Blue Tick Resistance

Hello Pierre

We started on 13/10/2008 and applied the first product pour-on.  When you came on 4/11/2008 to apply, what I call Blue Bull pour- on, we could see that the multi host ticks had increased and there  where very few blue ticks. We even used a cloth with deadline to  wipe some of the cows.

It is now a month later, 12/12/2008, and there is still no sign of  blue ticks, but I had to use deadline to kill the multi host ticks.

We had 70mm rain at the beginning of November and then at the  beginning of December 15mm. The grass is looking good and  probably due to the bit of moisture ticks have increased.

Regards

Peter-John Hassard

The Peter-John Hassard Strategic Blue Tick Control  Plan, for his farm, Wetlands in the Mkuze region, Kwa-  Zulu Natal.

We have started the Strategic Blue Tick Control Program on  October 10, 2008.

Peter John Hassard

We collected ticks early in September 2009. They were send  off to the Free State University™s Pesticide Resistance  Facility for an Adult Emergence Test as previously described.

I did received the Adult Immergence analysis 10 days later.

Report

The Adult Immergence Test proves that 8 out 10 blue ticks  survived the prescribed doses of Amidine, Synthetic  Pyrethroids and organophosphates. Al these acaricides, or  rather all 5 approved “killing agent” or actives, are found in  the 86 names or brands, marketed by the various Animal  Health Companies in SA.

To be clear in this matter. There are only 5 approved actives,  (killing agents) on the South African market. The are blend  into various formulas and strenghts and distributed by all  known and registered Animal Health Companies in SA, in  combinations or combined formulas and in different brand  names.

Adult Immergence Test
In short, engorged females were immerged for 10 min in a jar  filled with the abovementioned acaricides. After 10 minutes of  complete immersion, the immerged female ticks put in a small  holder in the laboratory.

• If these ticks are affected by the acaricide, the tick simply then dies before laying eggs.
• If not, they start with their normal egg laying process after 6 days and lay approximately 2500 eggs over a  period of 11 days, until the female tick die off  possibly at day 21.
• The eggs, in normal conditions or favourable conditions, will hatch in 21 days time from the time of
• The larvae react to CO² and the sound of hoofs.
• They climb approximately 45 cm high on a grass stem to attach to a suitable
• The do not climb higher. This height, for good reasons, prevent possible dehidration and possition  them perfectly to attach on preferred predelicted sites  on the animal
• If the climatic environment is not condusive for the larvae to attachment, the larvae move back to the  roots of the grass to protect themselves from natural  enemies, dehidration and can survive in this manner  for months, in their quest to find a suitable host.

The possible resistance percentage.
If 10 female ticks, or a 100 for that matter, sustain  the immersion of the different acaricides, the survival  percentage indicate the possible resistance  percentage. Adult Immersion is only a very first and  small step of the possible resistance percentage. It is  NOT a true reflection and final step in the resistance  question as numerous tests needs to follow.

• The Hassard Reality.
  PJ Hassard, on the AIT, shows possible resistance level in the higher 80’s for Amidine, higher 80’s for  Synthetic Pyrethroids and in the high 90’s for
• The Hassard bottom-line is, any of the products he can buy from the shelve or, from any agent that  market any product to him, have between a 10 and  possible 20% effectiveness.
• To pay a good price for a product with a possible effectiveness like that, is a huge cost and a waste of  money
• This means, that PJ Hassard have between 80-90% chance/risk to have losses and Tick Borne Diseases  endemic to his farm and in the region.
• Without proper knowledge regarding his resistance levels to the various chemical, he would have carried  senselessly on with his traditional dipping and  controlling methods, trying his level best to control  ticks, as he is an extremely well disciplined and  intelligent cattle breeder.

Cattle from the program in their second dip cycle  already
The analysis

• The challenge is to interpret the analysis and find means and methods to break down the tested  resistance levels effectively.
• At the same time, it is of the utmost importance not to expose the resistant ticks to any of the acaricides  they prove themselves resistant too. This is an  important matter.

Conclusion

This means that PJ Hassard, as good producer and neat  farmer as he is, he cannot with this levels of resistance,  control blue ticks effectively with any acaricide or combination  product thereof on the South African market. Whatever PJ  was doing now, as good and well disciplined as he is, is a  waste of money, time, energy and labour.

It does not matter what PJ was doing, he was less than 20%  effective in his tick control program.

Another high quality animal under the effective  Strategic Blue tick Resistance Program

Regional average statistics. The dipping cycle and  frequency
The responsible farmers in the region, acknowledge that they  have to dip anything between 40- 48 times per year. PJ,  without giving to much detail, had spend 40 weeks plus out of  52 weeks, to control ticks on a 1000 head of cattle.

A 1000 plus head of cattle, on a conservative  estimation, would probably take 1-2 days of every  week to dip. This means 40 x 2 days and it is  almost 80 dipping days per year.

Tick abundance
Given the resistant levels on the farm and the amount of cattle  as hosts available, it can be assumed that the blue ticks who  is a serious problem on the Hassard farm, multiplied in their  millions

Blue ticks can, ceteris paribus, if all is equal;

• complete 4 life cycles within one year
• each female lay in the region of 2500 eggs

Scientific option and solution
PJ Hassard clearly would prefer and implement a well planned  and measureable tick control program, based on scientific  facts and facts related to the prevention of any selection to  possible resistance and.

Furthermore, a producer like PJ will want a Tick Control  Program (TCP) where time factors, goals and costs are very  clear. The following factors and questions came to mind;

• Cost options and the “investment” in tick control must have as a goal, elimination, reduction of the  infestation levels, the break down of resistance levels.
• The current resistant levels must be managed scientifically within a time frame
• Sensible “Preventive Management Strategies”, based on the uniqueness of the farm, climate and biome  must be implemented
• Effectiveness of the control must be seen and visible and measureable
• Tick control must be scientifically and sensible and clearly understood. The reasons why strategies are  implemented must make sense and be understandable

The Hassard Program

Blue ticks

• First treatment after the Adult Immersion Analysis was on 13/10/2008
• Second treatment with a different Chemical on 4/11/2008
  • Blue tick evaluation on 12/12 2008- No blue ticks
  • Blue tick evaluation on 23/12/2008 – No blue ticks on the control group, European Red  Water broke out under a group of cattle  outside the control group, though within the  same grazing area.
  • Blue tick evaluation on 4/02/2009- Cattle were still free from any blue ticks
  • Blue tick evaluation 11 /02.2009 – Cattle were still free form any blue ticks
  • The critical point here is, since we dipped the cattle for specifically blue ticks on  14/11/2008, they are blue tick free on the  11/02/2009.
• We have to start planning the second application with a repeat of the second chemical.

This is our achievement so far with the Hassard  Program. The point here is, with the analyses and  proper interpretation and a well chosen selection of  chemicals, PJ Hassard, with the levels of resistance  tested, was able not to dip his cattle for 98 days as  they were effectively blue tick free.

The question is, if we can achieve another 100 days of  effective blue tick control, how long would we have control  going into the winter season before we, “PREVENTATIVELY”  and strategically apply the first strategic control chemical?

Multihost ticks
It is important to understand that we do not want to expose  blue ticks to the acaricides they have selected themselves  resistant to.
We did not and because of the lifecycle of the various  multihost ticks on PJ farm, they were effectively treated with a  high quality general dipping fluid on the 23/12/2008 and  19/01/2009

PJ reported by email that the control group of 80  cattle are looking very good and clean of any ticks on  the 11/02/2009.

Pierre van Niekerk
pierre@dieregesondheid.co.za
0822208386