scholarly journals Simulated dynamics of southern cattle fever ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus) in south Texas, USA: investigating potential wildlife-mediated impacts on eradication efforts

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Hsuan Wang ◽  
William E. Grant ◽  
Pete D. Teel ◽  
Kimberly H. Lohmeyer ◽  
Adalberto A. Pérez de León
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Bovine Babesiosis ◽  
The Us ◽  
Host Habitat ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Cattle Fever Ticks ◽  
Landscape Level

Abstract Background Cattle fever ticks (CFT), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus, are vectors of microbes causing bovine babesiosis and pose a threat to the economic viability of the US livestock industry. Efforts by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP) along the US-Mexico border in south Texas are complicated by the involvement of alternate hosts, including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus). Methods In the present study, we use a spatially explicit, individual-based model to explore the potential effects of host species composition and host habitat use patterns on southern cattle fever ticks (SCFT, R. (B.) microplus) infestation dynamics and efficacy of eradication schemes. Results In simulations without eradication efforts, mean off-host larval densities were much higher when cattle were present than when only white-tailed deer and nilgai were present. Densities in mesquite and meadows were slightly higher, and densities in mixed brush were much lower, than landscape-level densities in each of these scenarios. In eradication simulations, reductions in mean off-host larval densities at the landscape level were much smaller when acaricide was applied to cattle only, or to cattle and white-tailed deer, than when applied to cattle and nilgai. Relative density reductions in mesquite, mixed brush, and meadows depended on host habitat use preferences. Shifting nilgai habitat use preferences increasingly toward mixed brush and away from mesquite did not change mean off-host larval tick densities noticeably at the landscape level. However, mean densities were increased markedly in mesquite and decreased markedly in mixed brush, while no noticeable change in density was observed in meadows. Conclusions Our results suggest that continued integration of field data into spatially explicit, individual-based models will facilitate the development of novel eradication strategies and will allow near-real-time infestation forecasts as an aid in anticipating and preventing wildlife-mediated impacts on SCFT eradication efforts.

Landscape Ecology of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Outbreaks in the South Texas Coastal Plain Wildlife Corridor Including Man-Made Barriers

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 546-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan T Showler ◽  
Adalberto Pérez de León
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Storm Surges ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
South Texas ◽  
The South ◽  
Wildlife Corridor ◽  
Mud Flat ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Saline Habitats ◽  
Cattle Fever Tick

Abstract Landscape features and the ecology of suitable hosts influence the phenology of invasive tick species. The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), vectors causal agents of babesiosis in cattle and it infests exotic, feral nilgai, Bosephalus tragocamelus Pallas, and indigenous white-tailed deer, Odocoilus virginianus (Zimmerman), on the South Texas coastal plain wildlife corridor. The corridor extends from the Mexico border to cattle ranches extending north from inside Willacy Co. Outbreaks of R. microplus infesting cattle and nondomesticated ungulate hosts since 2014 in the wildlife corridor have focused attention on host infestation management and, by extension, dispersal. However, there is a knowledge gap on the ecology of R. microplus outbreaks in the South Texas coastal plain wildlife corridor. Ixodid distribution on the wildlife corridor is strongly influenced by habitat salinity. Saline habitats, which constitute ≈25% of the wildlife corridor, harbor few ixodids because of occasional salt toxicity from hypersaline wind tides and infrequent storm surges, and from efficient egg predation by mud flat fiddler crabs, Uca rapax (Smith). Rhipicephalus microplus infestations on nilgai were more prevalent in part of the corridor with mixed low salinity and saline areas than in an area that is more extensively saline. The different levels of R. microplus infestation suggest that man-made barriers have created isolated areas where the ecology of R. microplus outbreaks involve infested nilgai. The possible utility of man-made barriers for R. microplus eradication in the lower part of the South Texas coastal plain wildlife corridor is discussed.

scholarly journals Research on Integrated Management for Cattle Fever Ticks and Bovine Babesiosis in the United States and Mexico: Current Status and Opportunities for Binational Coordination

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria D. Esteve-Gasent ◽  
Roger I. Rodríguez-Vivas ◽  
Raúl F. Medina ◽  
Dee Ellis ◽  
Andy Schwartz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Health ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
The United States ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Babesia Bovis ◽  
Common Interest ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Bovine Babesiosis ◽  
Cattle Fever Ticks ◽  
The U.S

