The Experts below are selected from a list of 93 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Mike B. Teglas - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily feeds on deer and is frequently infected with B. coriaceae, has not been shown to be a competent vector for B. hermsii. Our data represent the first sylvatic evidence of B. hermsii infection in mule deer. Additionally, our data provide evidence that infection with relapsing fever spirochetes in Nevada is wide ranging in the state's deer populations.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Abstract Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily ...
-
PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Identification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus.
Molecular ecology resources, 2008Co-Authors: Veronica S. Kirchoff, Mary M. Peacock, Mike B. TeglasAbstract:Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci (di, tetra and di-tetra complexes) were developed for the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus. Polymorphism was assessed for 56 individuals from two populations separated by ~95 km. All loci were polymorphic (X = 7, range 3-17 alleles). All loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except for one locus (OrC 8) in a single population (P
-
permanent genetic resources identification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus
Molecular Ecology Resources, 2008Co-Authors: Veronica S. Kirchoff, Mary M. Peacock, Mike B. TeglasAbstract:Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci (di, tetra and di-tetra complexes) were developed for the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus. Polymorphism was assessed for 56 individuals from two populations separated by ~95 km. All loci were polymorphic (X = 7, range 3-17 alleles). All loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except for one locus (OrC 8) in a single population (P < 0.00119, after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests).
-
Identification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus
Molecular Ecology Notes, 2008Co-Authors: Veronica S. Kirchoff, Mary M. Peacock, Mike B. TeglasAbstract:Fourteen polymorphic microsatellite loci (di, tetra and di-tetra complexes) were developed for the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus. Polymorphism was assessed for 56 individuals from two populations separated by ~95 km. All loci were polymorphic (X = 7, range 3-17 alleles). All loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except for one locus (OrC 8) in a single population (P < 0.00119, after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests).
Peregrine L. Wolff - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily feeds on deer and is frequently infected with B. coriaceae, has not been shown to be a competent vector for B. hermsii. Our data represent the first sylvatic evidence of B. hermsii infection in mule deer. Additionally, our data provide evidence that infection with relapsing fever spirochetes in Nevada is wide ranging in the state's deer populations.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Abstract Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily ...
Robert S. Lane - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
differences in prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma spp infection among host seeking dermacentor occidentalis ixodes pacificus and Ornithodoros coriaceus ticks in northwestern california
Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 2010Co-Authors: Robert S. Lane, Jeomhee Mun, Miguel A Peribanez, Natalia FedorovaAbstract:Abstract Previous studies revealed that the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) is infected occasionally with the agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) or human granulocytic anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) and that it is an inefficient experimental vector of B. burgdorferi. The relationship of the pajahuello tick (Ornithodoros coriaceus) to each of these bacterial zoonotic agents has not been reported. The primary bridging vector of both bacterial zoonotic agents to humans is the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Because of the spatial and temporal overlap of D. occidentalis and O. coriaceus populations with those of I. pacificus in natural foci of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum in northwestern California, we conducted field and laboratory studies to determine if the Pacific Coast tick or the pajahuello tick potentially may serve as secondary vectors of either bacterium. Our findings reconfirmed that wild-caught D. occidentalis ticks are infected infrequently with B. burgdorferi or A. phagocytophilum, but some adult ticks from dense woodlands or chaparral were found to contain two important veterinary pathogens for the first time (Anaplasma bovis, A. ovis). The high prevalence of A. bovis infection (4.3%, n = 185 ticks) within chaparral-derived ticks suggests that D. occidentalis could be an efficient vector of this rickettsia. Experimental attempts to transmit borreliae or Anaplasma spp. that may have been present in >100 wild-caught D. occidentalis adults to naive rabbits were unsuccessful. Anaplasma spp. were not detected in O. coriaceus, but one (4.3%) of 23 nymphs was infected with B. bissettii. This finding and an antecedent report of a B. burgdorferi-like spirochete from the same tick species demonstrate that O. coriaceus sometimes acquires and transstadially passes Lyme disease group spirochetes. I. pacificus nymphs inhabiting a woodland nidus of B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum had a 5-fold higher prevalence of borreliae than adult ticks from the same generational cohort. In contrast to the results of preceding studies carried out at the same site, none of the nymphal or adult ticks was PCR-positive for A. phagocytophilum. This suggests that the distribution of this rickettsia is highly focal or variable from year-to-year within this particular woodland.
