Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-23T21:04:29.011Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

On “Tick Paralysis” in Sheep and Man following Bites of Dermacentor venustus

With Notes on the Biology of the Tick

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Seymour Hadwen
Seymour Hadwen
Affiliation:
Pathologist to the Dominion Department of Agriculture, Experimental Farm, Agassiz, B.C., Canada.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

“Tick paralysis” occurs in British Columbia and affects man, sheep, and probably other animals. The disease is caused by the bites of Dermacentor venustus Banks. It is usually of short duration, is benign in character, but occasionally it persists for long periods, and may terminate fatally. From an economic point of view, the disease is of some importance to the sheep industry. The causative agent has not been discovered, and the disease has not been reproduced by inoculation. The most likely hypothesis is that the tick injects a toxin which gives rise to symptoms appearing coincidentally with the complete engorgement of the tick. In three consecutive cases, experimentally produced by me in lambs, paralysis occurred six to seven days after the ticks were put on. In no case did I fail to produce paralysis through the agency of the tick bites. It has been proved that D. venustus usually bites sheep along the back-bone; possibly the point of attachment may have some bearing on the symptoms or severity of the case. It is probable that other species of ticks may produce a similar disease. No larvae or nymphs were encountered on sheep, and I have no records of their attacking man in British Columbia.

Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , October 1913 , pp. 283 - 297
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1913

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

On “Tick Paralysis.”

Bishopp, F. C. and King, W. V. (1913). Additional notes on the biology of the Rocky Mountain Spotted-Fever Tick. Journ. Econ. Entomol. vi. 200–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cleland, J. B. (1912). Australian Medical Gaz. (quoted by Eaton).Google Scholar
Eaton, E. M. (1913). A case of Tick-Bite followed by wide-spread transitory muscular paralysis. Tropicalxs Diseases Bull. ii. 205–206.Google Scholar
Eaton, E. M. (1913). A case of Tick-Bite followed by wide-spread transitory muscular paralysis. (Review from Australian Med. Gaz. xxxiii. 391–394.)Google Scholar
Hadwen, S. (1913). Preliminary note on “Tick Paralysis.” Letter from Veterinary Director-General. Amer. Veter. Review.Google Scholar
Hadwen, S. (1913). Address on “Tick Paralysis.” Proc. Brit. Columbia Vet. Assoc. (As yet unpublished.)Google Scholar
Todd, J. L. (1912). Tick-bite in British Columbia. Canadian Med. Assoc. Journ.Google ScholarPubMed
Nuttall, G. H. F. (1899). On the rôle of Insects, Arachnids and Myriapods, etc. Johns Hopkins Hospital Reports, viii. 1–154.Google Scholar
Nuttall, G. H. F. (1908). The Ixodoidea or Ticks, Harben Lect I. Journ. Roy. Inst. Publ. Health, xvi. 385–403, 8 figs.Google Scholar
Nuttall, G. H. F. (1911). On symptoms following Tick-bites. Parasitology, iv. 89–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nuttall, G. H. F. (1913). [Effect of bite of Ixodes putus.] Parasitology, vi. 84–85.Google Scholar
Nuttall, G. H. F. and Strickland, C. (1908). On the presence of an anticoagulin in the salivary glands and intestines of Argas persicus. Parasitology, i. 302–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nuttall, G. H. F. and Strickland, C. (1908–1911). [Regarding. the effects of the bites of various ticks.] Nuttall, Warburton, Cooper, and Robinson: Ticks, Part I, 85 et seq. (Argas persicus, A.reflexus, O. coriaceus, O. moubata). Part II, 313–316 (I. ricinus, I. pilosus).Google Scholar
Sant' Anna, J. F. (1911). On a disease in man following tick-bites, and occurring in Lorenço Marques. Parasitology, iv. 87–88.Google Scholar