Bovine babesiosis is a reportable transboundary animal disease caused by Babesia bovis and Babesiabigemina in the Americas where these apicomplexan protozoa are transmitted by the invasive cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Rhipicephalus(Boophilus) annulatus. In countries like Mexico where cattle fever ticks remain endemic, bovine babesiosis is detrimental to cattle health and results in a significant economic cost to the livestock industry. These cattle disease vectors continue to threaten the U.S. cattle industry despite their elimination through efforts of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. Mexico and the U.S. share a common interest in managing cattle fever ticks through their economically important binational cattle trade. Here, we report the outcomes of a meeting where stakeholders from Mexico and the U.S. representing the livestock and pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, and research institutions gathered to discuss research and knowledge gaps requiring attention to advance progressive management strategies for bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks. Research recommendations and other actionable activities reflect commitment among meeting participants to seize opportunities for collaborative efforts. Addressing these research gaps is expected to yield scientific knowledge benefitting the interdependent livestock industries of Mexico and the U.S. through its translation into enhanced biosecurity against the economic and animal health impacts of bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks.

scholarly journals Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Larvae Collected From Vegetation in the Coastal Wildlife Corridor of Southern Texas and Research Solutions for Integrated Eradication

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1305-1309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weste L A Osbrink ◽  
Allan T Showler ◽  
Veronica Abrigo ◽  
Adalberto A Pérez de León
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Babesia Bovis ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
Bovine Babesiosis ◽  
Wildlife Corridor ◽  
Eradication Program ◽  
Cattle Fever Tick ◽  
Cattle Fever Ticks

Abstract The potential for reinvasion of the United States by cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), which remain established in Mexico, threatens the viability of the domestic livestock industry because these ticks vector the causal agents (Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina) of bovine babesiosis. The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program safeguards the health of the national cattle herd preventing the reemergence of bovine babesiosis by keeping the United States free of cattle fever ticks. Here, the collection of free-living southern cattle tick, R. microplus, larvae by sweeping flannel flags over vegetation in the wildlife corridor of Cameron and Willacy Counties, TX, is reported. Finding R. microplus larvae on vegetation complements reports of infestations in wildlife hosts inhabiting the southern Texas coastal plains. Land uses and environmental conditions have changed since cattle fever ticks were eradicated from the United States by 1943. These changes complicate efforts by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program to keep cattle in the United States free of the cattle fever tick disease vectors. Current scientific research on technologies that could be used for area-wide management of fever tick larvae in south Texas and how this could be applied to integrated eradication efforts are discussed.

scholarly journals Biosurveillance and Research Needs Involving Area-Wide Systematic Active Sampling to Enhance Integrated Cattle Fever Tick (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Eradication

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan T Showler ◽  
Adalberto Pérez de León ◽  
Perot Saelao
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Active Sampling ◽  
Bovine Babesiosis ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
Cattle Fever Tick

Abstract The one-host cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (Say), and southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini), are important ectoparasitic pests of cattle, Bos taurus L., mostly for transmitting the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Bovine babesiosis inflicted substantial cattle production losses in the United States before the vectors were eliminated by 1943, with the exception of a Permanent Quarantine Zone in South Texas, a buffer along the Mexico border where the invasive ixodids remain. As suitable hosts, infested white-tailed deer and nilgai antelope populations disperse R. annulatus and R. microplus, which increases the risk for emergence of bovine babesiosis in the United States. A R. microplus incursion first detected in 2016 on the South Texas coastal plain wildlife corridor involved infestations on cattle, nilgai antelope, white-tailed deer, and vegetation. Efforts at passive sampling of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp. on hosts are concentrated in the Permanent Quarantine Zone. Hence, a knowledge gap exists on the full extent of the recent incursions. Area-wide, systematic, active sampling and supportive research, involving the Permanent Quarantine Zone, Temporary Quarantine Zone, most of the coastal plain, and other parts of Texas outside of the quarantine zones, are needed to bridge the knowledge gap. Herein, we provide research perspectives and rationale to develop and implement systematic active sampling that will provide an increasingly accurate assessment of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) spp. distribution in Texas. We suggest that this is essential to advance integrated vector-borne animal disease eradication approaches for keeping cattle free of bovine babesiosis.

