Centro de Parasitologia Veterinária, Escola de Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2021 Jul;12(4):101737. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101737. Epub 2021 May 1.
The development of a strategic protocol is fundamental to the control of Rhipicephalus microplus. The efficacy of different strategic tick control protocols (Day 1 to Day 119) using commercial acaricides according to R. microplus burden on bovines was evaluated. Female ticks (4.5-8 mm in length) were initially counted on cattle to form four groups of bovines with low and high tick burdens (treated and control), with 10 animals each. The animals were then (Day 0) kept in different paddocks, and the bovines from the two treated groups received their first treatment. The main difference in the protocols was the use of a spray formulation on animals with high tick burden. Additionally, the criterion for animal re-treatment (treatment interval) during the proposed strategic protocol was evaluated according to tick length by visual inspection - if 30% of the bovines of a group presented ticks < 4 mm between their legs and dewlap, the treatment was applied, which could change the originally proposed intervals. The number of days for which animals from the treated groups remained without acaricide administration (palliative control, ≥30 tick females < 4 mm) after the end of the strategic tick control protocol was recorded. Tick counts and visual inspection were done weekly until days 203 and 119, respectively. The results showed that the adopted protocol was successful based on calculated efficacy. Mean efficacies from Day 7 to Day 119 were 86.1% and 96.1% for treated groups with low and high tick burdens, respectively, and mean tick count did not differ between them (P > 0.05) but did differ from their respectively controls (P = <0.0001). The use of spray formulation at the beginning of the protocol for animals with a high tick burden helped to avoid harmful tick infestations. Visual analysis of tick length anticipated the proposed treatment intervals. Treated groups remained without palliative treatment for 70 days, while control groups needed treatment every 28 days. It was concluded that strategic control protocols must be developed according to tick burden, and tick length can be used to indicate when treatment needs to be applied.
制定战略方案对于控制璃眼蜱至关重要。本研究评估了根据璃眼蜱在牛体上的负担，使用商业杀蜱剂对不同战略蜱控制方案（第 1 天至第 119 天）的效果。最初在牛身上计数 4.5-8 毫米长的雌性蜱，将其分为低蜱和高蜱负担（处理和对照）两组，每组 10 头。然后（第 0 天）将动物饲养在不同的畜栏中，对两组处理动物进行第一次处理。方案的主要区别在于高蜱负担动物使用喷雾制剂。此外，根据蜱的长度通过目视检查评估了所提出的战略方案中动物再处理（治疗间隔）的标准——如果一组中 30%的牛腿和颈垂之间有<4 毫米的蜱，则进行处理，这可能会改变最初提出的间隔。记录了治疗组动物在战略蜱控制方案结束后无杀蜱剂管理（姑息性控制，≥30 只<4 毫米的雌性蜱）的天数。每周进行蜱计数和目视检查，直至第 203 天和第 119 天。结果表明，根据计算的疗效，所采用的方案是成功的。低蜱和高蜱负担处理组从第 7 天至第 119 天的平均疗效分别为 86.1%和 96.1%，它们之间的平均蜱计数没有差异（P>0.05），但与各自的对照组有差异（P<0.0001）。在方案开始时对高蜱负担动物使用喷雾制剂有助于避免有害的蜱虫滋生。蜱虫长度的目视分析预测了建议的治疗间隔。处理组无需姑息性治疗可持续 70 天，而对照组则需每 28 天治疗一次。结论是，必须根据蜱的负担制定战略控制方案，并且可以使用蜱的长度来指示何时需要进行治疗。
