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Wormser GP, Mather TN, Rich SM. Could Treating Deer with a Pill that Kills Ticks on Dogs Eliminate Lyme Disease from Humans? Am J Med 2024:S0002-9343(24)00284-5. [PMID: 38735353 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Gary P Wormser
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla.
| | - Thomas N Mather
- Center for Vector-borne Disease, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases, Amherst, Mass
| | - Stephen M Rich
- New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases, Amherst, Mass; Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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Valldeperes M, Yerro PP, López-Olvera JR, Fandos P, Lavín S, Escofet RCS, Mentaberre G, León FJCM, Espinosa J, Ráez-Bravo A, Pérez JM, Tampach S, Estruch J, Velarde R, Granados JE. Diseases of Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica). EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2023; 69:63. [PMID: 37274486 PMCID: PMC10233571 DOI: 10.1007/s10344-023-01684-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) is an ecologically and economically relevant medium-sized emblematic mountain ungulate. Diseases participate in the population dynamics of the species as a regulating agent, but can also threaten the conservation and viability of vulnerable population units. Moreover, Iberian ibex can also be a carrier or even a reservoir of pathogens shared with domestic animals and/or humans, being therefore a concern for livestock and public health. The objective of this review is to compile the currently available knowledge on (1) diseases of Iberian ibex, presented according to their relevance on the health and demography of free-ranging populations; (2) diseases subjected to heath surveillance plans; (3) other diseases reported in the species; and (4) diseases with particular relevance in captive Iberian ibex populations. The systematic review of all the information on diseases affecting the species unveils unpublished reports, scientific communications in meetings, and scientific articles, allowing the first comprehensive compilation of Iberian ibex diseases. This review identifies the gaps in knowledge regarding pathogenesis, immune response, diagnostic methods, treatment, and management of diseases in Iberian ibex, providing a base for future research. Moreover, this challenges wildlife and livestock disease and wildlife population managers to assess the priorities and policies currently implemented in Iberian ibex health surveillance and monitoring and disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Valldeperes
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paloma Prieto Yerro
- Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, C/ Martínez Falero 11, 23470 Cazorla Jaén, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
| | - Jorge Ramón López-Olvera
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Santiago Lavín
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Gregorio Mentaberre
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Ciència Animal, Universitat de Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | | | - José Espinosa
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria and Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-ULE), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Arián Ráez-Bravo
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús M. Pérez
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
- Department of Animal and Plant Biology, and Ecology, Jaén University, Campus Las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Stefania Tampach
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Estruch
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser Velarde
- Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Bellaterra Spain
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Enrique Granados
- Wildlife Ecology & Health Group (WE&H), Barcelona, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación RNM 118. Biología de Especies Cinegéticas y Plagas, Jaén, Spain
- Parque Nacional y Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada. Ctra., Antigua de Sierra Nevada Km 7, Pinos Genil, 18191 Granada, Spain
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Integrative Alternative Tactics for Ixodid Control. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030302. [PMID: 35323601 PMCID: PMC8948879 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Hard ticks are important for economic and health reasons, and control has mainly relied upon use of synthetic acaricides. Contemporary development of resistance and concerns relating to health and environmental safety have elicited exploration into alternative tactics for hard tick management. Some examples of alternative tactics involve biological control, desiccant dusts, growth regulators, vaccines, cultural methods, and ingested medications. Abstract Ixodids (hard ticks), ectoparasitic arthropods that vector the causal agents of many serious diseases of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife, have become increasingly difficult to control because of the development of resistance against commonly applied synthetic chemical-based acaricides. Resistance has prompted searches for alternative, nonconventional control tactics that can be used as part of integrated ixodid management strategies and for mitigating resistance to conventional acaricides. The quest for alternative control tactics has involved research on various techniques, each influenced by many factors, that have achieved different degrees of success. Alternative approaches include cultural practices, ingested and injected medications, biological control, animal- and plant-based substances, growth regulators, and inert desiccant dusts. Research on biological control of ixodids has mainly focused on predators, parasitoid wasps, infective nematodes, and pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Studies on animal-based substances have been relatively limited, but research on botanicals has been extensive, including whole plant, extract, and essential oil effects on ixodid mortality, behavior, and reproduction. The inert dusts kaolin, silica gel, perlite, and diatomaceous earth are lethal to ixodids, and they are impervious to environmental degradation, unlike chemical-based toxins, remaining effective until physically removed.
