Percorrer por autor "Velez, R."
A mostrar 1 - 2 de 2
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Detection and phylogenetic characterization of Theileria spp. and Anaplasma marginale in Rhipicephalus bursa in PortugalPublication . Ferrolho, A.; Antunes, S.; Santos, A.S.; Velez, R.; Padre, L.; Cabezas-Cruz, A.; Santos-Silva, M.M.; Domingos, A.Ticks are obligatory blood-sucking arthropod (Acari:Ixodida) ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals as well as humans. The incidence of tick-borne diseases is rising worldwide, challenging our approach toward diagnosis, treatment and control options. Rhipicephalus bursa Canestrini and Fanzago, 1877, a two-host tick widely distributed in the Palearctic Mediterranean region, is considered a multi-host tick that can be commonly found on sheep, goats and cattle, and occasionally on horses, dogs, deer and humans. R. bursa is a species involved in the transmission of several tick-borne pathogens with a known impact on animal health and production. The aim of this study was to estimate R. bursa prevalence in Portugal Mainland and circulating pathogens in order to contribute to a better knowledge of the impact of this tick species. Anaplasma marginale and Theileria spp. were detected and classified using phylogenetic analysis. This is the first report of Theileria annulata and Theileria equi detection in R. bursa ticks feeding on cattle and horses, respectively, in Portugal. This study contributes toward the identification of currently circulating pathogens in this tick species as a prerequisite for developing future effective anti-tick control measures.
- Efficacy of the Vaccine Candidate Based on the P0 Peptide against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus TicksPublication . Rodríguez Mallon, A.; Encinosa Guzmán, P.E.; Bello, Y.; Domingos, A.; Antunes, S.; Kopacek, P.; Santos, A.S.; Velez, R.; Perner, J.; Ledesma Bravo, F.L.; Frantova, H.; Erhart, J.; Rodríguez, R.; Fuentes, A.; Diago, D.; Joglar, M.; Méndez, L.; Estrada, M.P.The control of ticks through vaccination offers a sustainable alternative to the use of chemicals that cause contamination and the selection of resistant tick strains. However, only a limited number of anti-tick vaccines have reached commercial realization. In this sense, an antigen effective against different tick species is a desirable target for developing such vaccines. A peptide derived from the tick P0 protein (pP0) conjugated to a carrier protein has been demonstrated to be effective against the Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and Amblyomma mixtum tick species. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of this peptide when conjugated to the Bm86 protein against Dermacentor nitens and Ixodes ricinus ticks. An RNAi experiment using P0 dsRNA from I. ricinus showed a dramatic reduction in the feeding of injected female ticks on guinea pigs. In the follow-up vaccination experiments, rabbits were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged simultaneously with larvae, nymphs, and the adults of I. ricinus ticks. In the same way, horses were immunized with the pP0-Bm86 conjugate and challenged with D. nitens larva. The pP0-Bm86 conjugate showed efficacies of 63% and 55% against I. ricinus and D. nitens ticks, respectively. These results, combined with previous reports of efficacy for this conjugate, show the promising potential for its development as a broad-spectrum anti-tick vaccine.