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Teo EJM, Apanaskevich DA, Barker SC, Nakao R. Dermacentor (Indocentor) auratus Supino 1897: Potential geographic range, and medical and veterinary significance. Acta Trop 2024; 254:107197. [PMID: 38554993 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Dermacentor (Indocentor) auratus Supino, 1897 occurs in many regions of Southeast Asia and South Asia. In many regions of Southeast Asia and South Asia, targeted tick sampling and subsequent screening of collected D. auratus ticks have detected pathogenic bacteria and viruses in D. auratus. These disease-causing pathogens that have been detected in D. auratus include Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borrelia, Rickettsia (including spotted fever group rickettsiae), African swine fever virus, Lanjan virus, and Kyasanur forest disease virus. Although D. auratus predominantly infests wild pigs, this tick is also an occasional parasite of humans and other animals. Indeed, some 91 % of human otoacariasis cases in Sri Lanka were due to infestation by D. auratus. With the propensity of this tick to feed on multiple species of hosts, including humans, and the detection of pathogenic bacteria and viruses from this tick, D. auratus is a tick of medical, veterinary, and indeed zoonotic concern. The geographic range of this tick, however, is not well known. Therefore, in the present paper, we used the species distribution model, BIOCLIM, to project the potential geographic range of D. auratus, which may aid pathogen and tick-vector surveillance. We showed that the potential geographic range of D. auratus is far wider than the current geographic distribution of this tick, and that regions in Africa, and in North and South America seem to have suitable climates for D. auratus. Interestingly, in Southeast Asia, Borneo and Philippines also have suitable climates for D. auratus, but D. auratus has not been found in these regions yet despite the apparent close proximity of these regions to Mainland Southeast Asia, where D. auratus occurs. We thus hypothesize that the geographic distribution of D. auratus is largely dependent on the movement of wild pigs and whether or not these wild pigs are able to overcome dispersal barriers. We also review the potential pathogens and the diseases that may be associated with D. auratus and provide an updated host index for this tick.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest J M Teo
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
| | - Dmitry A Apanaskevich
- United States National Tick Collection, The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA; Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
| | - Stephen C Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
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Teo E, Russell H, Lambert T, Webster R, Yappa A, McDonagh P, Harper G, Barker D, Barker SC. The weather determines the number of cases of tick paralysis in dogs and cats in eastern Australia, caused by Ixodes holocyclus, the eastern paralysis tick. Aust Vet J 2023; 101:479-489. [PMID: 37772326 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
We studied over 222,000 cases of emergency veterinary consultations in four regions along the eastern coast of Australia. We found that cases of tick paralysis (TP) caused by the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, accounted for 7.5% of these cases: >16,000 cases. The season of TP and the number (prevalence) of TP cases varied among regions and over the years. Our study of the association between weather and (i) the start of the season of TP, and (ii) the number of TP cases revealed much about the intricate relationship between the weather and I. holocyclus. We studied the effect of the hypothetical availability of isoxazoline-containing tick-preventative medicines and found that an increase in the availability of these medicines had significantly contributed to the decrease in TP cases. We found that the weather in winter accounted for the time of the year the season of TP starts whereas the weather in summer accounted for the number of TP cases in the TP season. Last, through a study of the effects of shifts in the climate under four hypothetical scenarios (warmer/cooler and drier/wetter than average), we propose that the start of the season of TP depends on how soon the weather in winter becomes suitable for the activity (e.g. host-seeking) and the development of I. holocyclus nymphs, and that the number of TP cases during the TP season depends on how many engorged female ticks and their eggs survive during summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ejm Teo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
| | - H Russell
- Northside Emergency Veterinary Service, Terrey Hills, New South Wales, 2084, Australia
| | - T Lambert
- Northside Emergency Veterinary Service, Terrey Hills, New South Wales, 2084, Australia
| | - R Webster
- Animal Emergency Australia, Springwood, Queensland, 4127, Australia
| | - A Yappa
- Animal Emergency Australia, Springwood, Queensland, 4127, Australia
| | - P McDonagh
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - G Harper
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, 2113, Australia
| | - D Barker
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, 4343, Australia
| | - S C Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Fisara P, Guerino F. Year-round efficacy of a single treatment of fluralaner injectable suspension (Bravecto Quantum TM) against repeated infestations with Ixodes holocyclus in dogs. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:375. [PMID: 37864235 PMCID: PMC10590027 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05951-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The longer the duration of protection of an acaricide against canine infestation with Ixodes holocyclus, the lower the risk of gaps in tick control programs that will place dogs at risk of potentially fatal tick-induced paralysis. Two studies investigated the duration of efficacy provided by a novel injectable suspension of fluralaner (Bravecto QuantumTM) against this tick species. METHODS In both studies, 20 clinically healthy dogs were randomized to an untreated control group or to a group treated once, on Day 0, with the injectable fluralaner suspension (15 mg/kg). Dogs were infested with up to 25 unfed adult female I. holocyclus ticks on Day -1, during Weeks 1 and 2, and then at intervals no greater than approximately 3 months for the 13 months following treatment. Ticks were assessed in situ at 24 and 48 h and assessed and removed at 72 h following treatment and each subsequent infestation. Efficacy was determined by comparing arithmetic mean live tick (attached or free) counts in the treated group with the control group. RESULTS The untreated control dogs maintained adequate infestations for efficacy evaluations at all assessment weeks, with mean tick counts ranging from 16.2 to 21.6 in Study 1 and 14.0 to 23.5 in Study 2. The efficacy of fluralaner injectable suspension against existing infestations, determined 72 h following treatment administration, was 64.1% in Study 1 and 42.7% in Study 2. Efficacy against post-treatment infestations in Study 1 ranged from 95.7 to 100% from Week 1 through Week 57; in Study 2 efficacy was 100% at every assessment from Week 1 through Week 57. No treatment-related adverse events were recorded in either study. CONCLUSION The injectable fluralaner suspension was highly effective against I. holocyclus infestations of dogs from one week through 13 months following a single treatment. By placing treatment with the veterinarian, killing ticks within 72 h of attachment, and providing a full year of protection, fluralaner injectable suspension can help facilitate owner compliance with tick control treatment recommendations, thus reducing the risk of canine tick paralysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Fisara
- MSD Animal Health Australia Ltd., 26 Talavera Road, Macquarie Park, NSW, 2113, Australia.