-
Effect of Prescribed Fire for Tick Control in California Chaparral
Journal of medical entomology, 2009Co-Authors: Kerry A. Padgett, L. E. Casher, Scott L. Stephens, Robert S. LaneAbstract:Prescribed fire was investigated as a method for controlling ixodid and argasid ticks in chaparral habitats in northern California. Two experimental and two adjacent control plots within a wildlife preserve were monitored for 1 yr postburn. Ticks were collected by flagging vegetation, by CO2-baited pitfall trap, and by live-trapping rodents. Twice as many rodents were caught at control sites compared with burn sites and no dusky-footed woodrats, Neotoma fuscipes Baird, were found in the treatment sites postburn. This species is known to be a reservoir of the agents of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum Dumler, Barbet, Bekker, Dasch, Palmer, Ray, Rikihisa, Rurangirwa. Six ixodid tick species were removed from rodents (Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls, Ixodes jellisoni Cooley & Kohls, Ixodes spinipalpis Hadwen & Nuttall, Ixodes woodi Bishopp, Dermacentor occidentalis Marx, and Dermacentor parumapertus Neumann), two of which transmit bacterial zoonotic agents to people in the far-western United States. There was no decrease in number of ticks per animal trapped at either burn site compared with controls; in fact, the mean number of immature I. pacificus per rodent was significantly higher at one burn site than its control site. Soil refugia may protect ticks from fire-induced mortality; the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus Koch, which lives in soil, was unaffected by the prescribed fire as were I. pacificus and D. occidentalis buried in packets 2.5 cm below ground. We conclude that although prescribed fires in chaparral habitats may diminish local rodent abundance, it does not decrease tick loads on rodents. Furthermore, burning chaparral does not result in a decreased abundance of adult ixodid ticks on vegetation and apparently does not affect argasid or ixodid ticks that are sheltered within soil refugia.
-
genetic characteristics of borrelia coriaceae isolates from the soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus acari argasidae
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2000Co-Authors: Mavis Hendson, Robert S. LaneAbstract:Two Borrelia isolates (CA434 and CA435) cultured from the soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus were analyzed by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis of unrestricted and ApaI-restricted DNA, standard electrophoresis of BamHI- and HindIII-restricted DNA, Southern hybridization, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and amplification of the 5S-23S intergenic spacer region. These isolates were compared with Borrelia coriaceae type strain Co53, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto strain CA4, and the relapsing-fever spirochete B. parkeri (undesignated). The 16S rRNA region of CA434 and CA435 differed from that of B. coriaceae type strain Co53 by the presence of 1 base (C) at position 367 (GenBank accession no. U42286). The linear plasmid profile of CA434 was similar to that of Co53, and the ApaI, BamHI, and HindIII restriction fingerprints of the total cellular DNA of CA434 and Co53 were similar. In contrast, CA435 differed somewhat from CA434 and Co53, which demonstrates that B. coriaceae is genetically diverse. Southern hybridization showed that the DNAs of CA434 and CA435 hybridized strongly with the digoxigeninlabeled DNA of Co53. Low homology was found between the DNA of Co53 and that of B. parkeri. The 16S rRNA sequence of B. parkeri was identical to previously published results for B. parkeri strain M3001 (GenBank accession number U42296). CA434 and CA435 represent only the second and third isolates of B. coriaceae obtained from any source since its initial isolation from an O. coriaceus tick in 1985. All three B. coriaceae isolates were derived from adult ticks collected from the same locality in northwestern California. Difficulties encountered in detecting B. coriaceae in, and isolating this spirochete from, the tissues of O. coriaceus are discussed. The lack of concordance between different detection or isolation methods suggests that reliance upon a single technique may grossly underestimate the true prevalence of spirochetal infection in wild-caught O. coriaceus ticks. In 1985, a previously unrecognized Borrelia-like spirochete was detected in all three trophic stages of the human-biting soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus from northern California, and a single isolate from a male tick was partially characterized morphologically and immunochemically (15). Shortly thereafter, this isolate, designated Co53, was characterized genetically and phenotypically and named Borrelia coriaceae after its tick vector (14, 19). B. coriaceae was found to be passed transstadially and occasionally via eggs in its tick vector (15, 17), and the Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) was