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ViewAttendees 4

Member Symposium

Current Advances in Acarology

New tick, old tricks: Experimental acquisition and transmission of Babesia bovis by the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) (Acari: Ixodidae)

Sunday, November 5, 2023
8:03 AM – 8:15 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake 6
In-Person
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was first detected in the US in 2017 and has since been detected in at least 17 states. This tick is known to infest cattle and given its parthenogenic nature, large populations of H. longicornis can lead to significant livestock mortalities and economic losses. While H. longicornis has not been detected in Texas, species distribution models have identified southern Texas as a possible hospitable habitat for this tick. Southern Texas is currently home to the southern cattle tick (Rhipicephalus microplus), which can transmit the causative agent of cattle fever (Babesia bovis). While eradicated from the US, B. bovis has the potential to reemerge in the cattle industry, which could devastate the cattle industry in Texas and much of the southern United States. With the potential for H. longicornis and B. bovis to overlap in southern Texas and their potential to negatively impact the national and global livestock industry, it is imperative to identify the role H. longicornis may play in the cattle fever disease system, if any. This study will present results on the acquisition and transmission of B. bovis by H. longicornis. We tested transstadial and transovarial transmission of B. bovis by H. longicornis in vitro, with the Rhipicephalus microplus system used as a positive control. This presentation will highlight results of the experiments as well as discuss possible implications for the role of H. longicornis in the cattle fever system.