| | - Frank Guerino
- Merck Animal Health, 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
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Teo EJM, Bull CM, Burzacott D, Zalucki MP, Furlong MJ, Barker D, Barker SC. The abundance and geographic distributions of two species of ticks in South Australia: Bundey Bore revisited. AUSTRAL ECOL 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ernest J. M. Teo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - C. Michael Bull
- School of Biological Sciences Flinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Dale Burzacott
- School of Biological Sciences Flinders University Adelaide South Australia Australia
| | - Myron P. Zalucki
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Michael J. Furlong
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Dayana Barker
- School of Veterinary Science The University of Queensland Gatton Queensland Australia
| | - Stephen C. Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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Teo EJM, Arganda A, Webster R, Yappa A, Barker D, Barker SC. Two seasons of tick paralysis in Victoria yet one season in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Int J Parasitol 2023; 53:43-53. [PMID: 36462559 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
We studied 22,840 cases of tick paralysis in dogs and cats that were attributable to infestation with the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. We report that the mortality rates from the holocyclotoxins of the tick or from euthanasia due to complications arising from tick paralysis in dogs and cats were 10% and 8%, respectively. The distribution of cases of tick paralysis among the 52 weeks of 22 years (1999 to 2020, inclusive) in four regions along the eastern coast of Australia revealed much about how the life-cycle of this tick varied among regions. The four regions in our study were: (i) Cairns, Innisfail, and surrounding postcodes in Far North Queensland; (ii) South East Queensland; (iii) Northern Beaches of Sydney in New South Wales; and (iv) the Shire of East Gippsland in Victoria. We found that the season of tick paralysis started earlier in more northerly latitudes than in more southerly latitudes. We also found that Victoria has two seasons of tick paralysis, one from approximately the third week of February to the first week of May, and another from approximately the third week of September to the third week of December, whereas all of the other regions we studied in eastern Australia only had one season of tick paralysis. When we studied the two seasons of tick paralysis in Victoria, we found a statistically significant negative correlation between the number of cases of tick paralysis between the two seasons: the more cases in one season, the fewer the cases in the next season. One possible explanation for the negative correlation may be immunity to I. holocyclus acquired by dogs and cats in the first season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest J M Teo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alexa Arganda
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Robert Webster
- Animal Emergency Australia, Springwood, QLD 4127, Australia
| | - Amanda Yappa
- Animal Emergency Australia, Springwood, QLD 4127, Australia
| | - Dayana Barker
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Stephen C Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Thomas RP, Greening SS, Hill KE. Mortality, incidence and seasonality of canine and feline patients treated with tick antiserum in three far North Queensland veterinary clinics from 2000 to 2020. Aust Vet J 2022; 100:579-586. [PMID: 36081249 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Tick paralysis is a paralysis caused by bites from Ixodes holocyclus, affecting an estimated 10,000 companion animals in Australia annually. Despite tick antiserum being the cornerstone of treatment, there are no large-scale general practice studies that examine survival outcomes in tick antiserum-treated animals. In this retrospective study, clinical records from three far north Queensland general practice veterinary clinics were searched for tick antiserum-treated canine and feline patients were seen between 2000 and 2020. Patient records were assessed for survival outcomes, then logistic regression and Bayesian structural time-series model were used to assess trends in incidence and mortality and the relationship between these and time of year, rainfall, and species. The study included 2019 dog and 953 cat records. When patients with unknown outcomes were removed, canine mortality was 11.8% (213/1799) and feline mortality was 5.3% (46/872). Dogs were found to have 2.41 odds of dying following treatment than cats. August and September had the highest mean number of monthly treatments, and rainfall in the previous 5-8 months was positively correlated with the number of patients treated in each month. The odds of mortality did not vary significantly by month or season, and from 2015 onwards, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of dogs treated by the clinics. Overall, this study provides new information on tick antiserum treatment outcomes in general practice as well as new information on tick paralysis incidence in far north Queensland.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P Thomas
- Cairns Veterinary Clinic, Cairns, Queensland, Australia
| | - S S Greening
- Tāwharau Ora, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - K E Hill
