Improved experimental burn model on rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of our study was to find an easy and suitable skin burn model for rabbits, to identify the temperature and contact time to reach a deep 2nd degree burn, and to find the best wound dressing fixation method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used New Zealand male rabbits as experimental models. On a pilot study, with a copper device heated to temperatures between 43-48 Celsius degrees, the burn was inflicted using contact timesof 3, 4, 5, and 7 seconds. The burn depth was evaluated histological. Twenty-four rabbits were used to evaluate four dressing fixation methods: regular dressing with retention bandages; skin stapler; collars and body resin cast. RESULTS: A 2nd degree deep burn was obtained at 43 degrees for 4 seconds. The retention elastic bandages were removed within hours and the skin staplers were removed with teeth leaving wounds on the skin. The collars were more successful but produced superficial neck lesions. The body resin casts were the most successful. CONCLUSIONS: The best contention method was the bpdy resin cast.

Ixodes ricinus is the dominant questing tick in forest habitats in Romania: the results from a countrywide dragging campaign.

In 2010 and 2011, questing ticks were collected from 188 forested locations in all the 41 counties of Romania using the dragging method. The total of 13,771 ticks collected belonged to eleven species: Ixodes ricinus (86.9 %), Dermacentor marginatus (9.5 %), Haemaphysalis punctata (2.6 %), H. concinna (0.6 %), H. sulcata (0.3 %), H. parva (0.1 %), Hyalomma marginatum (0.02 %), D. reticulatus (0.02 %), I. crenulatus (0.007 %), I. hexagonus (0.007 %) and I. laguri (0.007 %). Ixodes ricinus was present in 97.7 % (n = 180) of locations, occurring exclusively in 41.7 % of the locations, whereas it was the dominant species in 38.8 % of the other locations, accounting for over 70 % of the total tick community. The following most common questing ticks were D. marginatus, H. punctata and H. concinna. Ixodes ricinus co-occurred with one, two or three sympatric species. The occurrence of D. reticulatus in forested habitats from Romania was found to be accidental.

Synopsis of the hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of Romania with update on host associations and geographical distribution.

The current paper is a synoptic review of the distribution and host associations of the 25 species of hard tick fauna (family Ixodidae) in Romania. In addition to a full literature survey, original data is presented, based on eight years of occasional or targeted sample collection. The literature data on geographical distribution was transposed digitally to the decimal degree coordinate system. For each species, an updated distribution map is given together with all historical data and new host associations. Overall, our paper records 58 new tick-host associations for Romania: 20 for Ixodes ricinus, 1 for I. apronophorus, 6 for I. arboricola, 2 for I. hexagonus, 9 for I. redikorzevi, 1 for I. trianguliceps, 2 for I. vespertilionis, 2 for Haemaphysalis punctata, 1 for H. sulcata, 2 for H. concinna, 1 for D. marginatus, 4 for Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, 1 for R. bursa and 6 for Hyalomma marginatum.