Physiological responses of beef cattle to Gulf Coast tick (Acari: Ixodidae) infestations.

Nine yearling crossbred beef steers, Bos taurus L., were used to examine physiological responses to Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch, infestation. Steers were stanchioned indoors in individual environmentally controlled rooms. On day 0, each animal received 0, 25, or 75 pairs of ticks. Physiological variables measured daily were feed intake, heart rates, rectal temperatures, and respiration rates. Blood samples were collected from each animal on days 7, 21, and 42 for serum constituent analysis. To monitor metabolic hormone status, intensive blood samples were collected hourly for 6 h on days 21 and 42. Throughout the treatment period, feed intake values were similar among treatments resulting in comparable body weight at the end of the trial. Heart rates and rectal temperatures were unaffected, however, respiration rates of steers infested with 25 pairs of ticks were higher than the other treatment groups. Treatment effects were detected in uric acid concentrations on day 7 in steers infested with 75 pairs of ticks. Treatment effects were detected in total, direct and indirect bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and aspartate amino transferase concentrations. Likewise, creatine kinase concentrations were higher in the tick-infested steers on day 7. Elevated white blood cell counts were observed in tick-infested steers. All other serum components were similar and were within their normal ranges. Serum insulin, prolactin, growth hormone, and cortisol concentrations were unaffected by tick infestations. Gulf coast tick infestation resulted in altered blood composition indicative of infection caused by tick feeding habits.

Serum constituent profiles of beef heifers infested with horn flies (Diptera: Muscidae).

Nine yearling crossbred beef heifers, Bos taurus L., were used to examine physiological responses to horn fly, Haematobia irritans (L.), infestation. Heifers were stanchioned indoors in individual environmentally controlled rooms. On day 0, each animal received 0, 500, or 1,000 horn flies. Fly numbers were adjusted daily to maintain an appropriate infestation for each heifer. Feed intake, respiration rate, and rectal temperature was recorded daily. In addition, blood samples were collected from each animal on days 0, 12, and 33 for serum constituent analysis. To monitor metabolic hormone status, intensive blood samples were also collected hourly for 6 h on days 0, 12, and 33. Throughout the period of treatment, feed intake values were similar among treatments resulting in comparable body weight at the end of the trial. Respiration rates on each day were similar among groups. Rectal temperature was also unaffected by horn fly infestations. Serum electrolyte analysis revealed that neither Na, K, Cl, Ca, P, nor Fe differed among treatments. Likewise, HCO3/CO2 ratio, anion gap, and serum osmolality did not differ among treatment groups. Major indicators of nutrient status (glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea N, creatinine, uric acid, albumin, globulin) and insulin, growth hormone, and prolactin were also unaffected. Serum bilirubin and enzyme (alkaline phosphatase, creatine phosphokinase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase) concentrations were similar in control heifers and those infested with horn flies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)