Towards a new phenotype for tick resistance in beef and dairy cattle : a review

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Burrow, H. M., Mans, B. J., Cardoso, F. F., Birkett, M. A., Kotze, A. C., Hayes, B. J., Mapholi, N., Dzama, K., Marufu, M. C., Githaka, N. F. and Djikeng, A. 2019. Towards a new phenotype for tick resistance in beef and dairy cattle : a review. Animal Production Science. 59 (8), pp. 1401-1427. https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18487

AuthorsBurrow, H. M., Mans, B. J., Cardoso, F. F., Birkett, M. A., Kotze, A. C., Hayes, B. J., Mapholi, N., Dzama, K., Marufu, M. C., Githaka, N. F. and Djikeng, A.
Abstract

About 80% of the world’s cattle are affected by ticks and tick borne diseases, both of which cause significant production losses. Cattle host resistance to ticks is the most important factor affecting the economics of tick control, but it is largely neglected in tick-control programs due to technical difficulties and costs associated with identifying individual animal variation in resistance. The present paper reviews the scientific literature to identify factors affecting resistance of cattle to ticks and the biological mechanisms of host tick resistance, to develop alternative phenotype(s) for tick resistance. If new cost-effective phenotype(s) can be developed and validated, then tick resistance of cattle could be genetically improved using genomic selection, and incorporated into breeding objectives to simultaneously improve cattle productive attributes and tick resistance. The phenotype(s) could also be used to improve tick control by using cattle management. On the basis of the present review, it is recommended that three possible phenotypes (haemolytic analysis; measures of skin hypersensitivity reactions; simplified artificial tick infestations) be further developed to determine their practical feasibility for consistently, cost-effectively and reliably measuring cattle tick resistance in thousands of individual animals in commercial and smallholder farmer herds in tropical and subtropical areas globally. During evaluation of these potential new phenotypes, additional measurements should be included to determine the possibility of developing a volatile-based resistance phenotype, to simultaneously improve cattle resistance to both ticks and biting flies. Because the current measurements of volatile chemistry do not satisfy the requirements of a simple, cost-effective phenotype for use in commercial cattle herds, consideration should also be given to inclusion of potentially simpler measures to enable indirect genetic selection for volatile-based resistance to ticks.

KeywordsBlood parameters; Host resistance; Immune response; Skin hypersensitivity; Tick count; Volatiles
Year of Publication2019
JournalAnimal Production Science
Journal citation59 (8), pp. 1401-1427
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1071/AN18487
Open accessPublished as green open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Funder project or codeDeveloping a New Tool for Phenotyping Tick Resistance in Cattle
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online04 Jul 2019
Publication process dates
Accepted03 Mar 2019
PublisherCSIRO Publishing
ISSN1836-0939

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