Paucar Valeria, Pérez-Otáñez Ximena, Rodríguez-Hidalgo Richar, Perez Cecilia, Cepeda-Bastidas Darío, Grijalva Jorge, Enríquez Sandra, Arciniegas-Ortega Susana, Vanwambeke Sophie O, Ron-Garrido Lenin, Saegerman Claude
Instituto de Investigación en Zoonosis (CIZ), Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador.
Research Unit of Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR-ULiège), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH) Center, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Pathogens. 2022 Mar 26;11(4):403. doi: 10.3390/pathogens11040403.
Decision-making on tick control practices is linked to the level of knowledge about livestock farming and to the social context in which individuals practice them. Tick infestation is one of the main problems in tropical livestock production. The objective of this study was to characterize tick-control related practices in two tropical livestock areas and their potential association with the level of tick infestation. A total of 139 farms were included in this survey. To determine this association, a multivariate logistic regression model was used. A stepwise model selection procedure was used and model validation was tested. Cattle husbandry as a main activity, the use of external paddocks, the use of amitraz, and the lack of mechanization on the farm were related with high tick infestation. On the other hand, owner involvement in the preparation of acaricide solution was identified as a protective factor against high tick infestation. At animal level, age (old), body condition status (thin), and lactation were also associated with high tick infestations, while cattle and their crosses reduced the probability of high tick infestations. The factors studied, such as herd size, education level of the owners, and veterinary guidance, varied from farm to farm. Nonetheless, these differences did not generate changes in the level of tick infestation. According to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), the model at farm level predicts a high level of infestation, with an accuracy of 72.00% and high sensitivity. In addition, at animal level, crossbreeding with indicus cattle and breeding selection for host resistance will be useful against high tick infestation. Likewise, the implementation of programs of capacitation and research on tick control for farmers, cowboys, and vets in these areas is necessary.
蜱虫控制措施的决策与畜牧业知识水平以及个人实施这些措施的社会背景相关。蜱虫侵袭是热带畜牧业生产中的主要问题之一。本研究的目的是描述两个热带畜牧区与蜱虫控制相关的做法及其与蜱虫侵袭程度的潜在关联。本次调查共纳入了139个农场。为确定这种关联，使用了多元逻辑回归模型。采用逐步模型选择程序并对模型进行了验证。以养牛作为主要活动、使用外部围场、使用双甲脒以及农场缺乏机械化与高蜱虫侵袭相关。另一方面，主人参与杀螨剂溶液的配制被确定为防止高蜱虫侵袭的保护因素。在动物层面，年龄（大）、身体状况（瘦）和泌乳也与高蜱虫侵袭有关，而牛及其杂交品种降低了高蜱虫侵袭的可能性。所研究的因素，如畜群规模、主人的教育水平和兽医指导，因农场而异。尽管如此，这些差异并未导致蜱虫侵袭程度的变化。根据受试者工作特征曲线下面积（AUC-ROC），农场层面的模型预测高侵袭水平，准确率为72.00%，敏感性高。此外，在动物层面，与印度牛杂交以及选择具有宿主抗性的品种将有助于抵御高蜱虫侵袭。同样，有必要为这些地区的农民、牛仔和兽医实施能力建设和蜱虫控制研究项目。
