Exploration in Vietnam for parasitoids of cattle fever tick

Authors: NGUYEN, LAN ANH - National Institute Of Veterinary Research; DO, THUY - National Institute Of Veterinary Research; DUONG, NGOC - National Institute Of Veterinary Research; DAO, THANH - National Institute Of Veterinary Research; KASHEFI, JAVID - European Biological Control Laboratory (EBCL); Goolsby, John

Submitted to: International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/11/2022
Publication Date: 3/15/2022
Citation: Nguyen, L.T., Do, T.T., Duong, N.N., Dao, T.H., Kashefi, J., Goolsby, J. 2022. Exploration in Vietnam for parasitoids of cattle fever tick. International Symposium on Biological Control of Arthropods. 5.10-5.12.

Interpretive Summary: Cattle fever tick (CFT) is a hard tick endemic to southeast Asia. Before its eradication from the southern U.S., babesiosis (a dangerous tick-borne disease) cost the cattle industry an estimated $130.5 million in direct and indirect annual losses, which in current value would be estimated at around $3 billion. Because of repeated reintroduction of the tick into Texas from Mexico and heavy use of chemicals to keep the population of CFT under control, they have developed resistance to most of chemicals used to control them. One of the more environmental friendly and sustainable options for CFT control is biological control which is the use of the tick's natural enemies to keep its population under control. Since CFT is endemic to southeast Asia, that would be also the best location to look for its natural enemies.

Technical Abstract: Rhipicephalus microplus (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) is endemic to Southeast Asia. Before its eradication from the southern U.S., babesiosis (tick-borne parasitic disease that results in significant morbidity and mortality in cattle) cost the cattle industry an estimated $130.5 million in direct and indirect annual losses, which in current value would be estimated at around $3 billion. In 1906, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organized an eradication campaign that effectively eliminated R. annulatus and R. microplus ticks, and by 1960, cattle fever ticks and the pathogens they transmit were restricted to an area along the Texas-Mexico border. The consequences of the re-establishment of cattle fever tick would be costly for the cattle industry. USDA estimates losses due to tick-vectored diseases could reach $1 billion annually. An aggressive eradication program based on the use of acaricides has been implemented in the U.S. to manage periodic outbreaks, but due to growing evidence of acaricide resistance, role of white-tailed deer and exotic nilgai as tick hosts, and invasion of giant reed and other exotic plant species, other novel strategies need to be examined and implemented for the continued suppression and eradication of CFT from this area. One possible and promising method to control CFT is biological control. This method is becoming an increasingly attractive approach to tick management because of the following reasons: 1. increasing concerns about environmental and food safety and human and animal health 2. the increasing cost of chemical control and 3. the increasing resistance of ticks to many commercially available acaricides. To date, we see limited efforts to introduce biocontrol agents for the control of disease vectors.