Effective control of the motile stages of Amblyomma americanum and reduced Ehrlichia spp. prevalence in adults via permethrin treatment of white-tailed deer in coastal Connecticut, USA

Scott C Williams; Kirby C Stafford 3rd; Megan A Linske; Douglas E Brackney; Andrew M LaBonte; Heidi R Stuber; Duncan W Cozens

doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101675

Effective control of the motile stages of Amblyomma americanum and reduced Ehrlichia spp. prevalence in adults via permethrin treatment of white-tailed deer in coastal Connecticut, USA

Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2021 May;12(3):101675. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101675. Epub 2021 Jan 27.

Authors

Scott C Williams¹, Kirby C Stafford 3rd², Megan A Linske³, Douglas E Brackney⁴, Andrew M LaBonte⁵, Heidi R Stuber⁶, Duncan W Cozens⁷

Affiliations

¹ Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Forestry and Horticulture, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: scott.williams@ct.gov.
² Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: kirby.stafford@ct.gov.
³ Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: megan.linske@ct.gov.
⁴ Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Environmental Sciences, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: doug.brackney@ct.gov.
⁵ Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Wildlife Division, 391 Route 32, North Franklin, CT, 06254, United States. Electronic address: andrew.labonte@ct.gov.
⁶ Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: heidi.stuber@ct.gov.
⁷ Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States; Department of Environmental Sciences, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box 1106, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06504, United States. Electronic address: duncan.cozens@ct.gov.

PMID: 33529986
DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101675

Abstract

The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is a common human-biting species whose range has been largely restricted to the southeastern United States, until recent detections of established populations on Long Island, New York and throughout coastal southern New England. We evaluated the effectiveness of topical treatment of 10 % permethrin delivered via 4-poster devices to white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, in the management of a newly discovered A. americanum population in Norwalk, Connecticut. Using a high-density deployment of one 4-poster device/12.7 ha, we were successful in significantly reducing densities of host-seeking adults (93 % reduction), nymphs (92 %), and larvae (96 %) from 2018 to 2020. We also documented a significant reduction (87 %) in parasitizing adults and nymphs on white-tailed deer from 2018 to 2019. The prevalence of Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii combined in host-seeking adults declined significantly from 47 % at the time the A. americanum population was discovered in 2017 to 7% in 2020. However, the prevalence in nymphs remained static (∼9%) throughout the study period. These data demonstrate that, when properly deployed in a density-dependent manner in terms of deer abundance, 4-poster devices can effectively manage parasitizing and host-seeking A. americanum populations and reduce the prevalence of two ehrlichial species of public health importance.

Keywords: 4-Poster device; Ehrlichia chaffeensis; Ehrlichia ewingii; Lone star tick; White-tailed deer; Wild turkey.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acaricides*
Amblyomma* / growth & development
Amblyomma* / microbiology
Animals
Connecticut
Deer / parasitology
Ehrlichia / physiology*
Ehrlichia chaffeensis / physiology*
Female
Larva / growth & development
Larva / microbiology
Male
Nymph / growth & development
Nymph / microbiology
Permethrin*
Tick Control*

Substances

Acaricides
Permethrin