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Thomas DB, Duhaime R. Medicated corn feeders to disinfest cattle fever ticks, Boophilus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae), from a suburban population of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Cervidae). EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2022; 86:431-441. [PMID: 35235093 PMCID: PMC8967753 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-022-00699-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Following its eradication from the USA, the cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), a vector of bovine babesiosis, has made episodic incursions into, and sometimes beyond, an established barrier zone separating tick-free from endemic areas. In large part the incursions involve hosting and transport by wild ungulates, particularly deer and antelope. One approach to disinfest ticks from wild hosts is with food baits medicated to stop parasites. The approach has had mixed success due to factors that have been previously identified with supplemental feeding of wildlife especially competition for the bait, social dominance behavior, and the availability of alternative food sources. Given that not all of the target hosts will intake a therapeutic dose of the medication (ivermectin) at all seasons of the year, an open question is whether the approach is efficacious as a stand-alone treatment or even as part of an integrated program. As detailed in the present study an intensive effort was successful in eradicating a local outbreak of fever ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald B Thomas
- Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, USDA, 22675 North Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX, 77841, USA.
| | - Roberta Duhaime
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, USDA, 120 San Francisco Avenue, Laredo, TX, 78040, USA
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Wang HH, Grant WE, Teel PD, Lohmeyer KH, A Pérez de León A. Enhanced biosurveillance of high-consequence invasive pests: southern cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, on livestock and wildlife. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:487. [PMID: 32967722 PMCID: PMC7513513 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04366-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some tick species are invasive and of high consequence to public and veterinary health. Socioeconomic development of rural parts of the USA was enabled partly through the eradication by 1943 of cattle fever ticks (CFT, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus). The southern cattle fever ticks (SCFT, R. (B.) microplus) remain a real and present threat to the USA animal agriculture because they are established in Mexico. Livestock-wildlife interactions in the Permanent Quarantine Zone (PQZ) established by the century-old Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Programme (CFTEP) in south Texas endanger its operations. Methods We describe a spatially-explicit, individual-based model that simulates interactions between cattle, white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus), and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) to assess the risk for SCFT infestations across the pathogenic landscape in the PQZ and beyond. We also investigate the potential role of nilgai in sustaining SCFT populations by simulating various hypothetical infestation and eradication scenarios. Results All infestation scenarios resulted in a phase transition from a relatively small proportion of the ranch infested to almost the entire ranch infested coinciding with the typical period of autumn increases in off-host tick larvae. Results of eradication scenarios suggest that elimination of all on-host ticks on cattle, WTD, or nilgai would have virtually no effect on the proportion of the ranch infested or on the proportions of different tick habitat types infested; the entire ranch would remain infested. If all on-host ticks were eliminated on cattle and WTD, WTD and nilgai, or cattle and nilgai, the proportions of the ranch infested occasionally would drop to 0.6, 0.6 and 0.2, respectively. Differences in proportions of the ranch infested from year to year were due to primarily to differences in winter weather conditions, whereas infestation differences among tick habitat types were due primarily to habitat use preferences of hosts. Conclusions Infestations in nilgai augment SCFT refugia enabled by WTD and promote pest persistence across the landscape and cattle parasitism. Our study documented the utility of enhanced biosurveillance using simulation tools to mitigate risk and enhance operations of area-wide tick management programmes like the CFTEP through integrated tactics for SCFT suppression.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - William E Grant
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Kimberly H Lohmeyer
- United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
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Osbrink WLA, Showler AT, Abrigo V, Pérez de León AA. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Larvae Collected From Vegetation in the Coastal Wildlife Corridor of Southern Texas and Research Solutions for Integrated Eradication. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1305-1309. [PMID: 31971591 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The potential for reinvasion of the United States by cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), which remain established in Mexico, threatens the viability of the domestic livestock industry because these ticks vector the causal agents (Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina) of bovine babesiosis. The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program safeguards the health of the national cattle herd preventing the reemergence of bovine babesiosis by keeping the United States free of cattle fever ticks. Here, the collection of free-living southern cattle tick, R. microplus, larvae by sweeping flannel flags over vegetation in the wildlife corridor of Cameron and Willacy Counties, TX, is reported. Finding R. microplus larvae on vegetation complements reports of infestations in wildlife hosts inhabiting the southern Texas coastal plains. Land uses and environmental conditions have changed since cattle fever ticks were eradicated from the United States by 1943. These changes complicate efforts by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program to keep cattle in the United States free of the cattle fever tick disease vectors. Current scientific research on technologies that could be used for area-wide management of fever tick larvae in south Texas and how this could be applied to integrated eradication efforts are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weste L A Osbrink
- USDA-ARS-SPA Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | - Allan T Showler
- USDA-ARS-SPA Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
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EFFICACY OF WHITE-TAILED DEER ( ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) TREATMENT FOR CATTLE FEVER TICKS IN SOUTHERN TEXAS, USA. J Wildl Dis 2020; 56:588-596. [PMID: 32065762 DOI: 10.7589/2015-11-304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a host for cattle fever ticks (Rhipicephalus [Boophilus] microplus and Rhipicephalus [Boophilus] annulatus; CFTs); therefore, deer are a concern for CFT control programs in southern Texas, US. Systemic (oral delivery of ivermectin) and topical (permethrin on pelage) treatment devices have been developed for white-tailed deer; however, the efficacy of these treatment options has not been determined for CFTs in southern Texas. Our objectives were to evaluate the effectiveness of CFT treatment strategies by 1) measuring exposure rates of deer to the acaricides permethrin and ivermectin, 2) determining the relationship between CFTs on deer and exposure to the acaricides, and 3) determining if photos from remote cameras at medicated bait sites can be used as a measure of acaricide treatment. We captured 327 deer at four sites in southern Texas. Deer visitation to medicated bait sites was monitored using remote cameras from March 2010 to February 2012. There was no relationship between the presence of permethrin and the probability of being infested with CFTs (P≥0.336). The probability of infestation with CFTs decreased as serum ivermectin levels increased for male (n=18, P=0.098) and female (n=33, P<0.001) deer. Our results indicate ivermectin may be more effective in treating CFTs than permethrin; thus it would be worthwhile to develop topical acaricides other than permethrin for treating white-tailed deer in southern Texas.
