USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA.
USDA-ARS, San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, 9611 South Riverbend Avenue, Parlier, CA 93648, USA.
J Med Entomol. 2021 Jul 16;58(4):1601-1609. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjab051.
The one-host cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Say), and southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), are important ectoparasitic pests of cattle, Bos taurus L., mostly for transmitting the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Bovine babesiosis inflicted substantial cattle production losses in the United States before the vectors were eliminated by 1943, with the exception of a Permanent Quarantine Zone in South Texas, a buffer along the Mexico border where the invasive ixodids remain. As suitable hosts, infested white-tailed deer and nilgai antelope populations disperse R. annulatus and R. microplus, which increases the risk for emergence of bovine babesiosis in the United States. A R. microplus incursion first detected in 2016 on the South Texas coastal plain wildlife corridor involved infestations on cattle, nilgai antelope, white-tailed deer, and vegetation. Efforts at passive sampling of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp. on hosts are concentrated in the Permanent Quarantine Zone. Hence, a knowledge gap exists on the full extent of the recent incursions. Area-wide, systematic, active sampling and supportive research, involving the Permanent Quarantine Zone, Temporary Quarantine Zone, most of the coastal plain, and other parts of Texas outside of the quarantine zones, are needed to bridge the knowledge gap. Herein, we provide research perspectives and rationale to develop and implement systematic active sampling that will provide an increasingly accurate assessment of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp. distribution in Texas. We suggest that this is essential to advance integrated vector-borne animal disease eradication approaches for keeping cattle free of bovine babesiosis.
一宿主牛蜱，环形泰勒虫（Boophilus）annulatus（Say）和南方牛蜱，环形泰勒虫（Boophilus）microplus（Canestrini），是牛的重要外寄生虫害，主要传播牛巴贝斯虫的病原体。在美国，这些寄生虫在 1943 年被消灭之前，曾对牛的生产造成重大损失，除了德克萨斯州南部的一个永久隔离区，这是一个沿着墨西哥边境的缓冲区，入侵的硬蜱仍然存在。作为合适的宿主，受感染的白尾鹿和印度大羚羊种群会传播环形泰勒虫和南方牛蜱，这增加了美国牛巴贝斯虫病爆发的风险。2016 年首次在德克萨斯州南部沿海平原野生动物走廊发现的南方牛蜱入侵事件涉及牛、印度大羚羊、白尾鹿和植被的感染。在永久隔离区，对宿主的环形泰勒虫（Boophilus）属的被动采样工作集中进行。因此，目前对最近入侵事件的全面范围存在知识空白。需要在整个隔离区、临时隔离区、沿海平原大部分地区以及隔离区以外的德克萨斯州其他地区进行全面、系统、主动的采样和支持性研究，以填补知识空白。本文提供了研究视角和基本原理，以开发和实施系统的主动采样，这将提供对德克萨斯州环形泰勒虫（Boophilus）属分布的更准确评估。我们认为，这对于推进综合媒介传播动物疾病根除方法，使牛免受牛巴贝斯虫病的侵害是至关重要的。