implicated as a probable natural host of the spirochete (16). Furthermore, circumstantial evidence suggested that B. coriaceae is the cause of epizootic bovine abortion (EBA), a significant disease of rangeland cattle in some areas of the far-western United States, particularly California (15). Subsequent studies, while not ruling out the possibility that B. coriaceae or another spirochete is involved in the epizoology of EBA, have not established a firm link between the presence of spirochetes and bovine abortion (28, 29, 37, 38, 41). To our knowledge, no more isolates of B. coriaceae have been isolated since 1985. Here we genetically characterize two more recently acquired isolates of B. coriaceae that were derived from O. coriaceus ticks and compare them with the Co53 type strain of B. coriaceae, the relapsing-fever spirochete B. parkeri, and the Lyme disease spirochete B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). These new isolates of B. coriaceae, designated CA434 and CA435, represent only the second and third iso
-
genetic characteristics of borrelia coriaceae isolates from the soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus acari argasidae
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2000Co-Authors: Mavis Hendson, Robert S. LaneAbstract:Two Borrelia isolates (CA434 and CA435) cultured from the soft tick Ornithodoros coriaceus were analyzed by contour-clamped homogeneous electric field gel electrophoresis of unrestricted and ApaI-restricted DNA, standard electrophoresis of BamHI- and HindIII-restricted DNA, Southern hybridization, restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, and amplification of the 5S-23S intergenic spacer region. These isolates were compared with Borrelia coriaceae type strain Co53, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto strain CA4, and the relapsing-fever spirochete B. parkeri (undesignated). The 16S rRNA region of CA434 and CA435 differed from that of B. coriaceae type strain Co53 by the presence of 1 base (C) at position 367 (GenBank accession no. U42286). The linear plasmid profile of CA434 was similar to that of Co53, and the ApaI, BamHI, and HindIII restriction fingerprints of the total cellular DNA of CA434 and Co53 were similar. In contrast, CA435 differed somewhat from CA434 and Co53, which demonstrates that B. coriaceae is genetically diverse. Southern hybridization showed that the DNAs of CA434 and CA435 hybridized strongly with the digoxigenin-labeled DNA of Co53. Low homology was found between the DNA of Co53 and that of B. parkeri. The 16S rRNA sequence of B. parkeri was identical to previously published results for B. parkeri strain M3001 (GenBank accession number U42296). CA434 and CA435 represent only the second and third isolates of B. coriaceae obtained from any source since its initial isolation from an O. coriaceus tick in 1985. All three B. coriaceae isolates were derived from adult ticks collected from the same locality in northwestern California. Difficulties encountered in detecting B. coriaceae in, and isolating this spirochete from, the tissues of O. coriaceus are discussed. The lack of concordance between different detection or isolation methods suggests that reliance upon a single technique may grossly underestimate the true prevalence of spirochetal infection in wild-caught O. coriaceus ticks.
Nathan C. Nieto - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily feeds on deer and is frequently infected with B. coriaceae, has not been shown to be a competent vector for B. hermsii. Our data represent the first sylvatic evidence of B. hermsii infection in mule deer. Additionally, our data provide evidence that infection with relapsing fever spirochetes in Nevada is wide ranging in the state's deer populations.
-
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States.
Vector borne and zoonotic diseases (Larchmont N.Y.), 2011Co-Authors: Nathan C. Nieto, Mike B. Teglas, Kelley M. Stewart, Tony Wasley, Peregrine L. WolffAbstract:Abstract Surveillance of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus, Rafinesque, 1917) populations for tick-borne diseases has helped define the distribution of these pathogens and their subsequent risk of transmission to humans and domestic animals. We surveyed three mule deer herds across the state of Nevada for infection with relapsing fever Borrelia spp. spirochetes. Bacterial prevalence varied by the county where deer were sampled but Borrelia spirochetes were detected in 7.7% of all deer sampled. Infected deer were identified in every location from which mule deer samples were obtained. Sequencing of the Borrelia intergenic spacer gene (IGS) revealed that one individual was infected with Borrelia coriaceae and all others were infected with Borrelia hermsii. The vector of B. hermsii, Ornithodoros hermsi (Acari: Argasidae, Wheeler, Herms, and Meyer, 1935), feeds primarily on wild rodents and has not been identified infesting deer. Additionally, Ornithodoros coriaceus (Acari: Argasidae, Koch, 1844), which readily ...
