Assessing the relationship between tick abundance on pastures and on cattle, and the risk ticks represent to cattle and livestock workers

The two most common tick species in Manitoba are the American dog tick and the blacklegged tick. American dog ticks can infect cattle with a bacterium that causes bovine anaplasmosis, a blood-borne disease that can severely affect animal health and production. Blacklegged ticks can transmit several tick-borne infections like Lyme disease, granulocytic anaplasmosis, and babesiosis to humans and horses. Blacklegged ticks are a relatively recent addition to the Manitoba tick fauna, and there is no information on the importance of their relationship with cattle in the Prairies. Also, the relationship between the abundance of ticks in a pasture and the number of ticks infesting the animals is not well established. We propose to sample pastures and animals to define the relationship between habitat and exposure of livestock and workers to two species of ticks and help us evaluate the health and economic risks associated with ticks on pastures.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kateryn Rochon

Student:

Partner:

Manitoba Cattle Producers Association

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Manitoba

Program: