transmitted by the female of D. occidentalis although 

 this assumption is based on a single study conducted 

 in the mid-1 930's. This early study did not address the 

 possibility of accidental fly transmission of A. mar- 

 ginale and subsequent studies were unable to repeat 

 the transovarial transmission of A. marginale by D. oc- 

 cidentalis. For this reason, and because the common 

 hosts of the immature stages of this tick are not known 

 to harbor A. marginale, the males of D. occidentalis 

 could represent an important means by which A. mar- 

 ginale enters the three-host cycle of this vector species. 



The true significance of male tick vector competence in 

 the epizootiology of anaplasmosis cannot be accurately 

 assessed without additional information on the frequen- 

 cy of interhost transfer by males in the field. This im- 

 portant aspect should receive additional research to 

 fully deermine the role male ticks may play. 



Amblyomma variegatum Eradication in Puerto Rico 



The tropical bont tick continues to be a problem in 

 Puerto Rico. There were 38 laboratory-confirmed col- 

 lections in 1983 as compared to 50 collections con- 

 firmed in 1982. The areas known to have infested 

 livestock in 1983 include the municipalities of Cabo 

 Rojo and Ponce and the island of Vieques. These in- 

 fested areas are widely separated with Cabo Rojo on 

 the western coast and Ponce approximately on the 

 south central coastal area of the main island of Puerto 

 Rico. Vieques is an island some 10 miles off the 

 eastern coast of Puerto Rico. 



Boophilus microplus in Puerto Rico 



Eradication efforts continued in Puerto Rico against the 

 widespread infestation of B. microplus. The National 

 Veterinary Services Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, confirmed 

 4,295 collections of B. microplus in 1983 as compared 

 to 2,208 collections in 1982. Over 98 percent of the 

 collections were taken from cattle with less than 2 per- 

 cent of the hosts being horses and goats. 



One serious problem encountered in 1983 was the 

 reinfestation of herds recently freed of ticks and 

 released from quarantine. Federal and Commonwealth 

 tick eradication personnel continue to implement 

 changes in the program to correct problems as they are 

 detected. 



Boophilus Tick Eradication in Texas 



Compared to recent years, the tick eradication activi- 

 ties for 1983 were successful and relatively uneventful. 

 There were no major outbreaks of Boophilus ticks in ei- 

 ther the Tick Eradication Quarantine Area (TEQA) or 



the Free Area (FA). Only two introductions involving 

 543 cattle and 5 horses occurred in the FA. These in- 

 troductions were quickly confined and eradicated. 

 Several introductions occurred in the TEQA which 

 borders on the Rio Grande. These involved small 

 numbers of livestock and were also rapidly contained 

 and eliminated. 



Despite a reduction-in-force of 1 1 inspectors in the 

 spring of 1983, the fever tick problem was minimal 

 compared to recent years. This was primarily due to 

 the hard work and the dedication of inspectors and the 

 cooperation of industry people. Because of relatively 

 few quarantines in the FA, inspectors were able to con- 

 centrate on river patrols to stop the introduction of 

 ticks at this point. 



The weather conditions in 1983 were extremely dry. 

 Most range lands had little or no forage for livestock 

 and some stock ponds were also dry. The Rio Grande 

 was lower than normal allowing for easier crossing of 

 stray Mexican livestock. 



Smuggling of horses from Mexico continued to be a 

 problem in 1983. Tick eradication personnel ap- 

 prehended 19 head of horses involving 18 illegal intro- 

 ductions. The Tick Eradication Force was responsible 

 for the apprehension of 73 stray cattle and 109 stray 

 horses representing 56 separate incidents of which six 

 involved Soop/7/7us- infested animals. 



Legislation has been passed giving certain USDA em- 

 ployees the authority to carry firearms. Firearm safety 

 and training was initiated for all tick force employees in 

 December 1983 at Glynco, Georgia. 



Ticks and Zoological Compounds 



In recent years there has been a trend to develop large, 

 commercial zoological compounds throughout the Unit- 

 ed States. Generally, these are large, double-fenced 

 compounds where a variety of compatible wild animals 

 roam freely. The general theme is to develop habitats 

 suggestive of Africa where the animals usually ori- 

 ginate. For a fee, touristsor other interested persons 

 may tour the facility in their own automobiles or in 

 vehicles provided by the management. This allows 

 them to observe the wildlife in their "native" habitat. 



However, such a compound poses some problems re- 

 garding the possible introduction of exotic ticks on an- 

 imals from Africa. Some species of animals such as 

 rhinoceroses, elephants, hippopotamuses, and the big 

 cats are not presently required to be held in postentry 

 quarantine. 



