title: Prophylactic treatment with flumethrin, a pyrethroid (Bayticol(®), Bayer), against Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in lambs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  [corrected] Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly Ehrlichia phagocytophila) causes the disease tick-borne fever (TBF) in domestic ruminants and has for decades been one of the main scourges for the sheep industry in the coastal areas of Norway. Current control strategies are based on reduction of tick infestation by chemical acaricides.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we investigated if frequent pour-on applications of pyrethroids would reduce tick infestion rate and seroprevalence of A. phagocytophilum infection in sheep. Forty lambs, one month old, of the Norwegian White Sheep breed were used. The lambs belonged to the experimental sheep flock at the Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences. None of the lambs had been on I. ricinus infested pasture before turnout (day 0). All lambs were twins and twenty lambs were treated with a pour-on pyrethroid (Bayticol(®), Bayer A/S, DK-2300) with a dose of 5 ml on days 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, 98, 112 and 128. Twenty lambs were untreated controls. The lambs were collected every fourteen days on pasture for treatment. In addition, the lambs were examined for ticks, blood sampled, weighed, and rectal temperature was recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant reduction in tick infestion rate was detected on treated lambs. However, the present results indicate that frequent acaricide treatment does not reduce the seroprevalence to A. phagocytophilum on tick-infested pasture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Kyrkjevegen 332/334, N-4325 Sandnes, Norway. Snorre.Stuen@nvh.no
authors.forename: Snorre
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stuen
authors.forename: Jörg M D
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Enemark
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Artursson
authors.forename: Bent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nielsen
mesh_terms: D056810:Acaricides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000662:veterinary; D018884:Ixodes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D015995:Prevalence; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D056810:Acaricides; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D011722:Pyrethrins; C041392:flumethrin