Purchased by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, for Official use.

Veterinary Parasitology, 18 (1985) 367--373 367

Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

Short Communication

T I C K S O N L I V E S T O C K I N ST. L U C I A

G.I. GARRIS' and K. SCOTLAND 2

1Agricultural Research Service, Lone Star Tick Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 588,
Poteau, OK 74953 (U.S.A.)
2 Veterinary Unit, Ministry of Agriculture, Castries (St. Lucia)
(Accepted for publication 6 June 1985)

ABSTRACT

Garris, G.I. and Scotland, K., 1985. Ticks on livestock in St. Lucia. Vet. ParasitoL,
18 : 367--373.

Cattle, sheep, goats and horses were examined for ticks. Over 95% of Holstein cross-
breeds, 28% of sheep (local mixed breeds) and 18% of goats (local mixed breeds) ex-
amined from 18 August to 4 September 1983 were infested with the southern cattle
tick, Boophilus microplus Canestrini. About 90 and 17% of the horses examined were
infested with the tropical horse tick, Anocentor nitens Neumann, and the tropical bont
tick, Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius, respectively. The tropical bont tick was found
infesting 10% of cattle in the Gros Islet area of St. Lucia. The tropical bont tick was
also found associated with a severe skin disease, dermatophilosls, caused by the bac-
terium Dermatophilus congolensis, in 54% of the cattle infested by A. variegatum in
the Gros Islet and Dauphin areas of St. Lucia.

INTRODUCTION

T i c k s a n d t i c k - b o r n e diseases are a m a j o r cause o f losses t o t h e l i v e s t o c k

i n d u s t r y and, in s o m e cases, are a m a j o r f a c t o r l i m i t i n g l i v e s t o c k p r o d u c t i o n
( D r u m m o n d et al., 1 9 7 8 ) . O f t h e t i c k - b o r n e livestock diseases, t h r e e are o f
e c o n o m i c i m p o r t a n c e in the C a r i b b e a n : b o v i n e a n a p l a s m o s i s ; b o v i n e piro-
p l a s m o s i s (babesiosis); a n d h e a r t w a t e r . T h e m o s t severe o f t h e s e diseases is
h e a r t w a t e r , a r i c k e t t s i a l disease, caused b y C o w d r i a r u m i n a n t i u m . In Africa,
Amblyomma variegatum F a b r i c i u s , t h e t r o p i c a l b o n t tick, is an e f f i c i e n t
v e c t o r o f h e a r t w a t e r (Uilenberg, 1982).
H e a r t w a t e r has b e e n d i a g n o s e d in g o a t s in G u a d e l o u p e ( P e r r e a u e t al.,
1 9 8 0 ) a n d M a r i a GAl~nte ( U i l e n b e r g et al., 1 9 8 4 ) , and in g o a t s a n d c a t t l e
in A n t i g u a (M.J. B u r r i d g e e t al., p e r s o n a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n , 1984). A . varie-
g a t u m o c c u r s o n several islands in t h e C a r i b b e a n , i n c l u d i n g St. Lucia, a n d is
p r e s u m e d to b e t h e v e c t o r o f h e a r t w a t e r in G u a d e l o u p e , Maria G a l a n t e a n d
A n t i g u a ( U i l e n b e r g e t al., 1984). T h e i m p a c t t h a t this disease c o u l d h a v e o n
a n i m a l p r o d u c t i o n in t h e C a r i b b e a n a n d in t h e U.S.A. is o f c o n s i d e r a b l e
368

concern (Uilenberg, 1982). Fortunately, heartwater has not been f o u n d to

occur in St. Lucia. However, dermatophilosis, caused by the bacterium
Dermatophilus congolensis, does occur in St. Lucia and is associated with
the tick A. variegatum (Butler, 1975). Dermatophilosis is a disease o f severe
economic importance in many of the third world countries, and is a major
cause of ill-health and death in small and large ruminant animals (Hyslop,
1980). In Puerto Rico, during a survey conducted in 1978 (Anonymous),
92 herds were found to be infested with A. variegatum ticks. Of these 92
herds, 59 herds (64%) were classified as being severely infected with D.
congolensis, and in one herd, 46 (50%) infected animals died.
There is little information on the ticks which may occur on livestock in
St. Lucia. Although Butler (1975) gave some information on ticks infesting
livestock on part of the island, no island-wide surveys have been conducted.
Without information on the distribution and species of ticks on livestock in
St. Lucia, decisions by individuals or governments to control, or a t t e m p t
eradication of, a tick species (i.e., A. variegatum) would not be practical. To
provide more complete information, a survey of most areas of St. Lucia was
carried o u t in August 1983. The results of that survey are presented in this
paper.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Livestock in various locations on the ca. 616 km 2 island of St. Lucia were
examined for ticks daily from 18 August to 4 September 1983. The interior
of the island was n o t extensively surveyed for ticks on livestock because of
the extremely mountainous terrain, its inaccessibility by road, and its un-
suitability for livestock production. At each collection--examination site,
cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and an occasional d o n k e y or dog were examined
for ticks.
On cattle, goats, sheep and donkeys the axillae, udder or scrotum, and
belly were examined for ticks. On horses the ears, nasal diverticulae and
manes were examined as thoroughly as possible, depending on the tem-
perament o f the individual animal. On dogs the ears, the area at the junction
of the shoulders of the front legs, and the area in between the toes of each
f o o t were examined for ticks.
Because it was not practical to remove all ticks from each animal ex-
amined, a representative sample o f all stages o f ticks f o u n d on a proportion
of all the animals in each herd was collected, and placed in separate labeled
collection vials. Ticks were killed in 70% alcohol, and identified to species.
At each collection site, from 1 to all livestock present were examined. Since
only a representative sample was taken from each animal, qo a t t e m p t was
made to estimate the total parasitic population of each infestation on in-
dividual animals.
 369

