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ARS Home » Plains Area » Kerrville, Texas » Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory » LAPRU » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350368
Research Project: Cattle Fever Tick Control and Eradication

Location: Livestock Arthropod Pests Research

Title: Detection of tick mediated host stress in bovine feces by the southern cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus

Author
item RICH, BRIAN - Texas A&M University
item TEEL, PETER - Texas A&M University
item Thomas, Donald
item Miller, Robert
item ANGERER, JAY - Texas A&M Agrilife
item TOLLESON, D - Texas A&M University
item Perez De Leon, Adalberto - Beto

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America, Southwestern and Southeastern Branch
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2018
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The standard method of detecting Cattle Fever Ticks is to gather a herd and manually examine each animal restrained in a head chute. The process is expensive and time consuming for the herd owner, and stressful for the cattle. A high-tech method for detecting the presence of ticks is based on the expected immune response that cattle have to tick feeding. Trace amounts of body chemicals related to tick feeding are eliminated from the cattle in their excrement. These chemicals can be detected with an instrument that analyses the excrement by reading light reflected in the infrared spectrum. Fecal chemistry changes in tick infested cattle may provide a rapid method to detect infestations. This presentation will discuss differences in near infrared light analysis of manure from cattle prior to infestation with cattle fever ticks and during infestation through the tick blood-feeding cycle.

Technical Abstract: The standard method of detecting Cattle Fever Ticks (Rhipicephalus (B.) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus) in the state-federal tick eradication program is physical examination of restrained cattle to find attached ticks. Ticks modulate host responses to blood feeding resulting in fecal chemistry changes through the immune, endocrine, and digestive systems cascade. Fecal chemistry changes in tick infested cattle may provide a supplemental approach to detect infestations. This presentation will discuss differences in near infrared spectra from manure of cattle infested with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus during periods of pre-infestation and infestation through the tick blood-feeding cycle.