Does Rhipicephalus microplus tick infestation increase the risk for myiasis caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax in cattle?

Abstract

The larval phase of Cochliomyia hominivorax (screwworm) is an obligate parasite of vertebrate animals, particularly mammals, and widespread in South America, where it remains one of the most important parasitic diseases of domestic animals. The skin of cattle highly infested by ticks, with cutaneous lesions, exudation of tissue fluid and blood scent seems to produce the ideal environment for fly attraction. However, an association between these parasites was never investigated. The aim of this work was to verify if there is an association between Rhipicephalus microplus tick load and the occurrence of C. hominivorax myiasis in cattle, and to quantify the risk. Sixty bovine (Bos taurus taurus, Angus breed) under field conditions were observed for 24 weeks, during which weekly tick counts and examination for the presence of myiasis were performed. There was a significant association between a high tick burden (24-week mean above 50 ticks per animal) and myiasis occurrence (P=0.0102). The calculated relative risk (RR) for C. hominivorax myiasis occurrence in cattle with high tick burden was 3.85 (CI95%=1.23-12.13); indicating that cattle highly parasitized by R. microplus have about four times more risk of myiasis than those with a low parasite load. As far as we aware, this is the first statistically based evidence of the relationship between R. microplus parasitic load and occurrence of myiasis by C. hominivorax. This result could be useful for the design of integrated control strategies for these parasites and to provide more information for the understanding of cattle tick parasitism in cattle production.