RESULTS

The location and type o f animal examined, and the ticks species found,
are shown in Fig. 1. Collection sites of A. variegatum from cattle in tick-
positive quarters (municipal divisions) are presented in Table I. All cattle
examined in these areas were multi-purpose animals, primarily of a Holstein
crossbred variety (Holstein crossed with Red Poll, Brahman, Guernsey and
mixed breeds).
All cattle that were found infested with A. variegatum were tethered
individually on small plots of land. Most cattle infested with A. variegatum
were owned by individual families who customarily kept from 1 to 5 cows,
primarily for meat and calves. A b o u t 54% of the cattle infested with A.
variegatum and located in the northern end of the island also had dermato-
philosis. There were no cases o f dermatophilosis in other areas o f the island.
No A. variegatum ticks were found on goats, sheep or dogs. Only one

oBM

BM

• tiNt

AN

A AN

• UNI

O BM

• UNI

am,
G
uee~
G

Fig. 1. M a p o f St. Lucia s h o w i n g t h e m u n i c i p a l q u a r t e r s , a n d t h e c o l l e c t i o n sites o f ticks

b y h o s t animal. BM = Boophilus microplus C a n e s t r i n i ; A N = Anocentor nitens N e u m a n n ;
A V = Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius.
370

immature form of this tick, a n y m p h , was collected from a cow in the Gros
Islet area.
Collections o f Boophilus microplus Canestrini from cattle, sheep and
goats in the 11 quarters of St. Lucia are also presented in Table I. Cattle in
all areas o f the island were infested with B. microplus, including the north-
ern end where A. variegatum was also found.
Infestations o f B. microplus on sheep and goats were f o u n d around or
in the ears and axillae; rams were also infested in the scrotal area. On cattle,
ticks were f o u n d infesting all parts o f the body.
Eight dogs surveyed in St. Lucia were infested with the brown dog tick,
Rhipicephalus sanguineus Latreille, which seems to be widespread on the
island. One dog examined in M o n c h y was also infested with the southern
cattle tick; 2 n y m p h s were collected from the axillary area of the hind
legs of a female yard dog.
While no ticks o f any kind were f o u n d o n the 6 donkeys examined, 22
of the 2 4 horses examined were infested with the tropical horse tick, Der-
macentor (= Anocentor) nitens Neumann. Some (see Fig. 1) o f the horses
were also infested with the tropical b o n t tick.

TABLE I

C o l l e c t i o n s o f Amblyomma variegatum Fabricius and Boophilus microplus Canestrini

f r o m cattle, goats and sheep in the 11 municipal quarters o f St. Lucia

Host No. herds Total animals No. animals

examined in herds a infested with:

AV b BM c

Gros Islet d
Cattle 13 95 (41) 22 e 41
Goats 3 27 (9) 0 1

Dauphin
Cattle 13 44 (40) 4f 35
Goats 1 5 (3) 0 2
Sheep 3 9 (9) 0 8

Castriesd, g
Cattle 11 56 (53) 0 48

A n s e La R a y e d'g
Cattle 10 64 (25) h 0 25

Soufri~re d,g
Cattle 4 61 (25) 0 25

D e n n e r y d,g
Cattle 4 17 (14) 0 14
 371

TABLE I (continued)

