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Evaluation of fluralaner as an oral acaricide to reduce tick infestation in a wild rodent reservoir of Lyme disease.
- Source :
-
Parasites & vectors [Parasit Vectors] 2020 Feb 13; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 73. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Feb 13. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Background: Lyme disease (LD) is an increasing public health threat in temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, yet relatively few methods exist for reducing LD risk in endemic areas. Disrupting the LD transmission cycle in nature is a promising avenue for risk reduction. This experimental study evaluated the efficacy of fluralaner, a recent oral acaricide with a long duration of effect in dogs, for killing Ixodes scapularis ticks in Peromyscus maniculatus mice, a known wildlife reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi in nature.<br />Methods: We assigned 87 mice to 3 fluralaner treatment groups (50 mg/kg, 12.5 mg/kg and untreated control) administered as a single oral treatment. Mice were then infested with 20 Ixodes scapularis larvae at 2, 28 and 45 days post-treatment and we measured efficacy as the proportion of infesting larvae that died within 48 h. At each infestation, blood from 3 mice in each treatment group was tested to obtain fluralaner plasma concentrations (C <subscript>p</subscript> ).<br />Results: Treatment with 50 mg/kg and 12.5 mg/kg fluralaner killed 97% and 94% of infesting larvae 2 days post-treatment, but no significant effect of treatment on feeding larvae was observed 28 and 45 days post-treatment. Mouse C <subscript>p</subscript> did not differ significantly between the two tested doses. Mean C <subscript>p</subscript> decreased from 13,000 ng/ml in the 50 mg/kg group and 4000 ng/ml in the 12.5 mg/kg group at Day 2 to < 100 ng/ml in both groups at Day 45.<br />Conclusions: We provide the first evidence that fluralaner is effective for killing immature ticks in Peromyscus mice, a first step in evaluating its potential for treating wild rodents as a public health intervention to reduce LD risk in endemic areas.
- Subjects :
- Administration, Oral
Animals
Animals, Wild microbiology
Animals, Wild parasitology
Borrelia burgdorferi
Female
Isoxazoles administration & dosage
Ixodes microbiology
Larva drug effects
Lyme Disease prevention & control
Lyme Disease transmission
Male
Tick Infestations drug therapy
Disease Reservoirs parasitology
Isoxazoles therapeutic use
Ixodes drug effects
Peromyscus parasitology
Tick Infestations veterinary
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1756-3305
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Parasites & vectors
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 32054498
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-3932-7