Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 - (Page S3)

SUMMIT VetPharm ECTOPARASITOLOGY SYMPOSIUM Tick-borne diseases (dogs or cats) Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia ewingii, Ehrlichia chaffeensis), tularemia (Franciscella tularensis), Borrelia lonestari American hepatozoonosis (Hepatozoon americanum) Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis, E. chaffeensis), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia ricksettsii), tularemia (Franciscella tularensis), feline cytauxzoonosis (Cytauxzoon felis) Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii), tularemia (F. tularensis) Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) Lyme borreliosis (B. burgdorferi), anaplasmosis (A. phagocytophilum) Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma platys), babesiosis (Babesia canis, Babesia gibsoni), ehrlichiosis (E. canis), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (R. rickettsii) Unengorged female of Amblyomma americanum Tick control A successful tick control program prevents tick attachment and feeding and transmission of infectious agents from ticks to their hosts. Complete success is not easily achieved, given the variety of tick species and differences in their host preferences and life cycles. Successful tick control combines modification and treatment of environments around the home or kennel, avoidance strategies to prevent exposure to questing ticks, and the use of on-animal tick control products. Environmental control involves destroying tick and host refuge areas, such as brush piles around buildings.This will eliminate sheltered areas for environmental ticks as well as habitats for rodents and rabbits that serve as hosts for immature ticks. Acaricides can be applied to these areas to kill ticks. If R. sanguineus is a problem, it is important to target indoor areas, such as cracks in floors and areas above suspended ceilings. Using a licensed pest control specialist is the best means of ensuring safe acaricide use. All treated surfaces should be dry before pets are allowed to contact them. Tick avoidance strategies are helpful in decreasing pet exposure to ticks.Veterinarians should become familiar with the prevalence and seasonal habits of tick species in their area. Pet owners should avoid tick-infested environments, especially during seasons when tick populations are increased.When walking pets, they should remain in the center of trails that are free of weeds, long grass, or overhanging vegetation. Several safe and effective tick-control products are available for use on dogs or cats.* Active ingredients in these products include amitraz, fipronil, and permethrin.Amitraz is a formamidine compound that inhibits monoamine oxidase, which is responsible for metabolism of amine molecules that serve as neurotransmitters in susceptible mites and ticks.Amitraz paralyzes ticks, including their mouthparts, making them incapable of attaching to and feeding on their hosts. Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole compound that disrupts the function of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-mediated neurons.Target ticks are paralyzed and unable to attach to their hosts. Permethrin is a third generation synthetic pyrethroid that interferes with the opening and closing of sodium ion channels in nerve membranes.Affected nerves undergo repetitive discharges resulting in rapid paralysis of the tick. Permethrin and certain other synthetic pyrethroids are also effective repellents for certain ectoparasites. It is unclear whether permethrin’s effect is due to its rapid action or its repellent properties.The former seems more likely because ticks often easily gain access to their hosts; they are probably killed or forced from their hosts by the rapid paralytic effects of permethrin. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that tick control products help prevent transmission of disease agents.5-11 It is important to remember that these studies were under controlled conditions in laboratory environments—more variables exist under conditions of actual product use. Dependence on tick control products alone cannot provide adequate assurance that pets will not be exposed to tick transmitted diseases. Veterinarians should develop a comprehensive approach to controlling ticks and vector-borne diseases, including use of available tick control products year-round as recommended by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (www. capcvet.org), vaccines when available, and reasonable tick avoidance strategies. *To view references and a list of tick control products, see pages 9 to 10. 3 http://www.capcvet.org http://www.capcvet.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007 Contents Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald Toxicology Brief Idea Exchange Animal Sheltering in the United States: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Euthanasia Problem Offer Basic Behavior Counseling for Every Pet at Every Visit Promote and Perform Early Spaying and Neutering Assist Owners in Selecting the Best Pets for their Lifestyles Champion Animal Welfare in Your Community CE Form Product Review Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - October 2007

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