Assessing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Australian Cattle Farmers on Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases
Zainab Umar Abdullahi1,2, Ghazanfar Abbas1, Ard M. Nijhof2, Abdul Jabbar1, Abdul Ghafar1
1Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3030, Australia; 2Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin,14163 Berlin, Germany
Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are significant endemic and priority health and production constraints to the Australian cattle industry. Between November 2023 and May 2024, we conducted the first Australia-wide online survey to investigate cattle farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding TTBDs. The questionnaire comprised 66 questions (16 close-ended and 50 open-ended) about farm demography, knowledge and perceptions of TTBDs and control. Interim results revealed that while most respondents in Queensland (91%: 51/56) and New South Wales (89.1%, 41/46) had observed ticks on their cattle, 59.4% (19/32) of Victorian respondents were uncertain although their animals had bovine theileriosis (75%:24/32). Interestingly, 49.2% (66/134) of the respondents strongly considered wild animals in the paddocks as a source of ticks to cattle, 25.4% (34/134) were unsure if all ticks seen on cattle could transmit diseases. Most of the respondents (88.8%:119/134) used acaricides as their primary tick control method. However, 32.8% (44/134) of the respondents noted that ticks usually reappeared on cattle within a month of treatment, indicating potential acaricidal resistance. This study demonstrates knowledge gaps in risk perception and integrated parasite management for controlling TTBDs among Australian cattle farmers. This highlights the need for increased awareness and targeted interventions to manage TTBDs effectively.
What allows ticks to tick? The effects of climate on the geographic distribution and the abundance of ticks.
Ernest Teo
Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Andrewartha and Birch (1954) regarded the abundance and the geographic distribution of species to be two sides of the same coin. Shelford (1917) too, regarded the abundance and the distribution of species to depend on the extent to which conditions deviate from the ecological optimum (of the species). Previously, such ecological studies on the geographic distribution and abundance of species were mostly observational, correlational, and theoretical. With advancements in technologies however, sophisticated methodologies and tools to project the distributions of species and to account for their abundances have been increasingly available. Armed with these principles and these tools, I studied the effects of climate, and how variations in the weather accounted for the geographic distributions and the abundances of several species of ticks. Herein, I discuss some of my findings, and how such tools can help, and have furthered our understanding of the distribution and the abundances of ticks. I will also discuss how these projections may aid biosecurity and biosafety with a consideration of a changing climate, and the limitations of such studies.
Mosquito-Borne Parasite Surveillance in Perth, Western Australia.
Ashleigh Peck1, Alan Lymbery2,3, Siobhon Egan4, Amanda Ash1,5
1School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University,90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; 2School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University,90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; 3Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Western Australia; 4Centre of Computational and Systems Medicine, Murdoch University,90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; 5Centre for Biosecurity and One Health, Murdoch University,90 South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
The prevalence and distribution of mosquito-borne diseases (MBD) consistently change over time and space. Such changes result from variations in landscape, host biodiversity, and climate, which are highly influenced by anthropogenic change. This complexity makes studying MBD prevalence and distribution challenging but essential as these factors are highly variable globally.
Fortunately, mosquitoes are convenient and non-invasive tools for disease surveillance due to their haematophagous behaviours. Government Departments of Health use mosquitoes for MBD surveillance. However, these departments primarily focused on detecting common human MBD. Less prevalent or animal-specific MBD are, therefore, likely not reported.
This study has collected and identified 4,323 mosquitoes from Perth’s urban and peri-urban areas across the 4 traditional and 6 Noongar seasons. Population data has determined trends in mosquito biodiversity over seasons and between different levels of urbanisation. Collected mosquitoes are pooled according to location, date, and species, and are screened for mosquito-borne parasites, including Dirofilaria, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus. Preliminary data has identified 11 Avian Plasmodium and 1 Haemoproteus species. Parasites were predominantly identified within mosquito of the genus Culex. Although this data does not determine the mosquito's capacity to transmit the parasites, these results can aid future mosquito control programs.
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