Bioassays for measuring the acaricides susceptibility of cattle tick
Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) in São Paulo State, Brazil.
BIOASSAYS FOR MEASURING THE ACARICIDES SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CATTLE TICK
BOOPHILUS MICROPLUS (CANESTRINI, 1887) IN SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL
M.C. Mendes1 , C.J. Veríssimo2 , C.N. Kaneto3, J.R. Pereira4
Centro de Sanidade Animal, Instituto Biológico, Av. Cons. Rodrigues Alves,1252, CEP 04014-002, São Paulo,
SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]
1
ABSTRACT
The susceptibility of Boophilus microplus tick to acaricides was evaluated on farms located in
different regions of São Paulo State. The method used for the evaluation was the immersion of
engorged tick females in commercial formulation of the chemical groups organophosphate,
pyrethroids, amitraz and the association between organophosphate and pyrethroid. The efficacy
of pyrethroid acaricides was lower than 50% in all regions studied. The association between the
organophosphate and pyrethroid had the mean efficacy higher than 90% in the North Region, and
the amitraz had efficacy higher than 90% in the Northwest and Southern Regions. This work shows
the low efficacy of pirethroids acaricides on Boophilus microplus in São Paulo State nowadays.
KEY WORDS: Boophilus microplus, pyrethroids, organophosphate, amitraz, resistance.
RESUMO
BIOENSAIO PARA AVALIAR A SENSIBILIDADE DO CARRAPATO Boophilus microplus
(CANESTRINI,1887) A CARRAPATICIDAS NO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO, BRASIL. Foram avaliadas amostras de carrapato Boophilus microplus provenientes de fazendas localizadas em diferentes
regiões do Estado de São Paulo. O método usado foi de imersão de teleóginas em formulações
comerciais dos grupos químicos organofosforado, piretróide, amitraz e associação organofosforado
e piretróide. A eficácia de produtos à base de piretróides foi inferior a 50% em todas as regiões
avaliadas; a eficácia média da associação entre o produto organofosforado e o piretróide foi superior
a 90% na região norte do Estado. O amitraz teve, em média, eficácia superior a 90% nas regiões
sudeste e noroeste. Constatou-se a baixa eficiência que vêm tendo atualmente os produtos
piretróides sobre cepas de Boophilus microplus provenientes de várias regiões do Estado de São Paulo.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Boophilus microplus, piretróides, organofosforados, amitraz, resistência.
INTRODUCTION
Boophilus microplus is an ectoparasite that causes
great harm to susceptible bovines, due to its spoliatory
effects and its hemoparasites vectorial hability,
producing great economic losses (VERÍSSIMO, 1993).
There is no official policy about tick control in
bovines in Brazil. Farmers adopt individual control
practices which can become a significant part of the
production costs for both milk and meat production.
These parasites can be chemically controlled using
strategic applications based on epidemiologic
surveys. This can lead to great advantages such as
lower operational and medical costs and lower
toxicological risks at the farms. Nevertheless,
according to the study made by ROCHA et al., 1999, at
Lavras, Minas Gerais State, the majority of producers
know the existence of the strategic control but do not
use this technology. At these farms, tick control is
done based on “traditional” forms, using the acaricide
products intensively and unorganized, 12 to 24 times
per year. This inadequate use of the acaricides, besides
representing economic waste, favors the selection of
resistant ticks (LEITE, 1988).
To date there have been more than 45 reports from
Australia, Africa, Asia and South America showing
Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, SP
Departamento de Apoio, Produção e Saúde Animal - Curso de Medicina Veterinária – UNESP, Araçatuba, SP
4
Laboratório de Sanidade Animal e Vegetal de Pindamonhangaba - Instituto Biológico, Pindamonhangaba, SP
2
3
Arq. Inst. Biol., São Paulo, v.68, n.2, p.23-27, jul./dez., 2001
23
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M.C. Mendes et al.
different degrees of resistance of B. microplus to
organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids and amitraz
(MARTINS et al., 1999).
In Brazil, the reports of tick resistance to these
chemicals have indicated the lower efficacy of
pyrethroid products (VIEIRA et al., 1998; SILVA et al.,
1999; CHAVES & COSTA JUNIOR, 1999; GOMES et al., 1999;
ALVES-BRANCO et al., 1999; FARIAS et al., 1999; SOUZA et
al., 1999).