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Nguyen C, Gray M, Burton TA, Foy SL, Foster JR, Gendernalik AL, Rückert C, Alout H, Young MC, Boze B, Ebel GD, Clapsaddle B, Foy BD. Evaluation of a novel West Nile virus transmission control strategy that targets Culex tarsalis with endectocide-containing blood meals. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007210. [PMID: 30845250 PMCID: PMC6424467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Control of arbovirus transmission remains focused on vector control through application of insecticides directly to the environment. However, these insecticide applications are often reactive interventions that can be poorly-targeted, inadequate for localized control during outbreaks, and opposed due to environmental and toxicity concerns. In this study, we developed endectocide-treated feed as a systemic endectocide for birds to target blood feeding Culex tarsalis, the primary West Nile virus (WNV) bridge vector in the western United States, and conducted preliminary tests on the effects of deploying this feed in the field. In lab tests, ivermectin (IVM) was the most effective endectocide tested against Cx. tarsalis and WNV-infection did not influence mosquito mortality from IVM. Chickens and wild Eurasian collared doves exhibited no signs of toxicity when fed solely on bird feed treated with concentrations up to 200 mg IVM/kg of diet, and significantly more Cx. tarsalis that blood fed on these birds died (greater than 80% mortality) compared to controls (less than 25% mortality). Mosquito mortality following blood feeding correlated with IVM serum concentrations at the time of blood feeding, which dropped rapidly after the withdrawal of treated feed. Preliminary field testing over one WNV season in Fort Collins, Colorado demonstrated that nearly all birds captured around treated bird feeders had detectable levels of IVM in their blood. However, entomological data showed that WNV transmission was non-significantly reduced around treated bird feeders. With further development, deployment of ivermectin-treated bird feed might be an effective, localized WNV transmission control tool. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus that causes significant disease and death every year in humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife. Control of WNV transmission is focused on controlling the mosquito vector through applications of insecticides directly to the environment. In this study, we evaluate a novel control strategy for WNV transmission by targeting the main mosquito bridge vector in the Great Plains region, Culex tarsalis, through its blood feeding behavior. Because Culex tarsalis favor taking blood meals from particular bird species, our strategy aims to target these bird species with endectocide-treated bird feed that will result in lethal blood meals for Cx. tarsalis. In this study, we developed a safe and effective formulation of ivermectin-treated diet that resulted in increased mortality for Cx. tarsalis blood fed on birds consuming this treated diet as compared to mosquitoes feeding on control birds. We also conducted a pilot field trial in Fort Collins, Colorado to test this strategy in a natural transmission cycle, which demonstrated promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chilinh Nguyen
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Meg Gray
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Timothy A. Burton
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Soleil L. Foy
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - John R. Foster
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Alex Lazr Gendernalik
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Claudia Rückert
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Michael C. Young
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Broox Boze
- Vector Disease Control International, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Gregory D. Ebel
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | | | - Brian D. Foy
- Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
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Van Horn TR, Adalsteinsson SA, Westby KM, Biro E, Myers JA, Spasojevic MJ, Walton M, Medley KA. Landscape Physiognomy Influences Abundance of the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum (Ixodida: Ixodidae), in Ozark Forests. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:982-988. [PMID: 29618051 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum Linnaeus (Ixodida: Ixodidae), is emerging as an important human disease vector in the United States. While some recent studies have modeled broad-scale (regional or county-level) distribution patterns of A. americanum, less is known about how local-scale habitat characteristics drive A. americanum abundance. Such local-scale information is vital to identify targets for tick population control measures within land management units. We investigated how habitat features predict host-seeking A. americanum adult and nymph abundance within a 12-ha oak-hickory forest plot in the Missouri Ozarks. We trapped ticks using CO2-baited traps at 40 evenly spaced locations for three 24-h periods during the summer of 2015, and we measured biotic and abiotic variables surrounding each location. Of 2,008 A. americanum captured, 1,009 were nymphs, and 999 were adults. We observed spatial heterogeneity in local tick abundance (min = 0 ticks, max = 112 ticks, mean = 16.7 ticks per trap night). Using generalized linear mixed models, we found that both nymphs and adults had greater abundance in valleys as well as on northern-facing aspects. Moreover, nymph abundance was negatively related to temperature variance, while adult abundance had a negative relationship with elevation. These results demonstrate that managers in this region may be able to predict local tick abundance through simple physiognomic factors and use these parameters for targeted management action.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katie M Westby
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Elizabeth Biro
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Jonathan A Myers
- Department of Biology and Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Marko J Spasojevic
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA
| | - Maranda Walton
- Department of Biology and Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Kim A Medley
- Tyson Research Center, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
