The 'teabag method': tick feeding protocol and the effects of tick feeding on hematological parameters in the canine...

Hard tick infestation occurs naturally in humans, domestic animals, and livestock species. Upon feeding, ticks transmit a wide variety of pathogens that may result in serious diseases with severe public health and economic impacts. While tick-borne diseases significantly impact human and animal health and agricultural production worldwide, as ectoparasites, ticks can also cause serious tissue injury, tick paralysis, or exsanguination from mass infestation. Experimental tick feeding is necessary to study tick-borne diseases and effectively test novel vaccines and therapeutics. Such studies raise concerns about on-host tick containment. Classically, tick containment cells for feeding on animals are rigid, lidded containers that are adhered to the host's skin with adhesive or tape. They are bulky and easily damaged.

Here, we describe the use of mesh packets, termed 'teabags,' containing 20 male and 5 female ticks each of both Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis applied with surgical tape beneath harnesses on five dogs to allow tick feeding. Canine hematological and blood chemistry parameters were recorded before, during, and after tick feeding.

Successful feeding for 7 days was observed for both tick species (21-24/25 A. americanum and 3-14/25 D. variabilis per dog). Statistically significant shifts were detected in canine host hematological and blood chemistry parameters during tick feeding, indicating that infestation with even small numbers of ticks affects the systemic hematological and blood chemistry parameters.

This new method is safe, humane, and effective and will improve the experimental design, containment, and safety of tick-feeding research across many host, parasite, and pathogen species.