Lohmeyer Kimberly H, May Melinda A, Thomas Donald B, Pérez de León Adalberto A
USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX.
USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Edinburg, TX.
J Med Entomol. 2018 May 4;55(3):515-522. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjy004.
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.
牛蜱根除计划是美国首个具有重要兽医意义的寄生虫根除计划，被认为是有史以来最伟大的疾病根除计划之一。几十年来，该计划采用的牧场休牧以及用杀螨剂给牛浸浴的方法，在控制得克萨斯州与墨西哥边境沿线牛身上的微小扇头蜱（Canestrini）和环形扇头蜱（Say）（统称为牛蜱）方面极为成功。然而，在过去50年里，得克萨斯州南部白尾鹿（Zimmermann）种群数量的增加影响了该计划的成效。微小扇头蜱和环形扇头蜱的感染数据证实，白尾鹿能够在得克萨斯州南部沿格兰德河的永久检疫区或缓冲区，以及缓冲区以北和以东的无牛蜱地区维持这两种牛蜱的生存和传播。在过去二十年里，得克萨斯州南部外来蓝牛羚（Pallas）数量的不断增加，使牛蜱根除工作更加复杂。历史上的牛蜱感染数据、宿主来源数据和地理数据表明，白尾鹿在得克萨斯州南部维持微小扇头蜱和环形扇头蜱的再次感染方面仍发挥着作用，同时蓝牛羚在牛蜱的生存和传播中所起的作用也在增加。