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Lohmeyer KH, May MA, Thomas DB, Pérez de León AA. Implication of Nilgai Antelope (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in Reinfestations of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) in South Texas: A Review and Update. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:515-522. [PMID: 29438533 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program was the first parasite eradication program of veterinary importance in the United States and is considered to be one of the greatest disease eradication programs of all time. The program's utilization of pasture vacation and dipping of cattle in acaricide has been extremely successful for controlling Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) and R. (B.) annulatus (Say), collectively known as cattle fever ticks, on cattle along the Texas border with Mexico for decades. However, the increase of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), populations in South Texas over the last 50 yr has compromised the success of the program. R. (B.) microplus and R. (B.) annulatus infestation data have confirmed that O. virginianus can support the maintenance and movement of both species of cattle fever tick within the permanent quarantine or buffer zone in South Texas along the Rio Grande, and also in the cattle fever tick-free area north and east of the buffer zone. Over the last two decades, increasing populations of exotic nilgai antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus (Pallas), in South Texas have further complicated cattle fever tick eradication efforts. Historical cattle fever tick infestation data, host source data, and geographical data support the continued role of O. virginianus in maintaining reinfestations of R. (B.) microplus and R. (B.) annulatus in South Texas as well as the increasing role of nilgai antelope in cattle fever tick maintenance and dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly H Lohmeyer
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | - Melinda A May
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX
| | - Donald B Thomas
- USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Edinburg, TX
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Goolsby JA, Singh NK, Ortega-S A, Hewitt DG, Campbell TA, Wester D, Pérez de León AA. Comparison of natural and artificial odor lures for nilgai ( Boselaphus tragocamelus) and white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) in South Texas: Developing treatment for cattle fever tick eradication. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:100-107. [PMID: 28580297 PMCID: PMC5447508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cattle fever ticks (CFT), vectors of bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis, were eradicated from the United States by 1943, but are frequently reintroduced from neighboring border states of Mexico via stray cattle and wildlife hosts including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (WTD) and nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus). Nilgai antelope are exotic bovids from India that are hosts of CFT, have large home ranges as compared to WTD, thus have the potential to spread CFT through the landscape. Currently, there are no methods to control CFT on nilgai. Odor lures were evaluated to determine if nilgai could be attracted to a central point for development of control methods. Four treatments, nilgai offal a natural odor lure was used as the positive control; and compared to three artificial odors; screw worm lure, volatile fatty acids, citronella oil. Studies were conducted on a free-ranging population of nilgai at the East Foundation's Santa Rosa Ranch (Kenedy Co., near Riviera, Texas, USA). Game cameras were used to document visitation to the lures. In the ten randomly placed transects, 110 nilgai and 104 WTD were photographed. Offal had significantly more visits by nilgai (71% of total visits) than screwworm (15%), VFA (11%), and citronella (4%). For WTD, there was no significant difference in visitation at the lure treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Goolsby
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
| | - Nirbhay K. Singh
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 N. Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
- Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141004, India
| | - Alfonso Ortega-S
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
| | - David G. Hewitt
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd, Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - Tyler A. Campbell
- East Foundation, 200 Concord Plaza Drive, Suite 410, San Antonio, TX 78216, United States
| | - David Wester
- Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, 700 University Blvd, Kingsville, TX 78363, United States
| | - Adalberto A. Pérez de León
- USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX 78028, United States
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Toxicity and potential utility of ivermectin and moxidectin as xenointoxicants against the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius L. Parasitol Res 2016; 115:3071-81. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-016-5062-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Davey RB, Pound JM, Klavons JA, Lohmeyer KH, Freeman JM, Olafson PU. Analysis of doramectin in the serum of repeatedly treated pastured cattle used to predict the probability of cattle fever ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding to repletion. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2012; 56:365-374. [PMID: 22349982 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-012-9525-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/02/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Analysis of doramectin concentration in blood serum of pastured cattle injected repeatedly (12 treatments) at two different dosage rates and 28-day intervals throughout the year was used to predict the probability that cattle fever ticks could successfully feed to repletion during the interval between any two consecutive treatments. Treatment at ~270 μg/kg indicated that serum doramectin concentration dropped below the baseline concentration estimated for tick survival (8 ppb) in 7 of the 12 treatments. However, the longest period between any two treatments during which the doramectin concentration remained below the 8 ppb baseline level for successful tick feeding was 15 days, making it virtually impossible for any ticks to reach ovipositional status prior to a subsequent treatment. At a dosage rate of ~540 μg/kg, the concentration dropped below the baseline tick survival level (8 ppb) only once, following the initial treatment, and the duration during which the concentration remained below the baseline level prior to the subsequent treatment was only 6 days. Thus, at the high dosage rate results indicated, with absolute certainty, that no ticks could successfully feed to repletion between any two consecutive treatments. Based on the data obtained in the study it was concluded that analysis of doramectin concentration in serum of treated animals would be a reliable predictor for assessing the probability that ticks could successfully develop to repletion. More importantly, results demonstrated that the trial policy, instituted by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program, of repeatedly treating cattle with doramectin injections at 25-28 day intervals for eliminating cattle fever ticks would produce little or no risk of any viable ticks developing to repletion and re-infesting the field between treatment applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald B Davey
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, USDA, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA.
