PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF TICKS AND

MITESLINGAIAH CHILUKA

1ST M.Sc. P.H.E

Life Cycle of Ticks

PREVENTION OF TICK-BORNE PARASITIC INFECTIONS

Prevention strategies for tick-borne diseases can be divided into 3 general categories: Environmental, Personal, and Prophylactic (after a tick bite has occurred) Environmental strategies involves the control of the

population of deer and other vector and tick control measures.

Personal strategies involves avoiding grassy areas with shrubs that attract ticks, wearing long trousers and socks, applying permethrin (an insect repellent) to clothing.

Prophylactic measures include the use of vaccines.

PERSONAL PROTECTION:AVOIDANCE: Avoid wooded & bushy areas with grass and leaf

litter , walk in the center of trails. Not sleeping on floors of mud houses. Metal bed provide some protection as the ticks have

difficulty in climbing on metals.

REPELLENTS: Repellents prevent the ticks from attaching to the

body.

•Repellents include:•DEET or N,N-diethyl-3-toluamide•Benzyl benzoate •Dimethyl carbamate and indalone.

CLOTHING:•Trousers should be tucked into the boots or socks•Shirts are tucked into trousers

IMPREGNATED CLOTHING: Clothes should be impregnated either by

spraying or soaking with Pyrethroid insecticides such as Permethrin or Cyfluthrin.

Permethrin at the rate of 0.65 – 1.0 gm of Ai /sq meter

REMOVAL OF ATTACHED TICKS: It is important to examine the body

frequently for ticks during and after visit to tick infested area.

• Numerous birds feeds on ticks. Best known are cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis), oxpeckers (Buphagus spp. in Africa) and cattle tyrants (Machetomis rixosa ,in America).other chicken , guinea fowls domestic birds eats ticks.

Biological control of Ticks & Mites on Livestock –cattle , sheep , swine and poultry

In a study there are reports of good efficacy of Bt suspensions against northern fowl mites , when directly applied on infested chicken.

But there are no commercial products based on Bt approved for use on livestock or pets

These wasps are not commercially available in countries where ticks are problem for livestock.

This wasps are very efficient parasites of ticks hat achieve 25-50 percent natural parasitizaion rates. They deposit 6 or more eggs inside an engorged tick. But unfortunately field trails in USA failed to really control tick populations.

All parasitoid species of ticks are small hymenopteran wasps of the genus Ixodiphaus , particularly Ixodipagus hookeri.

PATHOGENIC FUNGIThe best investigated species of fungi pathogenic for ticks belong to genera Beauveria,Metarhizium,Paeclomyces and Verticillium. they develops in soil and are found worldwide.

When the spores of fungi come in contact with he ticks they stick to their cuticle , where they germinate and produce hyphae , thread like filamentous structures.

Piercing the membranes between body or limb segments or mouth pieces and damage body organs and kills the ticks ,some fungi can produces toxins also

Ant PredatorsAnts also predate on eggs and larvae of ticks and other arthropods, particularly Pheidole megacephala(big headed ant in US) , Coastal brown ant in Australia, Solenopsis spp.(fireants) and Camponotos spp.(carpenter ants)

Ants can contribute to eliminate some ticks on pastures, but not enough to ring down tick populations below the economic threshold level

Helminth predators

PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE: Leptotrombidium deliense and Leptotrombidium akamushi - scrub

typhus They belong to the family Trombiculidae.

Sarcoptes scabiei - scabies Belong to the family Sarcoptidae. Also called itch mite.

MITES

DUST MITES Dermacentor pteronyssinus and Dermacentor farinae are the mites which

generally cause allergy, in some case asthma and atiopic dermatitis(eczeme) is seen when we inhale house dust with mites and mite faeces

Generally 100 mites per gram of dust is considered as a risk factors which can cause asthma.

For acute asthma 500 mites per gram of dust.

Scrub typhus Pathogen: Orientia tsutsugamushi - Rickettsial bacteria caused by a gram-

negative, rod-shaped (cocco-bacillus) bacterium

Vector: Leptotrombidium Chigger-Mite

O. tsutsugamushi is transmitted to vertebrate hosts (rodents-primary host & humans-secondary or accidental host) by the bite of larval mites (chiggers) of the genus Leptotrombidium, e.g. L. deliense, L. dimphalum, etc.

An eschar, approx. 5 -20 mm diameter is formed at the site bitten by trombiculid mite, and this may be considered as the most important clinical finding for the diagnosis of scrub typhus.

The site bitten by the chiggers is initially a papule followed by a blistered ulcer, and this is then covered with a black crust; the border of the eschar is surrounded by reddish erythema.it formed at the time when symptoms are manifested.

Scrub typhus in India has been reported from Rajasthan , Jammu & Kashmir and Vellore . few cases have been tested positive for IgG antibodies from Sikkim , Darjeeling , Nagaland & Manipur .In an entomologic study in Himachal Pradesh vector species Leptotombidium deliense & Gahrliepia spp. Were recorded .Endemic typhus reported from Pune , Lucknow , Mysore , Kolkata , Golconda , Karnal , Rewari and Kashmir.

CONTROL MEASURESREMOVAL OF VEGETATION: Close-cut lawns and gardens with well kept

paths and weed-free beds. Elimination of tall weeds.RESIDUAL SPRAYING ON VEGETATIONS: When removal of vegetation is not possible

it can be sprayed with residual insecticides, Applied with ULV spray equipment.

CHEMICAL CONTROLIMPREGNATION OF CLOTHES:•DEET, Benzyl benzoate and Dimethyl pthalate : 0.65 – 1g (a.i)/sq.m.

•Clothing can be treated with one or more of this repellents, providing long lasting protection even after one or two washes.

REPELLENT:•On skin : 20g(a.i)/sq.m

•Improved personal hygiene play a role in control of Scabies mites.

INSECTICIDESINSECTICIDE FORMULATION CONCENTRATI

ONMalathion Dust 4 – 5%

Propoxur Dust 1%

Diazinon Dust 2%

REFERENCES VECTOR CONTROL (methods for use by individuals and communites) by Jan A. ROZENDAAL

WHO - Chemical methods for the control of vectors and pests of public health importance.

Household & structural , Department of Entomology-PURDUE University

CDC-Tickborne diseases of the United States , reference manual for healthcare providers , 3rd edition,2015

WHO-PESTICIDES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS For control of vectors & pests of public health importance , 6th edition

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