Camelids vs ticks

Ticks attack many species of mammals. They are also observed in alpacas and other camelid species, however, there is very little information on the risk of alpaca infection with diseases transmitted by these parasites.

Ticks observed in alpacas belong to the family: Argasida (so-called ring-shaped, soft ticks) and Ixodidae (so-called tick-shaped, hard ticks). It is among the hard ticks that the main species of ticks are vectors for many dangerous diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis and Lyme disease. In Poland, ticks of the genus Ixodes and more and more often Dermacentor are cosmopolitan, especially the common tick (Ixodes ricinus) and the meadow tick (Dermacentor reticulatus). In other countries, even in European countries, ticks of other species may be the principal vectors, but usually of these two genera.

Diseases transmitted by soft ticks

Soft ticks are not as dangerous as hard ticks. They do not have a chitinous shell, they are more leather-like. They are found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, but in Europe you can meet one of the representatives - the dove (Argas reflexus). So far, it has not been found to attack alpacas (it is commonly considered a tick for pigeons, hence its name), but it can attack other species of animals, including mammals, including humans. It is emphasized that his bites are very painful, and in humans they can cause allergic reactions, sometimes very strong. In addition, it is mentioned as one of the vectors of tick-borne encephalitis (caused by a virus from the Favivirus family, abbreviated as TBEV) and Q fever (caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii). Alpacas have not yet been infected with the decongestive encephalitis virus, but Q fever can cause miscarriages and it has been reported to occur in alpacas (however, it is not known how the infection occurred and whether it was an edge). Furthermore, Q fever is a zoonosis (a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans), so fetuses should be postmortem autopsy to determine the cause of the miscarriage. Admittedly, not related to our region, but found in camelids, it is the so-called spinosa ear tick (Otobius megnini), which can cause otitis while living in the ear canals.

Diseases transmitted by hard ticks

The common tick is a vector of many diseases, often dangerous, attacking people and animals. There is not much information about which diseases are potentially dangerous to alpacas. Occasionally, a species of animal may become infected with a tick-borne virus or bacterium, but does not show symptoms. This is the case, for example, in deer. There are several reports of tick disease in alpacas which will be discussed below.

Anaplasmosis and mycoplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by rickettsiae of the genus Anaplasma, in alpacas it is usually the species Anaplasma phagocytophilium. It is considered a tropical and subtropical disease, but is also found in temperate countries. After entering the host's body, bacteria attack its red blood cells, causing anemia. It is called tick-borne fever. The vector is many species of ticks, including the common tick. In infected alpacas the following are observed: fever (even above 40 ° C), weight loss, colic, weakness and more frequent dependence, sometimes even inability to keep the head up, tachycardia and increased breaths / minute, may appear bloating, loss of appetite and ascites. There were also cases of miscarriages. Sometimes a mixed infection is observed: analpasmosis and mycoplasmosis (caused by the bacteria Mycoplasma haemolamae), also affecting red blood cells, with symptoms similar to anaplasmosis. The diseases are usually not fatal as long as treatment is instituted, and in some cases hospitalized as well.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is a dangerous disease primarily for humans. It is caused by Borrelia spp. Usually B. burgdorferi, B. garinii and B. afzelii. Vectors are ticks of the genus Ixodes, in Poland - common tick. Lyme disease occurs primarily in the northern hemisphere. According to some estimates, even more than 50% of ticks may be carriers of spirochetes. Interestingly, many species of mammals can get sick, but not all of them develop the disease. It is known that, for example, horses, cattle, dogs, cats, humans can suffer from Lyme disease, but the presence of antibodies has been found in many other species (including deer, cattle, small ruminants, horses, AND alpacas, llamas, camels). This means that alpacas can become infected with tick borreliosis, but it is not known whether the disease can develop. In animals in the course of Lyme disease, there is no characteristic erythema, as in humans. The most common symptoms are fever, joint pain and swelling, migrating muscle and joint pain, various eye diseases, weight loss, neurological symptoms due to encephalitis (e.g. head rotation, ataxia, paralysis, hypersensitivity to touch), loss of coat tick bite, glomerulonephritis and miscarriage. Lyme disease has also been classified as zoonosis. Borrelia were found in the urine, saliva, semen or milk of sick animals (even those that had no symptoms), so there is a risk of human infection. The disease, although it can affect farm animals, including alpacas, is very rare in a clinical form, yet it can be dangerous.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is caused by intra-erythrocyte protozoa Babesia spp. It is found all over the world, it is dangerous to many animals, mainly dogs and cattle, in the past it even decimated some herds. There are many species of this protozoan, and in Great Britain alpacas have been infected by Babesia motasi and Babesia capreoli, but the disease is considered to be very rare and is not particularly dangerous to camelids. Protozoa attack red blood cells, so the primary symptom will be anemia, the breakdown of the red blood cells. There is also fever, apathy, lack of appetite, and over time - jaundice. As a result of the breakdown of erythrocytes, the work of internal organs - kidneys and liver - is disturbed. Fortunately, the clinical form of the disease very rarely develops in camelids.

