Meeting report: Towards an effective, rational and sustainable approach for the control of cattle ticks in the neotropics

Abstract

Ticks and transmitted pathogens constitute a major burden for cattle industry in the Neotropics. To address this limitation, the Spanish Ibero-American Program of Science and Technology in Development office (CYTED) supported from 2018 a network of scientists named "LaGar" (CYTED code 118RT0542) aimed at optimizing the control strategies of cattle ticks in the neotropical region. As part of network activities, a meeting and course were organized on 4-8 November 2019 in Querétaro, Mexico to address the objective of developing the infrastructure necessary for an effective, sustainable (i.e., combination of efficacious acaricides with anti-tick vaccines) and rational (i.e., considering tick ecology, seasonal dynamics and cattle-wildlife interactions) control of cattle tick infestations and transmitted pathogens. The course was focused on scientists, students, cattle holders and producers and pharmaceutical/industry representatives. In this way the course addressed the different views presented by participants with the conclusion of producing a research-driven combination of different interventions for the control of tick tick-borne diseases.