Seasonal fluctuations of Babesia bigemina and Rhipicephalus microplus in Brangus and Nellore cattle reared in the Cerrado biome, Brazil.

Background: The tick Rhipicephalus microplus (Ixodida: Ixodidae, Canestrini, 1888) causes substantial economic and health losses in cattle production and is the main vector of Babesia bigemina (Piroplasmidae: Babesidae, Smith & Kilborne, 1893). Babesia bigemina is responsible for a tick-borne disease known as babesiosis that can cause hemolytic anemia, fever and death. In the study reported here, we investigated the relationship between the number of ticks per animal and the number of B.

Control Strategies for the Tick Rhipicephalus Microplus (Canestrini, 1888) on Cattle: Economic Evaluation and Report of a Multidrug-Resistant Strain.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate four strategies for application of acaricides to control the tick Rhipicephalus microplus among infested cattle, and to show which of these has the best cost-benefit ratio.

Methods: For this, 72 cattle were selected and divided into four groups: Group 1 (G1): fipronil, pour-on; Group 2 (G2): fluazuron, pour-on; Group 3 (G3): moxidectin, injectable; and Group 4 (G4): chlorpyrifos 30 g, cypermethrin 15 g and fenthion 15 g, spraying (atomizing chamber). Every seven days, the numbers of semi-engorged females were counted and laboratory tests were conducted using different commercial technical-grade products for resistance monitoring.

Correlation between Rhipicephalus microplus ticks and Anaplasma marginale infection in various cattle breeds in Brazil.

The tick Rhipicephalus microplus is responsible for the transmission of Anaplasma marginale, which causes hemolytic anemia, abortion, decreased production, and mortality in cattle in Brazil. However, A. marginale can also persist in cattle herds without any clinical signs.

Economic performance evaluation of Brangus and Nellore cattle breed naturally infested with Rhipicephalus microplus in an extensive production system in Central-West Brazil.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the performance of Brangus and Nellore cattle in an extensive production system. Sixty growing bulls, 30 of the Brangus and 30 of the Nellore breeds that were naturally infested with Rhipicephalus microplus were subdivided into four groups: control Nellore (15 animals), treated Nellore (15), control Brangus (15), and treated Brangus (15). The animals in the treated groups underwent acaricidal treatments for 1 year.