scholarly journals Working with Latino Students in Recovery: Understanding Culture and the Role of Family

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Kristina M Canfield
Keyword(s):  
Latino Students ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Deep South ◽  
Therapeutic Environment ◽  
Cultural Considerations ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexico Border

This presentation explores and reflects upon the presenter’s experiences after moving and adjusting to a new culture at a large university in deep-south Texas, on the US/Mexico border, and how those experiences align with current research available regarding cultural considerations in a therapeutic environment. The presentation reviews several case studies and their relationship to six important cultural considerations when working with Hispanic or Latino students. The presentation also explores the important role families play in the recovery process for Latino students involved in Collegiate Recovery Programs and recommendations for CRPs to assist in the involvement of families in programming. Attendees will learn how the presenter learned the importance of understanding the vital role culture plays in different recovery communities and how that affects students in or seeking recovery.

scholarly journals 126 Detection of fecal chemistry changes in cattle infested with the Southern Cattle Tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 54-54
Author(s):  
Brian T Rich ◽  
Pete D Teel ◽  
Donald B Thomas ◽  
Jay Angerer ◽  
Douglas R Tolleson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Tick Infestation ◽  
Blood Feeding ◽  
The United States ◽  
Boophilus Microplus ◽  
Cattle Tick ◽  
Spectral Variation ◽  
Bovine Babesiosis ◽  
Near Infrared Reflectance ◽  
Cattle Fever Ticks

Abstract Bovine babesiosis, a highly fatal tick-borne disease of cattle, was eliminated from the United States in the last century through tick eradication programs against 2 species of cattle fever ticks. The threat to the U.S. cattle industry continues through tick introductions from Mexico. 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. New methods of detecting tick-infested cattle could improve reliability and reduce animal stress. The objective of this study was to determine whether changes in fecal chemistry induced by tick infestation was detectable using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). Fecal samples were collected daily from 6 stanchioned Bos taurus yearling heifers (initial mean weight 163.3 kg +/- 4.7 kg) at the USDA Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, Edinburg, TX, before, during, and after an infestation of 5000 R. (B.) microplus larvae. Cluster analyses were conducted using GRAMS IQ for NIR spectra in the 576–1126 nm range to test for fecal chemistry changes different from pre-infestation condition, and coincident with the biological phases of the tick infestation. The first three factors of spectral variation accounted for 87.87% of spectral variation among all samples. Factors 1, 2, and 3 had F-Ratios for the Reduced Eigenvalues of 941.59, 387.44, and 221.79, respectively. Three-dimensional analysis for these 3 factors shows shifts in sample clusters away from pre-infestation and coincident with progressive tick blood-feeding and post-infestation recovery. We conclude that fecal NIRS may provide a tool for detection of tick-infested cattle; however, further testing is needed to determine the sensitivity of detection on cattle with varying levels of tick burden, and a protocol developed and evaluated for fecal sampling under field conditions

Substitution of Formal Health Care Services by Latinos/Hispanics in the US-Mexico Border Region of South Texas

Medical Care ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 885-889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Pisani ◽  
José A. Pagán ◽  
Nuha A. Lackan ◽  
Chad Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Formal Health Care ◽  
Us Mexico Border

California

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Social Cartography ◽  
Family Network ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexico Border ◽  
Police Surveillance ◽  
Us Mexico Border

I utilize my situated position as anthropologist, academician, and citizen to argue not only that we should “think” California, but also that we should “rethink” our state—both its condition and its social cartography. To be clear, I see all my research and endeavors—my research on the US/Mexico border; my time among the markets and entrepreneurs I have worked and lived with; my focus on those places in which I was raised: Lemon Grove, Logan Heights; the family network and my community ethnographic work—as personal. I am in this academic game and the telling of our story because it is personal. When Lemon Grove was segregated, it was about my family; when Logan Heights was split by the construction of Interstate 5 and threatened by police surveillance, it was about our community; when the border was sanctioned and militarized it again was about the communities of which I am a part. A rethinking California is rooted in the experience of living California, of knowing and feeling the condition and the struggles we are experiencing and the crises we have gone through. We need to rethink California, especially the current failure of the state. This too is ultimately personal, because it affects each and every one of us, especially those historically unrepresented folks who have endured over the decades.

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