[Comparative study of the bactericidal action of the body of Ornithodoros papillipes ticks]

Experiments in vivo have shown that the ticks of Ornithodoros papillipes inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. On Gram-positive microorganisms most sensitive to bactericidal effect of ticks have turned to be micrococci, staphylococci, streptococci and bacteria of diphtheria, of Gram-negative ones--Bacillus coli. Of Gram-positive microorganisms less sensitive were Listeria, of Gram-negative ones--salmonellae, agents of tularemia and pseudotuberculosis. At the infection with bacteria the organism of the tick produces a bactericidal substance which causes the dying off of the microbal population. The ability of the bactericidal substance to lyse the inhibited cells of Micrococcus lysodeiktickus as well as the coincidence of data on sensibility to the tick bactericidal substance obtained experimentally in vitro and in vivo have shown that lysozyme is an active antibacterial substance in the tick's organism.