- 1Department
of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco-Turin, Italy;
WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Veterinary Public
Health, ISS-Rome, Rome, Italy; Animal Health Programme in the Republic of Zambia, Corridor Disease Control Unit, Veterinary Research Station, Mazabuka, Zambia.
- 2CIRAD,
UMR CMAEE, Montpellier, France; Unité URBIO, Centre International de
Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES),
Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
- 3Département des
Sciences et Techniques de l'Elevage (DSTE/FASE), Université Dan Dicko
Dankoulodo, Maradi, Niger; Unité URBIO, Centre International de
Recherche-Développement sur l'Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES),
Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
Abstract
Livestock,
especially cattle, play a paramount role in agriculture production
systems, particularly in poor countries throughout the world. Ticks and
tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have an important impact on livestock and
agriculture production in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors review the
most common methods used for the control of ticks and TBDs. Special
emphasis is given to the direct application of acaricides to the host
animals. The possible environmental and public health adverse effects
(i.e., risks for the workers, residues in the environment
and in food products of animal origin) are mentioned. The authors
present two case studies, describing different field experiences in
controlling ticks in two African countries. In Zambia (Southern Africa),
a strategic dipping regime was used to control Rhipicephalus appendiculatus
ticks, vectors of theileriosis, a deadly disease affecting cattle in
the traditional livestock sector in Southern Province. The dipping
regime adopted allowed to reduce the tick challenge and cattle mortally
rate and, at the same time, to employ less acaricide as compared to the
intensive dipping used so far, without disrupting the building-up of
enzootic stability. In Burkina Faso (West Africa), where dipping was
never used for tick control, an acaricide footbath was employed as an
alternative method to the traditional technique used locally (portable
manual sprayers). This was developed from field observations on the
invasion/attachment process of the Amblyomma variegatum ticks -
vector of cowdriosis - on the animal hosts, leading to a control method
aimed to kill ticks temporarily attached to the interdigital areas
before their permanent attachment to the predilection sites. This
innovative method has been overall accepted by the local farmers. It has
the advantage of greatly reducing costs of treatments and has a minimal
environmental impact, making footbath a sustainable and replicable
method, adoptable also in other West African countries. Although the two
methods described, developed in very different contexts, are not
comparable - if public health and environmental implications are taken
into account, if a balance among efficacy of the control method(s),
cost-effectiveness and sustainability is reached - a way forward for the
implementation of a One Health strategy can be set.
KEYWORDS:
acaricides; environmental impact; public health; tick control
