Efficacy of either orally administered fluralaner or topically administered imidacloprid/flumethrin for controlling Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato premises infestations.

Background: Adult, nymph, and larval Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato infest dogs and thrive in premises including homes and kennels. Ticks emerge from hiding to seek and attach to dogs, engorge, then leave their hosts to hide then molt or oviposit. This study evaluated the effect of either external or systemic canine treatment on R. sanguineus s.l. populations in premises.

Methods: Thirty-two dogs in eight kennels were divided into three groups; one group (eight dogs in two kennels) served as untreated controls; one group (12 dogs in three kennels) received oral fluralaner (25-56 mg/kg); and one group (12 dogs in three kennels) received topical flumethrin/imidacloprid impregnated collars. Treatments were administered once on day 0. Prior to treatment, R. sanguineus s.l. infestations were established in kennels holding dogs, by placing ticks every 2 weeks from day -84 through day -14. Kennel surfaces (walls and floors) were smooth except for uniform "hideouts" to permit precise off-host tick counting.

Results: Control dog kennel mean tick counts (all life stages) increased from 737 ticks/kennel at day -7 to 2213 at day 63 when all control kennel dogs were acaricide-treated as a humane endpoint. Kennels housing dogs subsequently treated with systemic fluralaner had a mean of 637 counted ticks/kennel on study day -7 (7 days before treatment). One fluralaner treatment eliminated all premises ticks (100% reduction) by day 70, and these kennels remained tick-free through study completion (day 84). Kennels housing dogs subsequently treated with an external imidacloprid/flumethrin collar had a mean of 614 counted ticks/kennel at study day -7. Collar treatment reduced counts by 90% on day 63, with kennel tick counts climbing after this and ending the study with a 75% reduction. Systemic fluralaner treatment was significantly (P = 0.003) more effective at reducing engorged adult female tick counts than external imidacloprid/flumethrin treatment.

Conclusions: Fluralaner treatment eliminated off-host R. sanguineus life stages in infested kennels by day 70 following treatment and was significantly more effective than imidacloprid/flumethrin collar treatment in reducing the premises population of engorged female ticks. Imidacloprid/flumethrin treatment did not eliminate premises tick populations, with populations increasing before the study end.