna RS. Teratological anomalies of an adult Asiatic blue tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae). Syst Appl Acarol. 2021;26(1):320–324. https://doi.org/10.11158/saa.2....
16.
Kar S, Akyildiz G, Yilmazer N, et al. External morphological anomalies in ixodid ticks from Thrace, Turkey. Exp Appl Acarol. 2015;67(3):457–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
17.
Shuaib YA, Isaa MH, Ezz-Eldin MIE, et al. Morphological abnormalities in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from domestic animal species in Sudan. Exp Appl Acarol. 2020;82(1):161–169. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
18.
Keskin A, Simsek E, Bursali A, et al. Morphological abnormalities in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on humans in Central Black Sea region, Turkey. Zoomorphology. 2016;135(2):167–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435....
19.
Zharkov SD, Dubinina HV, Alekseev AN, et al. Antropogenic pressure and changes in Ixodes tick populations in the Baltic region of Russia and Denmark. Acarina 2000;8(2):137–141.
20.
Campana-Rouget Y.[Teratology of ticks]. Ann Parasitol Hum Comp. 1959a;34(1–2):209–260. French. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasi....
21.
Buczek A. Experimental Teratogeny in the Tick Hyalomma marginatum marginatum (Acari: Ixodida: Ixodidae): Effect of High Humidity on Embryonic Development. J Med Entomol. 2000;37(6):807–814. https://doi.org/10.1603/0022-2....
22.
Nowak-Chmura M. Teratological changes in tick morphology in ticks feeding on exotic reptiles. J Nat Hist. 2012;46(15–16):911–921. https://doi.org/10.1080/002229....
23.
Hillyard PD. Ticks of North-west Europe. Shrewsbury: Field studies council; 1996.
24.
Gray J, Stanek G, Kundi M, et al. Dimensions of engorging Ixodes ricinus as a measure of feeding duration.Int J Med Microbiol. 2005;295(8):567–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm....
25.
Oloś G, Nowakowska J, Rojewska S, et al. New findings of Setaria tundra and Setaria cervi in the red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Poland. Parasitology. 2019;146(10):1333–1337. https://doi.org/10.1017/s00311....
26.
Chitimia L, Lin R-Q, Cosoroaba I, et al. Genetic characterization of ticks from southwestern Romania by sequences of mitochondrial cox1 and nad5 genes. Exp Appl Acarol. 2010;52(3):305–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
27.
Mangold AJ, Bargues MD, Mas-Coma S. 18S rRNA gene sequences and phylogenetic relationships of European hard-tick species (Acari: Ixodidae). Parasitol Res. 1997;84:31–37.
28.
Massung RF, Slater K, Owens JH, et al. Nested PCR assay for detection of granulocytic ehrlichiae. J Clin Microbiol. 1998;36(4):1090–1095. https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.36....
29.
Bonnet S, Jouglin M, L’Hostis M, et al. Babesia sp. EU1 from Roe Deer and Transmission within Ixodes ricinus. Emerg Infect Dis. 2007;13(8):1208–1210. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid130....
30.
Ondruš J, Balážová A, Baláž V, et al. Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis is widespread in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Czech Republic. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2020;11(3):101371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbd....
31.
Roux V, Rydkina E, Eremeeva M, et al. Citrate synthase gene comparison, a new tool for phylogenetic analysis, and its application for the rickettsiae. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1997;47(2):252–261. https://doi.org/10.1099/002077....
32.
Welc-Falęciak R, Kowalec M, Karbowiak G, et al. Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae infections in Ixodes ricinus ticks from urban and natural forested areas of Poland. Parasites Vectors. 2014;7(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3....
33.
Bednarska M, Bajer A, Drozdowska A, et al. Vertical transmission of Babesia microti in BALB/c mice: preliminary report. PLoS One. 2015;10(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journa....
34.
Kumar S, Stecher G, Tamura K. MEGA7: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Mol Biol Evol. 2016;33(7):1870–1874. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev....
35.
Campana-Rouget Y. [Teratology of ticks]. Ann Parasitol Hum Comp. 1959b;34(3):354–431. French. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasi....
36.
Buczek A, Bartosik K, Buczek W, et al. The effect of sublethal concentrations of deltamethrin and alphacypermethrin on the fecundity and development of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) eggs and larvae. Exp Appl Acarol. 2019a;78(2):203–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
37.
Latif AA, Dhadialla TS, Newson RM. Abnormal Development of Amblyomma variegatum (Acarina: Ixodidae). J Med Entomol. 1988a;25(2):142–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmeden....
38.
Buczek A, Bartosik K, Buczek AM, et al. Abnormal development of Hyalomma marginatum ticks (acari: Ixodidae) induced by plant cytotoxic substances. Toxins. 2019b;11(8):445. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins....
39.
Kamran K, Ali A, Villagra CA, et al. Hyalomma anatolicum resistance against ivermectin and fipronil is associated with indiscriminate use of acaricides in southwestern Balochistan, Pakistan. Parasitol Res. 2021;120(1):15–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436....
40.
Buczek A. [Disturbances in the process of hatching of larvae Argas (A) reflexus (Fabr.) (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) exposed to various thermal and humidity conditions]. Wiad Parazytol. 1991;37(1):35–40. Polish.
41.
Pawełczyk A, Bednarska M, Hamera A, et al. Long-term study of Borrelia and Babesia prevalence and co-infection in Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor recticulatus ticks removed from humans in Poland, 2016–2019. Parasites Vect. 2021;14(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071....
42.
Molaei G, Little EAH, Stafford III KC, et al. A seven-legged tick: Report of a morphological anomaly in Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) biting a human host from the Northeastern United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2020;11(1):101304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbd....
43.
Žygutiene M, Alekseev A, Dubinina H, et al. Evidence for a risk of tick-borne infection in the city parks of Vilnius, Lithuania. Ekologija. 2008;54(1):40–43.
44.
Molaei G, Little EA. A case of morphological anomalies in Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from nature. Exp Appl Acarol. 2020;81: 279–285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493....
45.
Alekseev AN, Jensen PM, Dubinina HV, et al. Peculiarities of behaviour of taiga (Ixodes persulcatus) and sheep (Ixodes ricinus) ticks (Acarina: Ixodidae) determined by different methods. Folia Parasitol. 2000;47(2):147–153. https://doi.org/10.14411/fp.20....
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 1898-2263 |
| ISSN: | 1232-1966 |
Improvement of visual identification of the journal - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher Education allocated to the activities of disseminating science.
Generation of the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) - task financed under the agreement No. 618/P-DUN/2019 by the Minister of Science and Higher
© 2006-2024 Journal hosting platform by Bentus
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