Stephen G. Zam - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Detection and quantification of Ornithodoros-specific anti-tick antibody by competitive inhibition ELISA
Journal of Parasitology, 1996Co-Authors: Edward J. Wozniak, Jerry F. Butler, Richard G. Endris, Stephen G. ZamAbstract:The objective of this study was to develop a highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serological detection of anti-Ornithodoros tick antibodies in animals. Affinity-purified rabbit anti-Ornithodoros IgG antibodies were employed in indirect competitive inhibition ELISA assays designed to measure the anti-Ornithodoros antibody titers in other animal species using the domestic goat (Capra hircus) as a large animal model. Repeated infestation of goats with Ornithodoros coriaceus was found to elicit the formation of antibodies capable of inhibiting the binding of the Ornithodoros-specific rabbit IgG. Western blot analysis of goat and rabbit anti-tick antisera demonstrated both animal species to respond immunologically to a set of 9 major protein bands in O. coriaceus salivary gland extracts. The results of these experiments demonstrate that a history of animal exposure to O. coriaceus may be detected serologically by competitive inhibition ELISA.
-
Evidence of common and genus-specific epitopes on Ornithodoros spp. tick (Acari: Argasidae) salivary proteins
Journal of medical entomology, 1995Co-Authors: Edward J. Wozniak, Jerry F. Butler, Stephen G. ZamAbstract:New Zealand White rabbits were repeatedly infested with Ornithodoros turicata (Duges), Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville), and Ornithodoros coriaceus (Koch) at 2-wk intervals. Blood samples were taken from each animal 10 d after each infestation and the titer of anti-tick antibody was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Subsequent cross-reactivity studies demonstrated that the antitick antisera nonspecifically bound to salivary gland extract proteins prepared from several other tick genera and species' Amblyomma maculatum (Koch), Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), and Ornithodoros moubata (Murray). Absorption of the antisera against an immobilized extract of A. maculatum substantially increased specificity at the genus level. Western blots of electrophoretically separated Ornithodoros salivary gland extract samples were used to further compare the specificity of absorbed and nonabsorbed antitick antisera. The blots demonstrated that many of the Ornithodoros salivary gland extract proteins bear genus specific epitopes. Some differences were noted among the Ornithodoros species examined with respect to the degree of antigenic relatedness with the ixodid ticks.
-
Evidence of common and genus-specific epitopes on Ornithodoros spp. tick (Acari: Argasidae) salivary proteins
Journal of medical entomology, 1995Co-Authors: Edward J. Wozniak, Jerry F. Butler, Stephen G. ZamAbstract:New Zealand White rabbits were repeatedly infested with Ornithodoros turicata (Duges), Ornithodoros talaje (Guerin-Meneville), and Ornithodoros coriaceus (Koch) at 2-wk intervals. Blood samples were taken from each animal 10 d after each infestation and the titer of anti-tick antibody was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Subsequent cross-reactivity studies demonstrated that the antitick antisera nonspecifically bound to salivary gland extract proteins prepared from several other tick genera and species' Amblyomma maculatum (Koch), Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles), Dermacentor variabilis (Say), and Ornithodoros moubata (Murray). Absorption of the antisera against an immobilized extract of A. maculatum substantially increased specificity at the genus level. Western blots of electrophoretically separated Ornithodoros salivary gland extract samples were used to further compare the specificity of absorbed and nonabsorbed antitick antisera. The blots demonstrated that many of the Ornithodoros salivary gland extract proteins bear genus specific epitopes. Some differences were noted among the Ornithodoros species examined with respect to the degree of antigenic relatedness with the ixodid ticks.