Effectiveness of Residential Acaricides to Prevent Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases in Humans

Hinckley, Alison F.; Meek, James; Ray, J. A.; Niesobecki, Sara A.; Connally, Neeta P.; Feldman, Katherine A.; Jones, Erin H.; Backenson, P. Bryon; White, Jennifer L.; Lukacik, Gary; Kay, Ashley B.; Miranda, Wilson; Mead, Paul S.

doi:10.1093/infdis/jiv775

Cited by 100 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Nearly all studies have focused on entomological outcomes, such as tick abundance, rather than human illness and most have been conducted on a small scale under optimized conditions. The importance of documenting health outcomes is highlighted by a placebo-controlled trial in which yard pesticide treatments were associated with a 60% reduction in the number of ticks, but no reduction in tick bites or tick-borne illness among household members 202 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lyme borreliosis

Steere

Strle

Wormser

et al. 2016

Nat Rev Dis Primers

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607

697

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Lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne disease that predominantly occurs in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere and is primarily caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi in North America and Borrelia afzelii or Borrelia garinii in Europe and Asia. Infection usually begins with an expanding skin lesion, known as erythema migrans (referred to as stage 1), which, if untreated, can be followed by early disseminated infection, particularly neurological abnormalities (stage 2), and by late infection, especially arthritis in North America or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in Europe (stage 3). However, the disease can present with any of these manifestations. During infection, the bacteria migrate through the host tissues, adhere to certain cells and can evade immune clearance. Yet, these organisms are eventually killed by both innate and adaptive immune responses and most inflammatory manifestations of the infection resolve. Except for patients with erythema migrans, Lyme borreliosis is diagnosed based on a characteristic clinical constellation of signs and symptoms with serological confirmation of infection. All manifestations of the infection can usually be treated with appropriate antibiotic regimens, but the disease can be followed by post-infectious sequelae in some patients. Prevention of Lyme borreliosis primarily involves the avoidance of tick bites by personal protective measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lyme borreliosis

Steere

Strle

Wormser

et al. 2016

Nat Rev Dis Primers

Self Cite

607

697

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“…Moreover, a ≥95% reduction of host-seeking nymphs was recorded from all but two of these studies (Table 3). In contrast, a large-scale, effectiveness study, of bifenthrin applied by commercial companies resulted in 69% control of I. scapularis nymphs on treated properties in one of two evaluation years and 45% in the other year (Hinckley et al 2016; Table 3). Levels of control typically achieved when an individual homeowner engages a commercial pest control company, and the reasons for decreased efficacy as compared with optimal experimental applications, merit further study.…”

Section: Suppression Of I Scapularis and B Burgdorferi With A Singlmentioning

confidence: 96%

Evidence for Personal Protective Measures to Reduce Human Contact With Blacklegged Ticks and for Environmentally Based Control Methods to Suppress Host-Seeking Blacklegged Ticks and Reduce Infection with Lyme Disease Spirochetes in Tick Vectors and Rodent Reservoirs

2016

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In the 1980s, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, and rodents were recognized as the principal vector and reservoir hosts of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in the eastern United States, and deer were incriminated as principal hosts for I. scapularis adults. These realizations led to pioneering studies aiming to reduce the risk for transmission of B. burgdorferi to humans by attacking host-seeking ticks with acaricides, interrupting the enzootic transmission cycle by killing immatures infesting rodent reservoirs by means of acaricide-treated nesting material, or reducing deer abundance to suppress tick numbers. We review the progress over the past three decades in the fields of: 1) prevention of human–tick contact with repellents and permethrin-treated clothing, and 2) suppression of I. scapularis and disruption of enzootic B. burgdorferi transmission with environmentally based control methods. Personal protective measures include synthetic and natural product-based repellents that can be applied to skin and clothing, permethrin sprays for clothing and gear, and permethrin-treated clothing. A wide variety of approaches and products to suppress I. scapularis or disrupt enzootic B. burgdorferi transmission have emerged and been evaluated in field trials. Application of synthetic chemical acaricides is a robust method to suppress host-seeking I. scapularis ticks within a treated area for at least 6–8 wk. Natural product-based acaricides or entomopathogenic fungi have emerged as alternatives to kill host-seeking ticks for homeowners who are unwilling to use synthetic chemical acaricides. However, as compared with synthetic chemical acaricides, these approaches appear less robust in terms of both their killing efficacy and persistence. Use of rodent-targeted topical acaricides represents an alternative for homeowners opposed to open distribution of acaricides to the ground and vegetation on their properties. This host-targeted approach also provides the benefit of the intervention impacting the entire rodent home range. Rodent-targeted oral vaccines against B. burgdorferi and a rodent-targeted antibiotic bait have been evaluated in laboratory and field trials but are not yet commercially available. Targeting of deer—via deer reduction or treatment of deer with topical acaricides—can provide area-wide suppression of host-seeking I. scapularis. These two deer-targeted approaches combine great potential for protection that impacts the entire landscape with severe problems relating to public acceptance or implementation logistics. Integrated use of two or more methods has unfortunately been evaluated in very few published studies, but additional field evaluations of integrated tick and pathogen strategies are underway.

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“…For example, controlled experimental spring applications of pyrethroids typically reduce host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs by >85% [27]. Nevertheless, a recent effort to reduce tick bites and human I. scapularis -borne infections by spraying pyrethroids along the lawn–wood interface on residential properties, rather than treating all the wooded and brushy high-risk habitat on the properties, achieved 50–70% suppression of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs within the areas sprayed but failed to reduce either tick bites or human infection [118]. Suppression of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs across all wooded or brushy habitats on a property, thereby getting closer to a desired goal of complete absence of ticks in this high-risk environment, intuitively should be more impactful but it is also more expensive and may come at higher environmental costs.…”

Section: Controlling I Scapularis and Reducing Tick-borne Diseases Imentioning

confidence: 99%

The Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes scapularis : An Increasing Public Health Concern

Eisen

2018

Trends in Parasitology

285

202

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In the United States, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is a vector of seven human pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Powassan virus disease, and ehrlichiosis associated with Ehrlichia muris eauclarensis. In addition to an accelerated rate of discovery of I. scapularis-borne pathogens over the past two decades, the geographic range of the tick, and incidence and range of I. scapularis-borne disease cases, have increased. Despite knowledge of when and where humans are most at risk of exposure to infected ticks, control of I. scapularis-borne diseases remains a challenge. Human vaccines are not available, and we lack solid evidence for other prevention and control methods to reduce human disease. The way forward is discussed.

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Effectiveness of Residential Acaricides to Prevent Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases in Humans

Abstract: Used as recommended, acaricide barrier sprays do not significantly reduce the household risk of tick exposure or incidence of tick-borne disease. Measures for preventing tick-borne diseases should be evaluated against human outcomes to confirm effectiveness.

Cited by 100 publications

References 18 publications

Lyme borreliosis

Lyme borreliosis

Evidence for Personal Protective Measures to Reduce Human Contact With Blacklegged Ticks and for Environmentally Based Control Methods to Suppress Host-Seeking Blacklegged Ticks and Reduce Infection with Lyme Disease Spirochetes in Tick Vectors and Rodent Reservoirs

The Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes scapularis : An Increasing Public Health Concern

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