In Egypt, A, vespertilionis occurs with the more common A, 

 boueti and with the less common A. confusiis and A, transgarie^inus . 

 A. vespertilionis and the other Two species are rare, however, 

 in the comparatively humid situations in Cairo favored by the 

 fruit- bat parasite, Ornithodoros salahi. 



DISEASE RELATIONS 



MAN: Mild itching resulting from a bite may persist for 

 several weeks, 



BATS: Large blood clots form at the site of the bite, both 

 on the host's body and on the wing membrane. 



It has been stated that this tick is a vector of a spiro- 

 chete of bats but reports of conclusive supporting evidence 

 have thus far not been located. 



In the Cairo area blood of a few of these ticks has been 

 found to contain a most interesting organism resembling, accord- 

 ing to Dr. P. C. C. Garnham (correspondence): '"the sporozoites 

 of a Haemoproteid; they are not unlike the sporozoites of Leuco - 



cytozoon described from the abdominal cavity of 



Simulium flies.'" Unfortunately, it has thus far been impossible 

 to undertake further study of this phenomenon. 



Egyptian specimens examined in NAMRU-3 laboratories have been 

 negative for spirochetes, viruses, rickettsiae, and Shigella 

 organisms. 



REMARKS 



The taxonony ajid biology of bat-infesting Argas ticks is 

 presently being studied and the first report, on A. boueti and 

 A. confusus has been presented (Hoogstraal 1955B). The second 

 "section will deal with the confounded status of Argas (Carios ) 

 vespertilionis . Some workers have considered Carios as a full 

 genus, indiscriminately including in it features of a variety 

 of species based on vague and ambiguous remeirks in the literature, 



_ 109 - 



