Soldado virus from Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) maritimus (Ixodoidea: Argasidae) infesting herring gull nests on Puffin Island, Northern Wales.

Three strains of Soldado (SOL) virus (Hughes serogroup) were isolated from nymphal and adult Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) maritimus Vermeil et Marguet collected in and near nests of the Herring Gull, Larus a. argentatus Pontoppidan, on Puffin Island, northern Wales. Reciprocal complement fixation (CF) titration results demonstrated recovered virus strains to be SOL virus and antigenically distinct from other Hughes serogroup members. All isolates killed mice and guinea pigs, and 1-2 day old domestic chicks when inoculated intracerebrally.