Acaricide sensitivity data obtained from some
parts of São Paulo state has shown a sensitivity profile
analogous to that observed in other Brazilian states
(MENDES, 1994; MURAKAMI & SILVA, 1997; OLIVEIRA &
FREITAS, 1998; SOARES et al., 1999).
The present work aimed to analyze the sensitivity
of Boophilus microplus tick from different regions of São
Paulo State to the chemical groups organophosphates,
pyrethroids, amitraz, as well as to investigate the
association between organophosphates and
pyrethroid.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Boophilus microplus samples were collected on
dairy and beef farms, located in different regions of
São Paulo State, from the years 1977 to 1999: a) region
known as Vale do Paraíba (ten properties, being three
at the city of Pindamonhangaba, 22°9’S - 45°4’W;
three at Jacareí, 23°3’S - 45°9’W; and one at Caçapava,
23°1’S - 45°7’W; Lorena, 22°7’S - 45°1’W; Santa Branca, 23°3’S - 45°8’W; and Mogi das Cruzes, 23°5’S 46°1’W; cities.); b) the Southern Region (four properties
at the cities of Campinas, 22°9’S - 47°W; Porto Feliz,
23°2’S - 47°5’W; Nova Odessa, 22°7’S - 47°2’W; and
Americana, 22°7’S - 47°3’W) c) the North Region (four
properties being at the cities of São José do Rio Preto,
20°8’S- 49°3’W; Colina, 20°7’S- 48°5’W; Mococa, 21°4’S
- 47° W; and Araraquara, 21°7’S - 48°1’W.) d) the
Northwest (nine properties, seven located at Araçatuba,
21°2’S - 50°4’W; city and the others located at Birigui,
21°2’S - 50°3’W; and Guararapes 21°2’S - 50°6’W.).
Samples were separated into groups of ten engorged
females each, weighed and labeled with the total
weight of the ticks, the product name, the property
name and date.
Each group was immersed in the different
acaricides diluted in water, following the
manufacturer's recommendations, for an interval of
five minutes, except for the cypermethrin and
deltamethrin products (ten minutes). The products
used were based on the following principles: amitraz,
pyrethroids (deltamethrin, cypermethrin, lambda
cyalothrin, alfamethrin and alfa cypermethrin),
organophosphates (coumaphos) and the association
between pyrethroid and organophosphates
(clorfenvinphos plus cypermethrin). After the
immersion period, the engorged females were
recovered by passage through plastic filter and dried
on paper towel. These ticks were placed on petri’s
dishes and incubated at 27-28 oC, 85%-95% relative
humidity, for two weeks. After the 15th day the batches
of eggs were collected and weighed. These eggs were
placed in glass tubes sealed with a cotton plug and
kept under the same conditions described above during
the whole incubation period; in this way, it was
possible to determinate the hatching percentage for
each egg mass.
The data obtained with the egg batches from the
experimental group and the control group was used
to calculate the Reproductive Efficiency (ER) and the
Product Efficacy (EP) using the following formulas,
by DRUMMOND et al. (1973).
Reproductive
Efficiency (ER) =
Egg weight x hatching x 20 000
Weight of females
Product
ER (control) - ER (experimental) x 100
Efficacy (EP)=
ER (control)
For the statistical analyses of the data the Variance
Analysis and Tukey’s Test were used.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The mean values of efficacy for each acaricide at
the different regions studied are shown in Figures 1,
2, 3 and 4. Generalizing, it has been shown that the
pyrethroids’ efficacies were lower than 50% in all
evaluated regions. The association between the
organophosphates and pyrethroid had the mean
efficacy higher than 90% in the North region, and
amitraz had a mean efficacy higher than 90% in the
Northwest and Southern regions.
The efficacies of the acaricides tested on ticks from
the Southern and Vale do Paraíba regions were lower
than those found with the same products tested on
ticks from the North and Northwest regions. This fact
may be due to the high predominance of zebuine cattle
in North and Northwest regions, leading to a lower
acaricide use, when compared with Southeast and
Vale do Paraíba regions where the cattle have a higher
degree of European bovine genotype, and
consequently, higher sensitivity to Boophilus microplus,
requiring more acaricide treatments, which in turn
leads to the selection for resistance to the acaricides.