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Moczygemba JD, Hewitt DG, Campbell TA, Ortega-S JA, Feild J, Hellickson MW. Home Ranges of the Nilgai Antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) in Texas. SOUTHWEST NAT 2012. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-57.1.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Harmon JR, Hickling GJ, Scott MC, Jones CJ. Evaluation of 4-poster acaricide applicators to manage tick populations associated with disease risk in a Tennessee retirement community. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2011; 36:404-410. [PMID: 22129412 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2011.00181.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In 1993, four residents of a retirement community in middle Tennessee were hospitalized with symptoms of ehrlichiosis causing community managers to implement mitigation methods to reduce tick numbers. For the past four years, managers have utilized 4-poster acaricide applicators that aim to reduce disease risk to residents by killing ticks that feed on deer. To determine the efficacy of this technique, we assessed Amblyomma americanum abundance in the vicinity of the devices by dragging 400 m vegetation transects once per month while ticks were active. In 2009, adult tick activity peaked in May, nymphal tick activity peaked in June, and larval activity peaked in September. Close to 4-poster devices, larval, nymphal, and adult tick abundances were reduced by 91%, 68%, and 49%, respectively (larval and nymphal p<0.001, adult p=0.005), relative to nearby untreated areas. No significant reduction in nymphal or adult A. americanum ticks was evident >300 m from 4-poster devices, however a ∼90% reduction in larvae was observed to our sampling limit (400 m). At the low density at which these devices are currently being used (average distance between devices = 6.6 km), we conclude that they will have little large-scale effect on the health risk posed by ticks in this community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Harmon
- Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4560, USA
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Davey RB, Pound JM, Klavons JA, Lohmeyer KH, Freeman JM, Perez de Leon AA, Miller RJ. Efficacy and blood sera analysis of a long-acting formulation of moxidectin against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) on treated cattle. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 48:314-321. [PMID: 21485367 DOI: 10.1603/me10154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The therapeutic and persistent efficacy of a single subcutaneous injection of a long-acting formulation of moxidectin at a concentration of 1 mg/kg body weight was determined against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), along with the concentration-time blood sera profile in treated cattle. The therapeutic efficacy against ticks of all parasitic stages on cattle at the time of treatment was >99.9%, and the mean tick number, index of fecundity, engorgement weight, and egg mass weight of ticks recovered from treated animals were all significantly lower than ticks from untreated animals. The index of fecundity, engorgement weight of females, and egg mass weight of ticks recovered from treated animals infested at weekly (7-d) intervals between 14 and 63 d posttreatment were significantly lower than for ticks on untreated animals, whereas the number of ticks per animal recovered from treated cattle remained lower than that of untreated cattle for up to 49 d posttreatment. The percentage control remained >99% at weekly intervals between 14 and 49 d posttreatment, which is the minimum level of efficacy considered acceptable for use in the United States Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. The serum concentration of moxidectin in treated cattle increased to 25.6 ppb (parts per billion) within 1 d after treatment, and peaked at 47.3 ppb at 8 d posttreatment. Moxidectin sera levels remained above the estimated 100% threshold level for elimination of feeding ticks (5-8 ppb) for 44-53 d after treatment. The label claim of 50 d of prevention against reinfestation for the long-acting moxidectin formulation used in the study was supported by the efficacy and sera concentration data obtained. Based on these results, cattle could be treated at 63-d intervals with minimal risk of viable ticks detaching from treated animals. This treatment interval would be 4.5-fold longer than the presently required treatment interval of 14 d, thus leading to approximately 75% reduction in gathering and handling costs of cattle incurred by producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald B Davey
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Moore Air Base, Building 6419, 22675 N. Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA.
