Thesis
Role of tick prevention in the transmission of tick-borne diseases among people and dogs: assessing the efficacy of Sarolaner in reducing tick-borne disease exposure
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Summer 2022
DOI: 10.25820/etd.006435
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBD) are emerging and continue to affect humans and animals. Diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis are the most prevalent emerging TBDs in the United States. The most effective One Health approach in preventing tick-borne diseases is to prevent ticks from coming in contact or embedding on humans and animals. Limiting the time ticks stay attached may be related to the ability of the tick to transmit a TBD. Sarolaner is a recently developed type of acaricide for dogs that provides month-long protection against tick bites and kills the tick upon embedding. A 1.5 year randomized-control trial was conducted using two groups of hunting dog populations. In each group of dogs, half were randomized into a placebo and sarolaner treatment group. Each month during the duration of the study, dogs were given placebo or sarolaner. Blood samples were taken every 3 months and were used with a 4Dx SNAP Test to report serological exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp. A survival analysis was conducted to estimate the reduced risk of exposure to TBD between treatment and placebo groups. The hazard ratio for this analysis was 0.3935 (95% CI:0.1436-1.078, p-value=0.07). Though this result was not statistically significant, it is suggestive of sarolaner having a protective effect. More research is needed to better understand the direct relationship between tick-bite prevention strategies and TBD transmission.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Role of tick prevention in the transmission of tick-borne diseases among people and dogs: assessing the efficacy of Sarolaner in reducing tick-borne disease exposure
- Creators
- Tyler Baccam
- Contributors
- Christine A Petersen (Advisor)Margaret L Chorazy (Committee Member)Grant D Brown (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Epidemiology
- Date degree season
- Summer 2022
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.006435
- Number of pages
- vii, 36 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2022 Tyler Baccam
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 33-36).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Tick-borne diseases are an emerging threat to public health in the United States. Ticks are capable of spreading pathogenic organisms that cause disease for humans and animals. Tick prevention strategies are used to prevent the tick from coming into contact with a host. Tick prevention seems effective in reducing the ticks’ interactions with humans and animals. Modelling how well tick prevention reduces tick-borne disease exposure can better help emphasize the importance of tick prevention as the primary prevention strategy against tick-borne diseases. In a model using a cohort of hunting dogs and the tick prevention drug sarolaner (Simperica, Zoetis), we estimate the efficacy of sarolaner in reducing tick-borne disease exposure. Dogs were split into a sarolaner treatment group and placebo group then screened for 1.5 years for their exposure the tick-borne diseases Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis. Sarolaner use in dogs had a strong reduction of tick-borne disease exposure. Sarolaner seems to trend towards reducing tick-borne disease exposure in dogs, however future studies are needed to confirm these results. Use of sarolaner is beneficial to reduce tick-borne disease exposure in dogs, which is beneficial for humans in pet owning households. Tick prevention for both humans and animals are needed to best reduce the exposure to tick-borne diseases.
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology
- Record Identifier
- 9984285154502771
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