Modeling the Argasid Tick (Ornithodoros moubata) Life Cycle

Sara M Clifton; Courtney L Davis; Samantha Erwin; Gabriela Hamerlinck; Amy Veprauskas; Yangyang Wang; Wenjing Zhang; Holly Gaff

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-98083-6_4

Book chapter

Modeling the Argasid Tick (Ornithodoros moubata) Life Cycle

Sara M Clifton, Courtney L Davis, Samantha Erwin, Gabriela Hamerlinck, Amy Veprauskas, Yangyang Wang, Wenjing Zhang and Holly Gaff

Understanding Complex Biological Systems with Mathematics, pp.63-87

Association for Women in Mathematics Series, Springer International Publishing

10/25/2018

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-98083-6_4

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Abstract

The first mathematical models for an argasid tick are developed to explore the dynamics and identify knowledge gaps of these poorly studied ticks. These models focus on Ornithodoros moubata, an important tick species throughout Africa and Europe. Ornithodoros moubata is a known vector for African swine fever (ASF), a catastrophically fatal disease for domesticated pigs in Africa and Europe. In the absence of any previous models for soft-bodied ticks, we propose two mathematical models of the life cycle of O. moubata. One is a continuous-time differential equation model that simplifies the tick life cycle to two stages, and the second is a discrete-time difference equation model that uses four stages. Both models use two host types: small hosts and large hosts, and both models find that either host type alone could support the tick population and that the final tick density is a function of host density. While both models predict similar tick equilibrium values, we observe significant differences in the time to equilibrium. The results demonstrate the likely establishment of these ticks if introduced into a new area even if there is only one type of host. These models provide the basis for developing future models that include disease states to explore infection dynamics and possible management of ASF.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Modeling the Argasid Tick (Ornithodoros moubata) Life Cycle
Creators: Sara M Clifton - Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
Courtney L Davis - Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, USA
Samantha Erwin - Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
Gabriela Hamerlinck - BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium, Inc., Madison, USA
Amy Veprauskas - Mathematics Department, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, USA
Yangyang Wang - Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Wenjing Zhang - Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA
Holly Gaff - Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, USA
Resource Type: Book chapter
Publication Details: Understanding Complex Biological Systems with Mathematics, pp.63-87
Series: Association for Women in Mathematics Series
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-98083-6_4
eISSN: 2364-5741
ISSN: 2364-5733
Publisher: Springer International Publishing; Cham
Language: English
Date published: 10/25/2018
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Mathematics
Record Identifier: 9984065367502771

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