7. Prevention and control of tick-borne anaplasmosis, cowdriosis and babesiosis in the cattle industry

Ticks have a tremendous impact on cattle production worldwide. Economic losses caused by tick infestation are due to direct effects like less milk production and less gain in body weight, costs for application of control measures, which in most cases is based on the application of acaricides, and the losses due to tick-borne diseases. A variety of tick-borne pathogens are responsible for significant losses due to morbidity and mortality, veterinary and diagnostic costs, vaccines and trade restrictions. In this chapter we describe tick-borne diseases of cattle caused by three different groups of pathogens in order to emphasize the challenges currently faced in their control. Antigenic and genetic heterogeneity of each of these pathogens is challenging the attempts of specifically controlling the related disease, and precise diagnostic or vaccine development is hampered. As different tick species are involved as the main transmitting vectors, the development of tick vaccines is likewise challenging. With the exception of the Bm86 gut antigen used against the two main Rhipicephalus tick species transmitting Babesia bovis and Babesia bigemina, this strategy is thus far not working with any other tick species. Currently the best protection of the cattle industry against tick-borne diseases is a combination of various measures, which have to be adapted to the particular situation and to consider all possibilities including chemical tick control, grazing management, and breeding for host resistance to ticks.