Host No. herds Total animals No. animals

examined in herds a infested with:
AV b BM c

Praslind,g
Cattle 3 9 (6) 0 6

Micoud e
Cattle 7 401 (25) h 0 24
Sheep 1 52 (5) h 0 1

Choiseuld,g
Cattle 4 14 (7) 0 7

Laborie g
Cattle 2 12 (4) 0 4
Sheep 1 6 (2) 0 2

Vieux Fort g
Cattle 3 426+ (15) h 0 15
Sheep 4 149 (14) h 0 3

Total
Cattle 74 1199 (255) 26 244
Goats 6 39 (17) 0 3
Sheep 17 272 (50) 0 14

aNumber in parentheses is number of animals examined. Most animals examined were

tethered and their movement was restricted to a small plot of land.
bAV = A m b l y o m m a variegatum Fabricius.
CBM = Boophilus microplus Canestrini.
dSheep were examined, but no ticks found.
eThirteen animals exhibited signs of being infected with Dermatophilus congolensis, a
bacterial skin disease of cattle.
fOne animal appeared to be infected with 1). congolensis.
gGoats were examined, but no ticks found.
hFifty-five cattle in one herd at Anse La Raye were not tethered; 368 cattle in one herd
at Micoud were not tethered; 52 sheep in one herd at Micoud were not tethered; 400
cattle in one herd at Vieux Fort were not tethered; 100 sheep in one herd at Vieux
Fort were not tethered.

DISCUSSION

Amblyomma v a r i e g a t u m w a s f i r s t r e p o r t e d o n St. L u c i a b y B u t l e r ( 1 9 7 5 ) ,
and does not appear to have spread much from the Rodney Bay area where
it was originally f o u n d . However, because of a n i m a l m o v e m e n t ( p r i m a r i l y
h o r s e s , s h e e p a n d g o a t s ) , i t h a s s p r e a d as f a r s o u t h as t h e M a r i s u l e a r e a a n d
t h e U n i o n A g r i c u l t u r a l S t a t i o n ( a b o u t 6 m i l e s s o u t h w e s t o f R o d n e y Bay,
a n d in the Castries quarter). F o r example, there were 40 horses t h a t were
k e p t a t C a p E s t a t e , t h e n o r t h e r n e n d o f G r o s Islet, St. L u c i a . O f t h e s e 4 0
372

horses, 11 were examined and 3 o f these were f o u n d with A. variegatum

ticks. These animals are often ridden south from Cap Estate along well-
traveled horse trails to the R o d n e y Bay area (about 2 miles southwest), the
Marisule area (about 4 miles southwest), and the Ces-en-bas area (about 4
miles southeast). The infestation at the Union Agricultural Station (Cas-
tries) was also from a horse which had previously been on range at Cap
Estate.
Information supplied by local farmers in the R o d n e y Bay and Gros
Islet areas suggests that A. variegatum may be widespread t h r o u g h o u t
St. Lucia, from the Marisule area and Union northwards. Some farmers
range their livestock, primarily goats and sheep, from staked plots of land
on the communal grazing area near R o d n e y Bay in Gros Islet to areas at La
Feuillet (Gros Islet) and Monchy (Dauphin), which are about 2 miles north-
east of R o d n e y Bay. Although A. variegatum appears to have spread from
the area outlined by Butler (1975), it was not found in the middle or south-
ern farming areas in St. Lucia. This tick was found only in the northern
part o f St. Lucia.
In Puerto Rico goats, sheep and dogs are hosts for A. variegatum ticks
(G.I. Garris, unpublished data, 1984), and in Africa the tropical bont tick
has an extremely wide host range (Theiler, 1962). One of us (K.S.) has
f o u n d A. variegatum on dogs in the Gros Islet area, and Butler (1975) has
reported them on sheep and goats. In addition, this tick exhibits a seasonal
cycle in its parastic feeding habits (Hoogstraal, 1956). The adult forms are
more prevalent during the wet season, while immature forms are more
abundant during the dry season (Hoogstraal, 1956, Dipeolu, 1983, G.I.
Garris, personal observations, 1984). Since this survey was conducted during
the wet season (August), we did not expect to find large numbers of im-
mature forms on smaller domestic animals.
There are no available data on the incidence of bovine anaplasmosis or
bovine babesiosis (piroplasmosis) in St. Lucia. These two diseases are trans-
mitted by B. microplus. The incidence and distribution of these diseases
would complicate a successful control or eradication program (De Vos and
Potgieter, 1983; Norval et al., 1983); thus, additional information on the
prevalence of anaplasmosis and babesiosis in St. Lucia needs to be obtained.
Some female ticks of B. microplus (about 10%), found infesting sheep
and goats, were engorged with enough blood to allow the female to complete
the ovipositional cycle. It appears from this survey and others (Drummond
et al., 1981) that these ticks are able to complete their life cycle on these
animals, making it important to consider these hosts in a control or eradica-
tion program.
Tropical horse ticks are efficient vectors of equine babesiosis, but because
of the limited number o f horses in St. Lucia, the tropical horse tick is not
of economic importance. However, horses were found infested with the
tropical bont tick and, as such, should be considered when developing area
control or eradication programs against this tick.
 373

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors wish to thank Dr. Reginald E. Pierre, Director, Inter-Ameri-

can Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, St. Lucia, Dr. F. Alexander,
Animal Health Specialist, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on
Agriculture, Caribbean Area, and the staff of the Veterinary Unit, Ministry
of Agriculture, St. Lucia, for their help in this study. Funding was partially
provided by the Animal Health Program of the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture.

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