Tick-borne Diseases: A Threat to Livestock

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July 1, 2024

With over 900 species of ticks in the world (Horak et al., (2002年)因此，蜱传疾病已成为人类和牲畜的重大健康问题也就不足为奇了. Ticks are classified into two categories: hard and soft, and they have four stages of their lifecycle, egg, larvae, nymph and adult. All ticks feed on blood during some or all stages. 蜱虫的寿命非常长，许多蜱虫可以在不进食的情况下存活一年或更长时间. The American dog tick (or wood tick), deer tick, Lone Star tick, brown dog tick, 和亚洲长角蜱都是在谢南多厄山谷地区发现的常见硬蜱.

picture of common ticks

picture of asian longhorn tick — Asian longhorn tick

What diseases do these pesky parasitic arachnids transmit to livestock? There are a number of tick-borne diseases, but we will focus on the Shenandoah Valley area in this discussion. 让体育彩票外围平台从牛中最常见的两种生产疾病开始:

The black-legged tick is the most common vector of anaplasmosis, a bacterial disease that can be found within the red blood cell, which causes death and rupture of the infected cells. 牛的年龄与疾病的严重程度有关. 这种疾病通常会感染小牛，但它们通常不会表现出感染的症状. 从未接触过无形体病的老牛更有可能死于感染. 常见的症状是虚弱、贫血和粘膜变黄. Abortion has been noted as well. 山羊可能比绵羊对无形体病感染更敏感. Anaplasmosis in horses can result in weakness, laminitis, and fever, 兽医可以很容易地利用血液涂片诊断无形体病，通常用四环素治疗. Like all blood-borne diseases, 这种疾病也可以通过其他叮咬的昆虫和被污染的设备传播.

The Asian longhorn tick (ALHT) is a vector for the disease, Theileria orientalis. 这种原虫病感染红细胞和白细胞，表现出与无形体病相似的症状. 典型的临床症状是粘膜变黄、贫血、虚弱 & death. 这是一种新出现的疾病，由于死亡和生产损失，已被证明具有重大的经济意义. 这种疾病影响所有年龄组，如果动物康复，它们通常会成为携带者. ALHT主要在东海岸发现，但正随着动物运动向西扩散. 雌性ALHT可以产400-1200个卵，并进行无性繁殖, meaning she makes exact genetic replicas of herself. There have only been female ticks identified in the US to date. Since this tick reproduces so effectively, it is not uncommon to see an extremely high density of these ticks. 大多数生产者注意到他们的牛胸肉上有大量的蜱虫, between the shoulders and flanks, and near the vulva and rectum. Sheep and goats are showing some sensitivity to this disease. 实地报告表明存在感染，尽管它对小型反刍动物的影响小于牛. 作为一种新出现的疾病，体育彩票外围平台定期收集数据，并从这些信息中学到很多东西. A majority of the research is being conducted in Virginia. Currently, there is no treatment available aside from supportive care.

“一个健康”倡议是一种包括人类、动物和环境在内的心态. 它让体育彩票外围平台更加关注疾病以及这三种成分是如何受到影响的, which leads us to the next diseases of concern.

The most common tick-borne disease in humans in the USA is Lyme disease or Borreliosis, an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorfei. Over 1000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in humans in 2021(NIH.gov) in both Virginia and West Virginia. In theory, infections of livestock with Lyme disease are prevelent too, 但这并不是一种体育彩票外围平台经常担心会影响牛的疾病, sheep, goats, and swine. 有报道称，在出现神经症状和葡萄膜炎后，马的感染检测呈阳性, inflammation of the eye. Also, our canine companions can develop the infection and, as a result of a renal syndrome known as Lyme nephritis, it’s sometimes fatal. 在过去的10年里，在狗身上检测莱姆病已经变得很常见. 莱姆病通常由鹿蜱传播，并且有治疗方法.

image of annual cases of lyme disease in the us

The lone star tick can be a vector for diseases such as Ehrlichia, tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the alpha-gal allergy. 这些疾病都令人担忧，但在牲畜中诊断出来的频率较低. 这种蜱虫很容易区分，会导致受感染的人对红肉过敏.

关于蜱和蜱传疾病的讨论仅限于本平台. However, 美国农业部试图阻止的一种蜱传疾病应该在这里讨论.

Babesia results in a disease commonly called Texas Cattle Fever or “redwater” disease, which is found in Mexico. 扁虱家族是这种寄生原生动物的常见媒介. 美国农业部在德克萨斯州管理着一个永久隔离区，以防止这种蜱虫的传播, therefore, the disease. 每14天将牛浸泡在大桶中或使用注射药物等做法被用来控制蜱虫的传播. 马通常被这种蜱虫感染，并遵循治疗方案.

USDA-APHIS • Protecting U.S. 牛从热蜱•牛热蜱根除计划和治疗方案•APHIS-91-45-020•修订2023年6月

Tick-borne diseases have similar signs and symptoms. “If you are raising livestock, 然后，你必须随时了解你所在地区流行的特定蜱传疾病，并意识到任何新出现的威胁. 定期监测蜱虫种群和疾病流行情况可为预防性规划提供有价值的见解.”( Tick-Borne Diseases in Cattle - bdvets)与你的主治兽医谈谈，制定针对你的位置和手术的蜱虫控制和治疗策略. Collaboration between farmers, veterinarians, and researchers is vital to combat tick-borne diseases effectively. 公共卫生通过报告确诊病例监测人间蜱传疾病. 他们还监测蜱的类型和蜱中存在的病原体. Tick-borne diseases are a OneHealth concern. 如果您发现附有蜱虫，请联系您的医生进行评估.

For more information on tick-borne diseases, please contact your practicing or regulatory veterinarian, local extension agent, or local health department.

References:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/theileria-orientalis-ikeda-notice.pdf

http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28598270/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9210854/

http://www.merckvetmanual.com

http://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2017.00298/full

http://virginiamercury.com/2023/07/03/asian-longhorned-ticks-continue-to-spread-in-virginia-causing-cattle-worries/#:~:text=Asian%20longhorned%20ticks%20have%20likely%20been%20in%20the,fever%2C%20jaundice%2C%20respiratory%20problems%20and%20weakness%20in%20cattle.

http://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/index.html

http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/ticks/tick-identification/

http://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/17/1063352/new-tick-borne-disease-killing-cattle-in-us/

http://bdvets.com/blog/tick-borne-diseases-in-cattle#_Epidemiology_of_Tick-Borne

http://oeps.wv.gov/arboviral/Documents/Data/WV_Vectorborne_Disease_Biweekly_Surveillance_Report_2022.pdf