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Davey RB, Pound JM, Miller JA, Klavons JA. Therapeutic and persistent efficacy of a long-acting (LA) formulation of ivermectin against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) and sera concentration through time in treated cattle. Vet Parasitol 2010; 169:149-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Carroll JF, Hill DE, Allen PC, Young KW, Miramontes E, Kramer M, Pound JM, Miller JA, George JE. The impact of 4-Poster deer self-treatment devices at three locations in Maryland. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 9:407-16. [PMID: 19650735 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
From 1998-2002 twenty-five deer self-treatment devices (4-Posters), using 2% amitraz, were operated at three locations in Maryland to determine their effectiveness in controlling blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, and lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.). Each treatment site was approximately 518 ha and paired with a similar site lacking 4-Posters. Locations varied in deer density, tick abundance, and land use. Flagging for host-seeking ticks showed declines in tick populations at all treatment sites compared to control sites by the third year. By 2002, control of I. scapularis nymphs attributable to the 4-Poster intervention at the three sites was 69.0%, 75.8%, and 80%. Control of A. americanum nymphs at the two sites where they occurred was 99.5% and 95.3%. In 2003, the first posttreatment year, control of I. scapularis remained around 2001-2002 levels, but by 2004, an upward trend in nymphal numbers was detectable. Populations of A. americanum showed no increase posttreatment. These results demonstrate that control of these tick species is locally possible with 4-Poster intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Carroll
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Area, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
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Pound JM, Miller JA, George JE, Fish D. The United States Department of Agriculture Northeast Area-Wide Tick Control Project: History and Protocol. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2009; 9:365-70. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joe Mathews Pound
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kerrville, Texas
| | - John Allen Miller
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kerrville, Texas
| | - John E. George
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kerrville, Texas
| | - Durland Fish
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Carroll JF, Pound JM, Miller JA, Kramer M. Reduced interference by gray squirrels with 4-poster deer treatment bait stations by using timed-release bait. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2008; 33:325-332. [PMID: 19263853 DOI: 10.3376/1081-1710-33.2.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
When white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, feed on corn bait dispensed by 4-poster tick control devices, they rub against paint rollers impregnated with acaricide. Gray squirrels, Sciurus carolinensis, also feed on the corn bait in the feeding troughs of 4-posters, but in doing so, leave abundant corn fragments and meal that impede the flow of uneaten corn into the troughs. Large accumulations of fragments and meal adversely affect the operation of 4-posters and their use by deer. A battery-operated closure mechanism controlled by a photo sensor was developed to block the flow of corn into the troughs during the day when squirrels are active and deer infrequently visit 4-posters. The effectiveness of the diurnal corn restriction (DCR) concept and restriction mechanism was tested in a field trial at a tick-infested site in Maryland. DCR effectively eliminated accumulation of whole corn, partially eaten corn and corn meal in corn troughs associated with squirrel feeding. At the same time, deer usage of 4-posters was not diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Carroll
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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21
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Gaff HD, Gross LJ. Modeling Tick-Borne Disease: A Metapopulation Model. Bull Math Biol 2006; 69:265-88. [PMID: 17083005 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-006-9125-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2005] [Accepted: 03/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent increases in reported outbreaks of tick-borne diseases have led to increased interest in understanding and controlling epidemics involving these transmission vectors. Mathematical disease models typically assume constant population size and spatial homogeneity. For tick-borne diseases, these assumptions are not always valid. The disease model presented here incorporates non-constant population sizes and spatial heterogeneity utilizing a system of differential equations that may be applied to a variety of spatial patches. We present analytical results for the one patch version and find parameter restrictions under which the populations and infected densities reach equilibrium. We then numerically explore disease dynamics when parameters are allowed to vary spatially and temporally and consider the effectiveness of various tick-control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly D Gaff
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, 660 West Redwood Street, Howard Hall, Room 140D, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Abstract
Ivermectin is a synthetic derivative of the antiparasitic class of compounds known as avermectins. It is a macrolide endectocide with activity against both endoparasites with cutaneous tropism (Strongyloides stercoralis, Ancylostoma braziliense, Cochliomyia hominivorax, Dermatobia hominis, Filaria bancrofti, Wucheria malayi, Onchocerca volvulus, Loa-loa) and ectoparasites such as Sarcoptes scabies, Pediculus humanus, Demodex folliculorum, and Cheyletiella sp. Ivermectin is of great interest in the treatment of patients with different forms of scabies, head lice, demodecidosis, cutaneous larva migrans, cutaneous larva currens, myiasis, and filariasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assen L Dourmishev
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Abstract
Arthropods of medical importance include vespids, ticks, mosquitoes, mites, flies, and fleas. They spread illness as disease vectors, are associated with lethal allergic reactions, and produce potentially deadly toxins. Strategies for prevention of illness include avoidance, vector reduction programs, chemoprophylaxis, and repellents. Strategies must be tailored to regional risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk M Elston
- Department of Dermatology, Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, Pennsylvania, USA
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Pound JM, Miller JA, Oehler DD. Depletion rates of injected and ingested ivermectin from blood serum of penned white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann) (Artiodactyla: Cervidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2004; 41:65-68. [PMID: 14989347 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-41.1.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Penned female and male white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmerman), were administered ivermectin both by direct subcutaneous injection and by ingestion of ivermectin-medicated whole kernel corn. Depletion rates of ivermectin were determined by biweekly and weekly assays of blood serum. No statistical differences were observed between mean peak ivermectin serum concentrations in deer (data of sexes combined) from injection and ingestion studies, and ivermectin concentrations decreased to below detectable within 21 d after injection and 14 d after ingestion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Mathews Pound
- USDA-ARS-Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184, USA.