The variance analysis (Table 1) of the North region
showed a significant difference (p<0.05) between
Arq. Inst. Biol., São Paulo, v.68, n.2, p.23-27, jul./dez., 2001
Bioassays for measuring the acaricides susceptibility of cattle tick
Boophilus microplus (Canestrini, 1887) in São Paulo State, Brazil.
25
Table 1 - Mean efficacy of the acaricide products.
Coumaphos(%)
North Region
Northwest Region
Southern Region
Vale do Paraíba
79.285ab
75.687 ***a
57.01 ab
63.94 ab
Amitraz(%)
Organophosphates +Pyrethroid(%)
81.415 *a
93.068 *** a
95.825 ** a
74.44 **a
Pyrethroids(%)
94.4 *a
83.903 ***a
66.266 ab
87.91*** a
42.18 b
33.36 b
20.509 b
37.55 b
Different letters mean (* p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001)
Northwest Region
100
80
Percentages
Percentages
North Region
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
60
40
20
0
Coumaphos
Amitraz
Pyretroid +
Organophosphate
Coumaphos
Pyretroid
Pyretroid +
Organophosphate
Pyretroid
Products
Products
Mean
Amitraz
Mean
SD
SD
Fig. 2 - In vitro efficacy of acaricides on Boophilus
microplus from Northwest region of São Paulo State,
Brazil.
Southern Region
Vale do Paraíba
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Percentages
Percentages
Fig. 1 - In vitro efficacy of acaricides on Boophilus
microplus from North region of São Paulo State, Brazil.
Coumaphos
Amitraz
Pyretroid +
Organophosphate
Pyretroid
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Coumaphos
Amitraz
Pyretroid +
Organophosphate
Products
Products
Mean
Mean
SD
Pyretroid
SD
Fig. 3 - In vitro efficacy of acaricides on Boophilus
microplus from Southern region of São Paulo State,
Brazil.
Fig. 4 - In vitro efficacy of acaricides on Boophilus
microplus from Vale do Paraíba region of São Paulo
State, Brazil.
amitraz and pyrethroids group; and the association
of organophosphates and pyrethroid.
In the Northwest the difference was highly
significant (p<0.001) among the groups treated with
coumaphos, amitraz, and the association of pyrethroid
with organophosphates, compared with the
pyrethroid treated group.
Ticks proceeding from Southern region and Vale
do Paraíba showed significant difference (p<0,01)
between treatments with pyrethroids and amitraz.
Samples from Vale do Paraiba only showed high
significance difference (p<0.001) when treated with
pyrethroid acaricides compared to the association
organophosphates and pyrethroids.
The synthetic pyrethroids were introduced to the
Brazilian market in the 1980’s and they have been
used with high efficacy by various authors in
laboratory, field and stable tests (MASSARD et al., 1982;
STENDEL, 1980; DAVEY et al., 1982; DAVEY & AHRENS,
1984; GRISI & ROCHA, 1985; SOSA, 1985; PEREIRA & LUCAS,
1987). However, Leite (1988) had already
demonstrated a decrease in the sensitivity of some B.
microplus strains originating from Rio de Janeiro State,
as a result, mainly, of the intense and incorrect use of
these products.
Our results are in agreement with those obtained
by various authors from São Paulo State (MURAKAMI &
SILVA, 1987; OLIVEIRA & FREITAS, 1998; SOARES et al.,1999)
Arq. Inst. Biol., São Paulo, v.68, n.2, p.23-27, jul./dez., 2001
26
M.C. Mendes et al.
and from other Brazilian States (VIEIRA et al.,1998;
SILVA et al.,1999; CHAVES & COSTA JÚNIOR, 1999; GOMES
et al.,1999; ALVES-BRANCO et al.,1999; SOUZA et al.; 1999)
showing the low efficacy of the chemical group of
pyrethroids on B. microplus strains from some São
Paulo State regions.
Further tests (larval packet test) are necessary to
measure the degree of resistance.
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Received on 5/12/00
Accepted on 15/8/01
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