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Aim Climate change has the potential to have an impact on the distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases. This paper identifies the changes in climate suitability for the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in the Americas by analysing climate data for the period 1950–99. Location The model was applied to the American continent. Methods A model based on Environmental Niche Modelling was used on a gridded (0.5°) long-term (1950–99) climate data set. A map of the core range of the species was constructed, and areas where habitat suitability (HS) changes suddenly over short time periods were identified as regions of high sensitivity. Tendency of climate in the continent was evaluated and scenarios constructed for 2025 and 2050. Results Regions of high sensitivity included the southern USA, Mexico and western and central Argentina. Analysis of climate variables in these regions identified water vapour pressure deficit and evaporation as underlying the high sensitivity of habitat suitability in the USA and Mexico, and showed that episodes of high variability are linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Projections of the tendency of HS as observed for the 1950–99 period point to an increase in this value in parts of the southern USA and in central Argentina, a finding that can be attributed to the progressive increase in minimum and yearly averaged temperatures. Conclusions Short-term changes in climate may drive the system into unstable situations with sudden changes in habitat suitability for the target tick in specific zones of the Americas. Results suggest an increased abiotic (climate) suitability for R. microplus in areas whose habitat is currently unsuitable for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were produced against midgut membrane (GM) antigens of Boophilus microplus. The isotypes of these mAb were established and their specificity characterized using double diffusion and Western blotting. GM antigens solubilized by Triton X-100 were precipitated by mAb QU13, and the precipitate was then injected into cattle to test for the presence of protective antigens. Vaccinated cattle challenged with 10-day-old larval ticks showed evidence of protection with a 62% reduction in eggs produced by ticks from vaccinated cattle compared to tick eggs from control cattle. In a second vaccine-challenge experiment, the dose of precipitate was increased and >99% protection was provided to these vaccinated cattle following challenge (calculated from tick egg weights compared to the control group). The solubilized antigen(s) precipitated by QU13 were subjected to SDS-PAGE separation and the calculated sizes of these molecules were >200,000, 80,000, 74,000, 62,000, 57,000 and <30,000 MW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]