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Carroll JF, Kramer M. Winter activity of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) and the operation of deer-targeted tick control devices in Maryland. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2003; 40:238-244. [PMID: 12693854 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-40.2.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Host-seeking activity of adult blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say was monitored by flagging during winter months in Beltsville, MD. Ticks were active many days during January and February, the coldest months, with some captures made when there was 70% snow cover and temperatures as low as -2 degrees C. Substantial numbers (70-90 ticks/h of flagging) of adult I. scapularis were captured on favorable days in January and February. The cost to treat white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann), using '4-poster' deer self-treatment devices, was estimated on a per female tick basis. We estimated deer abundance and tick attachment rates using data from the literature, tick activity levels using weather data and drag counts of ticks, and costs to operate the devices from experience. We found that self-treatment devices need not be operated continuously from late December until the third week of February. On average, savings of half the operating costs would be realized by not operating the devices when tick activity was low.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Carroll
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Parasite Biology, Epidemiology and Systematics Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA.
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Flamini G. Acaricides of Natural Origin, Personal Experiences and Review of Literature (1990-2001)**Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Serena Catalano. BIOACTIVE NATURAL PRODUCTS (PART I) 2003. [DOI: 10.1016/s1572-5995(03)80146-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Abstract
Ticks are a part of the landscape where humans live, work, and play. Because ticks carry a wide range of organisms that potentially can cause disease in humans, many studies have focused on ways to reduce risk of these diseases. Ticks have biologically complex interactions with microorganisms and with their vertebrate hosts, on whom they depend for blood meals and survival. To consider ways to reduce the burden of tick-borne diseases in humans, it is necessary to understand the biology and ecology of ticks and their interface with humans. In many areas, changes in land use, reforestation, and patterns of human settlements have led to more abundant tick populations, increasing rates of infections in ticks, and increasing contact with human populations. Warmer winter temperatures in temperate regions may extend the transmission season for some ticks and pathogens. Although much of the discussion in this article has focused on I. scapularis and the Lyme disease spirochete (because they have been studied extensively), other tick-pathogen pairs may differ in risk factors for infection and transmission dynamics. Interventions studied to reduce the burden of tick-borne diseases include changing the environment, controlling vertebrate hosts, killing ticks, altering the behavior of humans, treating tick bites, and trying to protect humans through immunologic means (vaccine). All of these approaches have limitations and drawbacks. From a public health perspective, a plan that employs multiple strategies may be most effective. This article has reviewed what is known about preventive interventions, including the vaccine.
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Abstract
The Healthy People 2010 public health goals targeted a 44% decrease in the incidence of Lyme disease, the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. To review Lyme disease prevention, clinical trials, epidemiological and experimental studies, and predictive models were evaluated. Geographic distribution of ixodid vectors and local landscape predict Lyme disease risk. Density of infected ticks correlates with incidence and prevalence of Lyme disease, but risk quantitation is made uncertain by tick aggregation and inability to predict tick-human interactions. Outdoor activities are inconsistently or weakly associated with risk, and most infections likely occur in residential areas during routine activities. Tick control (burning or removing vegetation, acaricide use, and deer elimination) reduces Ixodes scapularis populations by up to 94%, and acaricide application to wildlife decreases nymphal I scapularis populations by up to 83%. The effect of these strategies on incidence of Lyme disease in humans is unknown. Studies show that only 40% to 50% of adults take precautions against tick bites even when they are aware of Lyme disease. Effective protection afforded by personal precautions (wearing protective clothing, avoiding ticks, and using insect repellant) has not been shown prospectively. Antimicrobial prophylaxis of tick bites is not warranted. Clinical trials showed vaccines containing recombinant OspA of Borrelia burgdorferi to be efficacious and well tolerated. Currently, vaccination is the only empirically demonstrated method to prevent Lyme disease. The best evidence supports prevention efforts focused on practices that encourage immunization, Lyme disease awareness, and possibly treatment of deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Poland
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55905, USA
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Pound JM, Miller JA, George JE. Efficacy of amitraz applied to white-tailed deer by the '4-poster' topical treatment device in controlling free-living lone star ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2000; 37:878-884. [PMID: 11126544 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-37.6.878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
White-tailed deer treated themselves with a commercial pour-on acaricide formulation containing 2% amitraz as they fed from an ARS-patented '4-poster' topical treatment device. Whole kernel corn attracted deer to a single device placed in each of two deer-fenced pastures. In the treatment pasture, the rollers of the treatment device were charged with the acaricide, whereas the rollers of the device in the other pasture remained untreated. Deer were allowed to use the '4-posters' during periods of tick activity beginning in early to midspring and lasting through late summer to early fall for three consecutive years. Pretreatment sampling of adults and nymphs with dry-ice traps and larval masses with flip cloths showed no significant differences in population indices between the two pastures; however, after the third year of treatment, control of nymphal and adult ticks in the treated pasture was 91.9 and 93.7%, respectively, when compared with the untreated pasture. Control of larval masses increased from 68.4% in year 1 to 96.4% in year 2, but declined to 88.0% in year 3, probably because of the presence of feral hogs. This study demonstrated that application of amitraz to white-tailed deer through free-choice interaction with a '4-poster' device significantly reduced the abundance of free-living lone star ticks in a deer-fenced experimental pasture. Moreover, the yearly pattern of incremental increases in control and the final percentage control values for all three parasitic life stages in this topical application study were similar in magnitude to that observed in a previously conducted study in which the systemic acaricide ivermectin was used to reduce populations of free-living ticks by controlling ticks on deer.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Pound
