Tick your biosecurity plan off the list

Cattle tick is one of the Australian red meat industry’s most expensive endemic parasites. It’s estimated to cost around $135 million annually in lost productivity and control programs, with European breeds most susceptible.

Tick fever  Besides its general impact on herd productivity, cattle tick can transmit a protozoan disease called Babaesiosis (tick fever). This Future Beef article provides useful information on how to identify this serious disease and what actions to take.  For advice on tick fever prevention, treatment, and tick control strategies, consult:  Biosecurity Queensland: 13 25 23 Your local veterinarian  Learn more about tick fever on the TickBoss website or visit the www.business.qld.gov.au and search for ‘tick fever’.

Identifying and monitoring for cattle tick 

Infestation with cattle tick usually occurs within the cattle tick-infested zone which spreads across regions of Queensland, NT and WA.

In areas where ticks are endemic, the numbers peak during late spring and summer – but cattle ticks can lay viable eggs all year round in northern Queensland. 

To identify cattle tick infestations, producers should be on the lookout for the following: 

• engorged female ticks (pea to blueberry size) are visible, particularly around the neck, brisket, flanks and between the hind legs  
• licking and rubbing at the bite sites (‘tick worry’)
• tick sores and ulceration
• pale gums and membranes around the eyes due to anaemia
• lack of energy, loss of condition and even death. 

For more guidance, learn more about how and when to count cattle tick.  

If you find ticks but are unsure of the species, use the TickBoss quick guide to identify them. If you are still unsure, ask your veterinarian, local Biosecurity Officer or professional service provider for help. 

If you have an infestation, evaluate it to determine the best course of action. If tick numbers are low, and you are at the end of the tick season (heading into winter or the dry season), then action may not be needed. 

Cattle tick zones 

Stock in cattle tick-free and control zones should be monitored regularly to ensure early detection of any cattle tick infestations.  

Livestock owners must monitor cattle for ticks and follow movement regulations for animals being transported across a tick free zone and or interstate. 

For advice on tick monitoring ask your local Biosecurity Officer or regional professional service provider.  

If the animal is outside the cattle tick zone and you have found a cattle tick, it is a legal requirement that you notify your local Biosecurity Officer.

Controlling cattle tick 

While eradicating cattle tick can sometimes be achieved, Integrated Parasite Management makes it possible to maintain a healthy and productive herd while also minimising the risk of infestations and disease.

This integrated approach uses a combination of chemical treatments and non-chemical methods to control cattle tick and includes the following:

1. Vaccination

Weaning or branding are ideal opportunities to vaccinate calves as they rarely show vaccine reactions.

All cattle introduced from areas where ticks aren’t prominent need to be vaccinated as well, preferably 60 days prior to their first exposure to ticks, to allow for full immunity to develop.

The live vaccine produced by Queensland’s Tick Fever Centre protects against the three tick fever agents – Babesia bovis, B. bigemina and Anaplasma marginale. Note that this vaccine won’t protect against infection with Theileria, a protozoal infection which is spread by bush ticks (Haemaphysalis).

Protection from the live vaccine is lifelong. However, a range of factors will impact vaccine efficacy and it’s a good idea to re-vaccinate very valuable animals such as bulls.

Order your vaccine from the Queensland Tick Fever Centre. 

2. Reduce or maintain tick burden 

The more ticks on cattle in your herd, the more likely tick fever will spread. This means that cattle with lots of ticks are more likely to be exposed to infection with tick fever. 

So, should you just maintain a ‘zero tick’ policy? That’s not very easy to do and may not be the best solution. 
 
Herds of cattle with no ticks (e.g. in the Tick-Free Zone) do not develop any immunity to tick fever. This means that they’re highly susceptible to infection if ticks do arrive (e.g. in strays or bought-in cattle, or even dropped over the boundary fence).  

Similarly, herds of cattle inside the Tick Zone that have a high level of tick control will have low to no natural exposure to tick fever. However, having ticks doesn’t necessarily bring immunity – mainly because tick fever organisms are not found in all ticks. 

The safest policy for producers in or adjoining the Tick Zone is to vaccinate all introduced stock as well as calves at three to nine months old with the tick fever vaccine, then manage the tick burdens based on the economic threshold for your herd. 

3. Paddock management 

Some paddocks can have very high levels of tick larvae contamination. This will include those that had large numbers of ticky cattle or those grazed by feral deer. 

Knowing which paddocks have high burdens will allow producers to avoid those paddocks in the case of susceptible cattle (i.e. newly-introduced, heavily-pregnant or nutritionally-challenged stock). 

Measures to decrease pasture larval burdens include spelling (up to nine months is required to clear all tick larvae), grazing with cattle treated with a ‘medium or long-acting’ product, or more intensive measures such as mowing, cropping or even burning. 

Read more about how and when to treat cattle ticks. 

4. Select resistant breeds 

Brahman and other Bos indicus cattle are relatively resistant to infestations with the ticks themselves, thanks to their physical and physiological adaptations. 
 
This resistance does vary by length of exposure to ticks and season. They are also reasonably resistant to tick fever caused by Babesia bovis and B. bigemina. However, they’re just as susceptible to Anaplasma as Bos taurus or Wagyu cattle. This means that they can still develop severe disease with tick fever. 
 
Using tropical breeds or crossbreeding to introduce Bos indicus genes into a herd has many advantages, including adaptation to tropical conditions, but the ability to cope better with ticks and tick fever is a valuable benefit in areas of tick challenge. 

For more information on breeding for tick resistance, please refer to the TickBoss website.

5. Biosecurity planning 

Bought-in cattle, strays, horses, feral deer, gates left open or even ticks that are dropped by a neighbour’s cattle at a boundary fence have all been causes of tick fever outbreaks in susceptible herds.  

This means that any measures you take to reduce the likelihood of tick entry will pay dividends in disease control.  

Having a plan in place for preventing, controlling or eradicating cattle tick can help you limit the risk of a future outbreak but also improve your ability to respond efficiently should one occur. 

The on-farm Biosecurity Template can help you formulate a strategy, and this guide will step you through the process of creating a Biosecurity Plan via your LPA account. 

Read more about the LPA requirements for biosecurity planning. 

By incorporating the steps outlined above into your LPA Biosecurity Plan, everyone involved in your business will have clear guidance on how to reduce the risk of cattle tick and other parasites infesting your property.