| Most of the ~100
Ornithodoros
spp
inhabit protected niches in burrows, caves, dens, cliffsides, and bird colonies. Among the few that parasitize livestock,
O
savignyi
and
O
coriaceus
are exceptional because they have eyes and because they rest just below or above ground level under the shade of trees and rocks where livestock and game animals rest and sleep.
O
savignyi
, the sand tampan, lives in semiarid areas from Namibia to India and Sri Lanka and is often tremendously abundant. Humans and tethered livestock suffer severe irritation and toxicosis from sand tampan bites, and paralysis and death of animals are recorded.
O
coriaceus
, the “pajaroello” of hillside scrub oak habitats from northern California and Nevada to Chiapias, Mexico, occupies deer beds under trees and near large rocks. It is well-known for irritating deer and cattle, and, in humans, its bite produces a severe skin reaction. Epizootic bovine abortion, caused by
Borrelia
crocidurae
, appears to be transmitted only by
O
coriaceus
.
O
guerneyi
shelters in tree-shaded soil in arid zones of Australia where kangaroos and humans rest; livestock are rare or absent in these habitats.
|
| Among the numerous
Ornithodoros
spp
that inhabit burrows, several species are either naturally infected with African swine fever (ASF) virus in Africa, or have the laboratory-confirmed ability to harbor and transmit the agent in Europe and the Americas. The natural reservoir and vector of ASF virus is
O
porcinus
porcinus
(
O
moubata
porcinus
), which is abundant in burrows of tropical African pigs and also of antbears and porcupines. Domestic pig populations in the vicinity of infected wild pigs can be decimated by ASF. Wild and domestic pigs are not involved in the epidemiology of
Borrelia
duttoni
, the agent of human African relapsing fever, which is transmitted by
O
moubata
. ASF virus has been transported in infected meat to Spain where
O
marocanus (erraticus)
, an inhabitant of rodent burrows and pig sties, is an efficient vector.
O
marocanus
is also a reservoir and vector of
Borrelia
hispanica
, the agent of Spanish-northwest African human relapsing fever. ASF has likewise been introduced in Brazil, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. The American
O
puertoricensis
,
O
turicata
,
O
talaje
,
O
dugesi
, and
O
coriaceus
are potential vectors of ASF virus. |
|
O
tholozani
(
O
papillipes
, also
O
crossi
) infests burrows, caves, stables, stone and clay fences, and human habitations in semidesert, steppe, and long dry-season environments from China, southern former USSR, northwestern India, and Afghanistan to Greece, northeastern Libya, and eastern Mediterranean islands. Numerous rodents, hedgehogs, porcupines, and domestic animals support
O
tholozani
populations. Humans develop severe, sometimes fatal, Persian relapsing fever when bitten by
O
tholozani
infected with
Borrelia
persicus
. |
|
O
lahorensis
, originally a parasite of wild sheep resting in the lee of cliffsides, is an important pest of stabled livestock in lowlands and mountains of Tibet, Kashmir, and southern former USSR to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. The 2-host life cycle and long wintertime attachment of
O
lahorensis
is biologically remarkable. It is deleterious to livestock held for much of the winter in heavily infested stables; it may cause paralysis, anemia, and toxicosis, and it transmits the agents of piroplasmosis, brucellosis, Q-fever, and tularemia. In Iran and Turkmenistan, the seldom studied
O
canestrini
also parasitizes livestock in caves and stables. |
|
O
turicata
parasitizes rodents that live in burrows, crevices, or caves; owls; snakes; tortoises; and also domestic pigs and other livestock in southern USA and Mexico. Contrary to most
Ornithodoros
feeding patterns, immature
O
turicata
engorge in ≤30 min, but adults may attach for up to 2 days.
O
turicata
has been associated with diseases of pigs, and serious toxic reactions and secondary infections can result when humans are bitten. |
|
O
furucosus
parasitizes humans and livestock in houses and stables in northwestern South America. Other South American pests of livestock and humans, probably originally parasites of the peccary, are
O
braziliensis
and
O
rostratus
. |
;)