Theileria spp

Protozoa species of the genus Theileria can cause various human and animal diseases (sheep and cattle teileriosis, East African fever). It gives symptoms similar to babesiosis. They are sometimes found in camelids (e.g. T. ovis and T. recondite), but so far have not been found to be symptomatic.

Sheep louping-ill

It is a disease caused by the encephalitis virus, louping ill virus. The disease occurs mainly in the British Isles, its vector is ticks. There have been cases of alpacas and llamas suffering from this disease in Great Britain. The first symptom is fever which subsides and after a few asymptomatic days the remaining symptoms of the disease appear. The most specific symptom is the so-called leaping behavior, i.e. characteristic bouncing of sick animals. The virus attacks the brain, so other neurological symptoms are also seen, such as head and neck tremors, impaired coordination, and difficulty swallowing. The animals are weakened, there may be miscarriages or births of weak cria with neurological symptoms. There have been no fatalities among alpacas and llamas, but the animals require a long recovery period. The disease can be fatal in sheep.

Other dangers related to the effects of ticks on the body

Ticks are dangerous to animals not only because of the transmission of disease-causing pathogens. As a parasite, it harms the host's organism by itself. A very intense infestation by the blood-sucking parasite may contribute to anemia. It is true that in adult animals there is no such risk, the smaller the organism, the more sensitive to the large number of parasites that drink its blood. Sometimes, although very rarely, tick-borne paralysis may appear. It is caused by the action of the toxins contained in the tick's saliva. Both Ixodes and Dermacentor ticks can cause paralysis, but this only occurs with severe infestation (a very large number of ticks on the animal's body). The first symptom is hind limb paralysis, followed by quadriplegia and drooling. If the treatment is started before the paralysis affects all limbs, there is a good chance of recovery. Sometimes the action of toxins at the site of the tick bite causes the fiber to fall out, and the skin becomes red and sensitive to sunlight. Reddened places should be covered with a fatty protective cream. The most important thing is to remove the ticks as soon as possible to limit further toxins from entering the alpaca's body.

Protection against ticks

Outside the host organism, ticks live on grasses and shrubs. They mainly attack warm-blooded animals (birds and mammals). Winters in Poland are becoming milder, which means that the season for ticks now lasts all year round. After entering the host's body, the tick can wander over it until it finds the most convenient place (warm, with soft, thin skin, where blood vessels are easily accessible), where it clings. Therefore, ticks can often be found in the ears or groin. Theoretically, the passage of pathogens from the body of the tick into the host's bloodstream is said to occur at the earliest 24 hours after attachment, but in practice, the sooner the parasite is removed, the better. You must not squeeze the tick, lubricate it with various substances, or set it on fire. There are special pliers for pulling the ticks, it is important that it is removed completely, leaving the head on can cause secondary purulent bacterial infections and is difficult to remove. As people, fearing ticks, we use a lot of repellants to protect us from ticks and other unpleasant insects during walks. We also protect our dogs by using collars or preparations squeezed onto the skin. In the case of alpacas, their lush coat significantly reduces the possibility of noticing ticks, and they are usually visible during shearing. Unfortunately, due to the fact that alpacas do not produce lanolin, the use of pour on preparations or dog anti-tick collars is rather ineffective (besides, it is not known whether the active substances contained in the collars are safe for alpacas, some of them can also damage the skin and fiber. ). The active substances will not be spread over the skin, so they will not be effective against parasites. A solution may be to spray the walls or floors with insect repellent, but this is not ideal. They are highly harmful substances, they cannot be used near places where animals eat or fodder is stored, i.e. also on pastures. It also does not solve the problem of walks with alpacas during which animals can "catch" a tick.

Unfortunately, there are currently no effective methods of protecting alpacas against ticks. The fact that camelids rarely get tick-borne diseases may be an advantage. Some sources say that fipronil (e.g. contained in anti-tick drops for dogs) is safe for alpacas, but an effective spreading method and a safe dose for this species should be sought. You can count on the appearance of some effective anti-tick preparations that can be used in alpacas soon.

The author of the text: mgr inż. Joanna Kapustka, Department of Animal Ethology and Hunting, University of Life Sciences in Lublin

Written on 11/23/2021

Photo sources: 1 https://pixabay.com/ 2 https://www.deviantart.com/ 3 https://www.ihd.pl/owady/#