Human Case of Leptospirosis During a Canine Disease Outbreak - Wyoming, 2023.

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected animals; the typical incubation period is 5-14 days. In approximately 90% of human cases, illness is asymptomatic or mild, characterized by fever, chills, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, calf pain, and conjunctival suffusion, but severe illness can progress to multiorgan dysfunction and death. Although Wyoming is considered a low-risk area for leptospirosis because of its cold and semiarid climate, the Wyoming Department of Health was notified of a probable human case in August 2023, the first reported in the state since 1983. The patient had occupational exposure to dogs but did not report other risk factors. The same week that the human patient's illness began, public health authorities received notification of an increase in canine leptospirosis cases. Public health authorities investigated to determine potential sources of infection, identify additional cases, and recommend control measures. After public health outreach activities were implemented, canine vaccination practices changed substantially in the affected city: a survey conducted after the outbreak revealed that all responding veterinary clinics in the affected city were recommending the vaccine more frequently to dog owners and reporting higher levels of owner compliance with vaccination recommendations. Increased vaccination coverage offers protection from leptospirosis for both dogs and persons exposed to them. Leptospirosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persons with occupational exposure to animals and clinically compatible signs and symptoms, including fever, chills, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, calf pain, and conjunctival suffusion, irrespective of geographic location.

Research on Integrated Management for Cattle Fever Ticks and Bovine Babesiosis in the United States and Mexico: Current Status and Opportunities for Binational Coordination.

Bovine babesiosis is a reportable transboundary animal disease caused by Babesia bovis and Babesiabigemina in the Americas where these apicomplexan protozoa are transmitted by the invasive cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Rhipicephalus(Boophilus) annulatus. In countries like Mexico where cattle fever ticks remain endemic, bovine babesiosis is detrimental to cattle health and results in a significant economic cost to the livestock industry. These cattle disease vectors continue to threaten the U.S. cattle industry despite their elimination through efforts of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. Mexico and the U.S. share a common interest in managing cattle fever ticks through their economically important binational cattle trade. Here, we report the outcomes of a meeting where stakeholders from Mexico and the U.S. representing the livestock and pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, and research institutions gathered to discuss research and knowledge gaps requiring attention to advance progressive management strategies for bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks. Research recommendations and other actionable activities reflect commitment among meeting participants to seize opportunities for collaborative efforts. Addressing these research gaps is expected to yield scientific knowledge benefitting the interdependent livestock industries of Mexico and the U.S. through its translation into enhanced biosecurity against the economic and animal health impacts of bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks.

Effects of Drought and Media-Reported Violence on Cattle Fever Tick Incursions.

Ectoparasites, such as cattle fever ticks, and the diseases they carry pose a risk to the global cattle population in reduced productivity and in livability. Tick infestations carry significant economic implications through losses in productivity, increased morbidity, and control costs. Cattle fever ticks were eradicated from the United States through concentrated efforts across state and federal agencies. The Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program maintains a permanent quarantine and buffer zone along the Texas-Mexico border to monitor and control reincursions of the tick from Mexico due to movements of wildlife or stray animals. The number of apprehensions of stray livestock and changing infestation rates may be influenced by many factors including increases in violence along the border or environmental effects such as weather pattern changes, river levels, or temperature fluctuations. Using annual records of the number of cattle apprehended and infestation rates, an analysis of the effects of media-reported border violence and environmental conditions can provide a unique understanding of cattle fever tick prevention and the challenges control programs face. Results from this analysis suggest that both media-reported violence and weather changes affect the rate at which infested cattle are apprehended, and these effects differ depending on spatial and temporal factors. With continued land use changes, social unrest in endemic areas, and changing weather patterns, the efforts to control and eradicate cattle fever ticks, both in the United States and globally, is likely to be an ongoing concern.