This paper describes a new tick-host record of Haemaphysalis wellingtoni from the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) in Peninsular Malaysia. This record is also the first report of a tick infestation from N. meleagris in Asia. A checklist of the tick-guineafowl associations has been designed, resulting in 32 tick species including H. wellingtoni recorded as infesting N. meleagris worldwide. A list of pathogens harboured or transmitted by H. wellingtoni is provided. The status of H. wellingtoni as a true parasite of N. meleagris, and the health threat posed to the guineafowls are discussed in this paper.
Haemaphysalis (Garnhamphysalis) mjoebergi Warburton was reported from four male specimens from Sarawak, Borneo. We redescribe herein the male, from three specimens from Sarawak and 24 from Lampung District, Sumatra, and describe the female from 24 specimens from Lampung. Male structural variation in the dental formula and development of the coxa IV spur and segments of legs III and IV is unusual or unique in the genus Haemaphysalis. "Atypical" males might easily be misidentified. This species provides an ideal model for experimental study of population genetics and evolutionary processes and of biological factors influencing body size and structural variation in the genus Haemaphysalis. The sambar deer, Cervus unicolor brookei Hose (Sarawak) and C. unicolor equinus Cuvier (Sumatra), appears to be the chief host in humid, marshy, lowland forests and secondary growth. Single collections were from a human and a domestic cow. The dynamics and vector potential of this tick should be investigated in environments being exploited for human settlement and cattle breeding.
Matched MeSH terms: Ticks/anatomy & histology*; Ticks/growth & development
We report the presence of a male Haemaphysalis semermis collected from the domestic cat, Felis catus in an aboriginal village located in Pahang, Malaysia. This paper constitutes a new host record of this tick species, and also the first documentation of the infestation of companion animals other than domestic dogs (Canis lupus) by H. semermis in Malaysia. Additionally, we have included an updated host index of the tick species in Southeast Asia.
Several important human diseases worldwide are caused by tick-borne viruses. These diseases have become important public health concerns in recent years. The tick-borne viruses that cause diseases in humans mainly belong to 3 families: Bunyaviridae, Flaviviridae, and Reoviridae. In this review, we focus on therapeutic approaches for several of the more important tick-borne viruses from these 3 families. These viruses are Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHF) and the newly discovered tick-borne phleboviruses, known as thrombocytopenia syndromevirus (SFTSV), Heartland virus and Bhanja virus from the family Bunyaviridae, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Powassan virus (POWV), Louping-ill virus (LIV), Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV), Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), and Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) from the Flaviviridae family. To date, there is no effective antiviral drug available against most of these tick-borne viruses. Although there is common usage of antiviral drugs such as ribavirin for CCHF treatment in some countries, there are concerns that ribavirin may not be as effective as once thought against CCHF. Herein, we discuss also the availability of vaccines for the control of these viral infections. The lack of treatment and prevention approaches for these viruses is highlighted, and we hope that this review may increase public health awareness with regard to the threat posed by this group of viruses.
High seropositivity to Rickettsia conorii and Rickettsia felis has been reported in Malaysian indigenous community living in settlements adjacent to forest areas. The current study was conducted to determine the type and distribution of rickettsiae in feeding and questing ticks that were collected from a forest reserve area at Kuala Lompat in Pahang, Malaysia. Using PCR assays targeting citrate synthase (gltA), outer membrane protein A (ompA) and B (ompB) genes, rickettsiae were detected from approximately one-third of 98 ticks (mainly Dermacentor and Haemaphysalis spp.) collected from the forest reserve. BLAST analysis reveals the predominance of Rickettsia sp. RF2125 in both feeding and questing ticks and Rickettsia sp. TCM1 in the questing ticks. Sequences exhibiting close genetic relationship with Rickettsia raoultii, Rickettsia tamurae, Rickettsia heilongjiangensis, and Rickettsia asiatica were also detected from the ticks. This study highlights the diversity of rickettsial species and potential tick vectors which may contribute to the high seropositivity observed among the local communities.
The red jungle fowl is generally considered as one of the endangered Asian wild Galleopheasants due to man-made encroachment of their habitats, coupled with the effect of disease and disease causing organisms like ticks and tick-borne infections. This study aimed to determine the tick fauna of the red jungle fowl and their predilection sites based on developmental stages.
Pulau Tioman is a popular tourist island off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, known for its vast areas of intact vegetation. Six tick species have been recorded on the island but little is known about their local ecology or public health importance. To facilitate studies of the tick fauna of Pulau Tioman, a checklist of all species and host associations is presented with the first host records, from Pulau Tioman, of Amblyomma helvolum from the Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) and Amblyomma varanense from the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata). A pictorial key is also presented for all tick species known from the island.
The presence of a tick in the ear is an uncommon problem encountered by the department of otorhinolaryngology. A tick infestation in the ear can be a traumatising experience for the patient. Here, we report a case of a woman who presented with left facial weakness due to the presence of a tick in the external auditory canal.