Project Number: 6205-32000-027-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Oct 01, 2004
End Date: Sep 30, 2009

Objective:
The overall objective of this research is to support the needs of APHIS, VS and citizens of the U.S. by developing practical and efficacious technologies, strategies, and epidemiological tools to control ticks of medical and veterinary importance feeding on cattle, white-tailed deer, and other important hosts in efforts both to maintain eradication of cattle fever ticks from the U.S. and to reduce risk of human infection with tick-borne disease agents.

Approach:
Evaluate procedures employed by APHIS/VS to eradicate cattle fever ticks, evaluate new acaricides with unique chemistries, and develop treatment strategies for their use to control outbreaks of susceptible and resistant Boophilus ticks. Use rainfall simulation apparatus to determine if rainfall soon after cattle are dipped in coumaphos will reduce efficacy, and evaluate efficacy of higher than recommended concentrations of amitraz and coumaphos to control amitraz and coumaphos resistant ticks. Develop and evaluate technology to control ticks of medical and veterinary importance by treating white-tailed deer and exotic ungulate species. Determine if deer alone can sustain populations of Boophilus ticks under experimental quarantined field conditions, and if so, evaluate 4-Poster Deer Treatment Bait Stations and macrocyclic lactone-medicated whole kernel corn in eradicating these experimental populations. Develop geographical information system (GIS) databases and create diagnostic and predictive epidemiological models from records of historical Boophilus infestations for use by VS to aid in identifying areas at high risk of re-infestation. Use these databases to generate maps, overlays, and other data sets requested for previously infested premises to be used and evaluated by VS as practical aids in their efforts to implement eradication procedures and regulations.