Auto-inoculation of blood for tick control in infested sheep

Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasite of livestock that severely impairs their production. The aim of this study is to report the results of auto-inoculation of blood to tick-infested sheep as a possible tick control method. Forty naturally infested sheep were selected for the study. The sheep were divided random in two groups: group A and group B (control group). All animals during the shearing period were subjected to the count of the ticks, annotated as T0 value. All animals of the group A were subjected to the blood sampling. The collected blood was immediately inoculated at the dosage rate of 1 ml/10 Kg body weight subcutaneously to the tip of the chest. In subjects of group B was not carried out any treatment. The ticks count were performed on days 7 (first control: T1) and 21 (second control: T2). At the first control the sheep of group A were divided into two sub-groups (group A1 and A2); in animals of group A1 the auto-inoculation of blood was repeated. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) showed the effect of time on the studied parameters, in relation to the treatment (group A1, A2, B). A mean reduction of ticks was noticed on day 7 and 21, respectively 47% and 49%, in the sheep belonging to the group A. In animals that had received a second treatment (group A1) a higher percentage of reduction of ticks was observed (50%) 2 weeks after the second inoculation. In our study, the inoculation of blood containing parasitic antigens and specific antibodies in the subcutaneous tissue have likely stimulated the immune system more strongly, resulting in the rejection of a large number of ticks feeding on sheep. Although the sample size is small in the number of sheep enrolled, our data make a contribution to the study of alternative tick control strategies in food animals.