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Resistance of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus to fluazuron in Argentina

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Abstract

The aim of this work is to report the presence of resistance to fluazuron in a population of Rhipicephalus microplus in Argentina. The evidence was obtained from field and in vitro trials. In the field trial, cattle infested with ticks was treated with two commercial formulations of fluazuron. The in vitro trial (adult immersion test, AIT) was performed by using technical grade fluazuron. In the field trial, there were no significant differences between the treated and control groups between days 2 and 34 post-treatment. The only exceptions (treated group I in day 14 post-treatment, treated group II in days 23 and 29 post-treatment) had a significantly lower tick load than the untreated group, but the efficacy was not higher than 70%. Viable engorged females were collected on both groups of treated bovines in all counts, and the production of viable larvae was not precluded with the application of the two commercial formulations of fluazuron evaluated in this study. The results obtained with the in vitro assay (AIT) also indicate that the R. microplus population tested in this work has a higher level of resistance to fluazuron than another susceptible field strain. The integrated analysis of the field and in vitro trials clearly reveals the emergence of resistance to fluazuron in a R. microplus population from Argentina. This diagnosis of resistance does not imply that the fluazuron has lost its functionality at a regional scale, but it highlights the need to establish control strategies that minimize the use of this drug in order to preserve its functionality as an acaricide.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by INTA (PE-E5-I109), Asociación Cooperadora INTA Rafaela, Asociación Cooperadora INTA Mercedes, and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva de la Provincia de Santa Fe (PIO 2019 −121).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Jorgelina Torrents

  2. Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea (IDICAL, INTA-CONICET), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela (INTA E.E.A. Rafaela), CC 22, 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Macarena Sarli, Nicolas Morel, Alberto A. Guglielmone & Santiago Nava

  3. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Mercedes (INTA E.E.A. Mercedes), Mercedes, Corrientes, Argentina

    Nestor F. Sarmiento

  4. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Colonia Benítez (INTA E.E.A. Colonia Benítez), Colonia Benítez, Chaco, Argentina

    Maria V. Rossner

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  1. Jorgelina Torrents
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  2. Macarena Sarli
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  3. Nestor F. Sarmiento
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  4. Maria V. Rossner
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  5. Nicolas Morel
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  6. Alberto A. Guglielmone
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  7. Santiago Nava
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Correspondence to Santiago Nava.

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Torrents, J., Sarli, M., Sarmiento, N.F. et al. Resistance of the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus to fluazuron in Argentina. Exp Appl Acarol 86, 599–606 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10493-022-00713-y

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