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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321873
Title: Ticks associated with domestic dogs and cats in Florida, USA

Author
item BURROUGHS, JENNIFER - University Of Florida
item THOMASSON, J - Merial, Ltd
item MARSELLA, ROSANNA - University Of Florida
item GREINER, ELLIS - University Of Florida
item Allan, Sandra - Sandy

Submitted to: Experimental and Applied Acarology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2016
Publication Date: 5/1/2016
Citation: Burroughs, J.E., Thomasson, J.A., Marsella, R., Greiner, E.C., Allan, S.A. 2016. Ticks associated with domestic dogs and cats in Florida, USA. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 69(1):87-95.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-016-0019-4

Interpretive Summary: abstract Brown dog ticks are serious residential pests affecting both dog health and human health through pesticide exposure during efforts to control the ticks. Control is particularly challenging due to difficulty in effective treatment of locations where ticks may be present the presence of pesticide resistance. A better understanding of the tick species associated with domestic animals can help target effective control strategies for the ticks as well as understanding potential disease threats. In this study involving a scientist from the USDA, Agriculture Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, in conjunction with colleagues at the University of Florida, collections of ticks from domestic dogs and cats were obtained from veterinary practitioners across Florida. From dogs, five species of ticks were collected from dogs and almost all of the ticks collected were the brown dog tick. Few ticks were collected from cats and of those, the lone star tick was the most common. The tick species collected from dogs and cats represent disease risk to these domestic species as well as associated humans for a range of tick-borne diseases in Florida.

Technical Abstract: Voluntary collections of ticks from domestic dogs and cats by veterinary practitioners across Florida were conducted over a 10 month period. Of the 1,337 ticks submitted, five species of ixodid ticks were identified and included Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Most ticks were collected from dogs (98.4%) with the most predominant species being R. sanguineus (94.3%). Fewer ticks were collected from cats (1.6%) and of these, A. americanum were the most common (74%). Only R. sanguineus were collected throughout the state, with the other species collected only in central and north Florida. The tick species collected from dogs and cats represent risk to these domestic species as well as associated humans for a range of tick-borne diseases in Florida.