Ixodes tasmani
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Ixodida
Family: Ixodidae
Genus: Ixodes
Species:
I. tasmani
Binomial name
Ixodes tasmani
Neumann, 1899
Range of I. tasmani (marked in red) in eastern Australia
Range of I. tasmani in eastern Australia. Red depicts a high population size while orange represents mid population size

Ixodes tasmani,[1][2] colloquially known as the common marsupial tick,[3] is an Australian species of hard-bodied tick. It is a common vector for certain pathogens. There are around 70 species of ticks found in Australia, 16 of which, Ixodes tasmani included, are able to parasitize humans.[4]

Taxonomy

The Ixodes tasmani was formally described in 1899 by the French parasitologist Louis Georges Neumann. He chose the specific epithet to honour the memory of the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman who had discovered Tasmania.[5][6]

Anatomy, life cycle and behavior

Ixodes tasmani exhibits a few anatomical differences compared to other ticks species. The most important is that they tend to have a much shorter mouthpiece, and to compensate for this, this species can produce cement that attaches them more firmly to their host.[6] Ixodes tasmani's entire life cycle can be completed in as little as four months. It has been found on 42 species of hosts, with most being the Australian marsupials, monotremes, rodents, domestic animals, and humans but has never been recorded on birds or reptiles.[6] Ixodes tasmani is a three-host tick, meaning that it will switch to different hosts between each of its critical life stages.[7]

The Ixodes tasmani have been observed to follow a diurnal rhythm of detachment from their hosts, meaning they detach themselves from their hosts during 'daylight' hours so they can stay near or in the hosts' dens while they sleep. Due to this behavior, it has been concluded that this species is a nidicolous tick meaning that no matter the stage of life, this tick will live in and around the resting place of its host.[6]

Distribution and habitat

I. tasmani is one of the most widespread species of Australian Ixodes and can be found in many inland and coastal parts of Australia, such as New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. Ixodes tasmani has also been found in some parts of Tasmania, but the population is not as significant compared to Australia. Its habitats consists of tree hollows, tall open grass area, and shrubs.[3]

Zoonotic infections

Ixodes tasmani is a known vector for several pathogens such as Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia australis, Rickettsia honei, Rickettsia honei subsp. marmionii. All of these pathogens will cause Q fever, Queensland tick typhus (QTT), Flinders Island spotted fever (FISF), and Australian spotted fever (ASF).[8] Each of these diseases would be considered a zoonotic disease because it is transferred from animals to humans. A zoonotic pathogen can be bacterial, viral, or parasitic, and the transference to humans depends on the type of pathogens.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Ixodes tasmani Neumann, 1899". GBIF. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  2. ↑ "ITIS – Report: Ixodes tasmani". itis.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  3. 1 2 Murdoch, Fiona & Spratt, David (2005). "Ecology of the common marsupial tick (Ixodes tasmani Neumann) (Acarina:Ixodidae), in eastern Australia". Australian Journal of Zoology. 53 (6): 383–388. doi:10.1071/ZO05032.
  4. ↑ Tick bite prevention, Australian Government Department of Health, retrieved 2021-12-10
  5. ↑ Neumann, Louis Georges (1899). "Revison de la famille des Ixodidés". Mémoires de la Société zoologique de France (in French). 12: 107–294 [144].
  6. 1 2 3 4 Barker, Stephen & Walker, Alan (2014). Ticks of Australia: The species that infest domestic animals and humans. New Zealand: Magnolia Press. pp. 112–118. ISBN 978-1-77557-418-7.
  7. ↑ "CDC – DPDx – Ticks". www.cdc.gov. 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  8. ↑ Dehhaghi, Mona; Kazemi Shariat Panahi, Hamed; Holmes, Edward C.; Hudson, Bernard J.; Schloeffel, Richard & Guillemin, Gilles J. (2019-01-28). "Human tick-borne diseases in Australia". Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 9: 3. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2019.00003. PMC 6360175. PMID 30746341.
  9. ↑ "Zoonoses". www.who.int. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
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