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184, USA
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Knipling EF, Steelman CD. Feasibility of controlling Ixodes scapularis ticks (Acari: Ixodidae), the vector of Lyme disease, by parasitoid augmentation. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2000; 37:645-652. [PMID: 11004774 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-37.5.645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A theoretical analysis of the feasibility of controlling tick populations (Ixodidae) by the release of reared Ixodiphagus parasitoids in tick ecosystems yielded promising results. The analysis suggested that if reasonable progress could be made in mass-rearing the parasitoids, it would be possible to control the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), the vector of Lyme disease, by this biological control procedure. Lyme disease has become the most important vector-borne disease in the United States. In a field-release experiment conducted in Africa by members of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology, effective control of Amblyomma variegatum (F.) was obtained by the release of Ixodiphagus parasitoids in tick habitats. Encouraging theoretical results along with the encouraging results of a field-release experiment indicate the need for civil and political leaders in countries where ticks are a major problem to sponsor strong and well-coordinated research initiatives focused on the development of this new method of dealing with tick problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Knipling
- Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701, USA
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Pound JM, Miller JA, George JE, Lemeilleur CA. The '4-poster' passive topical treatment device to apply acaricide for controlling ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) feeding on white-tailed deer. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2000; 37:588-594. [PMID: 10916301 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-37.4.588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A '4-poster' device that attracts white-tailed deer to a bait source, and as they feed, allows a self-application of a pesticide to the head, ears, and neck to control ticks was designed, constructed, and tested. The device consists of a central bin containing bait to attract deer and two feeding and application stations. These stations each have one bait port and two vertical pesticide-impregnated applicator rollers. This design allows unrestricted vertical retraction of the head to minimize injury to the deer or damage to the posts supporting the pesticide application rollers. Observations using deer demonstrated ready acceptance and repeated use by both antlered and antlerless deer. Results of an initial trial indicate that control values for lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum (L.), exceeded 92-97% on deer that used the device regularly.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Pound
- USDA-ARS-Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX 78028-9184, USA
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Rand PW, Lacombe EH, Holman MS, Lubelczyk C, Smith RP. Attempt to control ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on deer on an isolated island using ivermectin-treated corn. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2000; 37:126-133. [PMID: 15218916 DOI: 10.1603/0022-2585-37.1.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We report an attempt by an offshore island community to control the vector tick of Lyme disease by providing ivermectin-treated corn to an isolated herd of free-ranging white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman. Medicated corn was supplied in troughs within the island village and from automatic feeders at remote sites during 5 consecutive fall and spring adult tick questing seasons. Acaricide consumption was monitored by assaying its presence in fresh deer pellets and its concentration in deer sera. Its effectiveness was evaluated by recording the number of adult ticks collected from the hides of deer, the number of females becoming sufficiently engorged to oviposit, and the success of subsequent oviposition and eclosion. Entomologic risk was monitored by collecting immature ticks from hosts and adult ticks from vegetation. Estimates based on a subsequent deer reduction program indicated that up to twice as many deer had been present during the project as originally presumed. For this and other reasons related to deer behavior, target levels of serum ivermectin were achieved in a minority of deer. Nevertheless, > 90% control of female tick infestation, subsequent oviposition, and larval eclosion was obtained in those 8 of 16 sampled deer with serum ivermectin levels of > or = 15 ng/ml. In addition, the ratio of females to males, the numbers of females engorging > 10 mg body weight, and the numbers of those eventually hatching, were all significantly less among ticks from island deer in comparison with ticks from untreated deer. No consistent changes in the numbers of ticks found on immature-stage hosts or removed from vegetation were noted within 3 yr of the cessation of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P W Rand
- Lyme Disease Research Laboratory, Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Portland 04102, USA
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O'Connell S, Granström M, Gray JS, Stanek G. Epidemiology of European Lyme borreliosis. ZENTRALBLATT FUR BAKTERIOLOGIE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY 1998; 287:229-40. [PMID: 9563197 DOI: 10.1016/s0934-8840(98)80124-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis occurs throughout Europe and is particularly prevalent in the east. In a small proportion of untreated cases serious sequelae may occur, but Lyme borreliosis alone does not cause death. Clinical and serological diagnosis can still be problematic and the various genomospecies may cause different disease manifestations as well as differing immunological responses. However, considerable progress has been made in standardising case definitions and serological testing and interpretation. Few countries have official reporting systems for Lyme borreliosis and most figures on incidence are extrapolated from serodiagnosis data and seroprevalence studies. Geographical variations in incidence seem to correlate with the prevalence of infected ticks, which are mainly associated with varied deciduous forest. The complex ecology of Lyme borreliosis makes it difficult to implement preventive measures, so improving public knowledge of risk factors and methods for personal protection remain the best option at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- S O'Connell
- PHLS Laboratory, Southampton University Hospital Trust, UK
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