Publications by authors named "Alec Evans"
Article Synopsis
- In areas where canine leishmaniosis is common, the non-pathogenic Leishmania tarentolae coexists with the harmful Leishmania infantum, raising questions about their interactions and potential immune responses in dogs.
- The study involved infecting twelve beagle dogs with L. tarentolae to measure antibody production, immunity duration, cytokine response, and any pathogenic effects, monitoring them over 206 days.
- Findings showed that L. tarentolae is non-pathogenic, with detectable DNA for up to three months post-infection, and suggests its potential use as a protective measure or treatment against harmful Leishmania species in dogs and possibly humans.
Acaricide resistance status of livestock ticks from East and West Africa and in vivo efficacy of acaricides to control them.
Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist
August 2024
Through a collaborative effort across six Sub-Saharan African countries, using recognized international assessment techniques, 23 stocks of three tick species (Rhipicephalus microplus, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum) of economic importance for rural small holder farming communities from East and West Africa were collected from cattle, and evaluated in in vitro larval packet tests (LPT). The results demonstrated medium to high resistance to chlorfenvinphos and amitraz across species. Rhipicephalus microplus demonstrated high level alpha-cypermethrin and cypermethrin resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most successful ticks infesting cattle around the world. This highly-invasive species transmits cattle parasites that cause cattle fever leading to a high socio-economic burden. Tick eradication programs have often failed, due to the development of acaricide resistance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA meeting, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and organised by Clinglobal, was held at The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, from 19th - to 21st October 2022. The meeting assembled a unique group of experts on tick control in Africa. Academia, international agencies (FAO and ILRI), the private Animal Health sector and government veterinary services were represented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The majority of Africans rely on agriculture, particularly livestock, for their livelihoods, and effective parasite control, especially for ticks, is crucial for enhancing their farm productivity.
- In a study across seven sub-Saharan countries, researchers sampled cattle to identify the tick species affecting them, finding East Africa had a greater diversity and infestation rates than West Africa.
- The findings highlight the significant economic impact of specific tick species, noting that tick infestations were more prevalent in heavier and male cattle, but anti-parasitic treatments effectively reduced these infestations.
Animal trypanosomiasis (AT) is a significant livestock disease, affecting millions of animals across Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and Asia, and is caused by the protozoan parasites , with the largest economic impact in cattle. There is over-reliance on presumptive chemotherapy due to inadequate existing diagnostic tests, highlighting the need for improved AT diagnostics. A small RNA species, the 7SL sRNA, is excreted/secreted by trypanosomes in infected animals, and has been previously shown to reliably diagnose active infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Dogs are the reservoir host of Leishmania infantum, the agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is transmitted by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. The sand fly Phlebotomus perniciosus is the main vector of zoonotic VL in the western Mediterranean region. Fluralaner has been shown to effectively kill this vector.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We evaluated the efficiency of an ex vivo feeding technique using a silicone membrane-based feeding chamber to (i) assess the anti-feeding and acaricidal efficacy of a spot-on combination of dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen and permethrin (DPP, Vectra® 3D) against adult Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus ticks, and to (ii) explore its effect on blocking the acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto.
Methods: Eight purpose-bred dogs were randomly allocated to two equal-size groups based on body weight assessed on day 2. DPP was administered topically, as spot-on, to four dogs on day 0.
Background: The interplay of speed of activity of acaricidal products and tick-borne pathogen transmission time is the major driver for disease prevention. This study aimed to investigate the time required for transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophilum by adult Ixodes ricinus ticks in vivo on dogs, and to confirm the time required for transmission observed in vivo, in vitro.
Methods: Nymphs of I.