- Tāwharau Ora, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Ahmad D, Afzal M. Flood risk public perception in flash flood-prone areas of Punjab, Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:53691-53703. [PMID: 35290581 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19646-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Floods due to higher severity of destruction are considered the most destructive natural hazards in the world. Initiating the appropriate strategies of disaster risk reduction is necessary to understand risk perception. This study attempted to examine the flood risk public perception in flash flood-prone areas of Punjab, Pakistan. A simple random sampling technique was used for collecting the data of 560 household respondents, and a logistic regression model was employed to make out the factors of flood risk perception. In classification of low and high perceived risk of relevant indicators, flood risk perception index was constructed. Risk perception is significantly influenced by socioeconomic factors which have a direct impact on disaster preparedness and potential adaptive capacities. After that, potential correlation of risk perception with the demographic status of respondents was investigated in this study. Empirical estimates indicated as respondents' schooling, ownership of house, size of household, employment status and past flood experience significantly influence flood risk perception. Risk perception determinants also diverse among both communities portray spatial differences. Inadequate protection measures from public authorities and institutions, limited preparedness regarding actions of private mitigation, reduced intensity of reliance in institutions and authorities are major reasons for high risk and lower mitigation in these flash flood-prone areas. The outcomes of this research can facilitate to understand flood risk perception and its factors for conniving appropriate management plan of flood risk and communication strategies. Furthermore, this research can help consider multidimensional flood risks and its spatial vibrancy from the perspective of social science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilshad Ahmad
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Economics, Preston University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Raghavan RK, Koestel Z, Ierardi R, Peterson AT, Cobos ME. Climatic suitability of the eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, and its likely geographic distribution in the year 2050. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15330. [PMID: 34321572 PMCID: PMC8319185 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94793-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus is one of two ticks that cause potentially fatal tick paralysis in Australia, and yet information on the full extent of its present or potential future spatial distribution is not known. Occurrence data for this tick species collected over the past two decades, and gridded environmental variables at 1 km2 resolution representing climate conditions, were used to derive correlative ecological niche models to predict the current and future potential distribution. Several hundreds of candidate models were constructed with varying combinations of model parameters, and the best-fitting model was chosen based on statistical significance, omission rate, and Akaike Information Criterion (AICc). The best-fitting model matches the currently known distribution but also extends through most of the coastal areas in the south, and up to the Kimbolton peninsula in Western Australia in the north. Highly suitable areas are present around south of Perth, extending towards Albany, Western Australia. Most areas in Tasmania, where the species is not currently present, are also highly suitable. Future spatial distribution of this tick in the year 2050 indicates moderate increase in climatic suitability from the present-day prediction but noticeably also moderate to low loss of climatically suitable areas elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram K Raghavan
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. .,Department of Public Health, School of Health Professions, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
| | - Z Koestel
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - R Ierardi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.,Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - A Townsend Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Marlon E Cobos
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
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Teo EJM, Hailu S, Kelava S, Zalucki MP, Furlong MJ, Nakao R, Barker D, Barker SC. Climatic requirements of the southern paralysis tick, Ixodes cornuatus, with a consideration of its host, Vombatus ursinus, and the possible geographic range of the tick up to 2090. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101758. [PMID: 34153869 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The southern paralysis tick, Ixodes cornuatus, is a tick of veterinary and medical importance in Australia. We use two methods, CLIMEX, and an envelope-model approach which we name the 'climatic-range method' to study the climatic requirements of I. cornuatus and thus to attempt to account for the geographic distribution of I. cornuatus. CLIMEX and our climatic-range method allowed us to account for 94% and 97% of the records of I. cornuatus respectively. We also studied the host preferences of I. cornuatus which we subsequently used in conjunction with our species distribution methods to account for the presence and the absences of I. cornuatus across Australia. Our findings indicate that the actual geographic distribution of I. cornuatus is smaller than the potential geographic range of this tick, and thus, that there are regions in Australia which may be suitable for I. cornuatus where this tick has not been recorded. Although our findings indicate that I. cornuatus might be able to persist in these currently unoccupied regions, our findings also indicate that the potential geographic range of I. cornuatus may shrink by 51 to 76% by 2090, depending on which climate change scenario comes to pass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest J M Teo
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Semira Hailu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Samuel Kelava
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Myron P Zalucki
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Michael J Furlong
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ryo Nakao
- Department of Disease Control, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan
| | - Dayana Barker
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
| | - Stephen C Barker
- Department of Parasitology, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
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