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The Novozymes Tick Trial 2012

Angelo Verzoni, MMCRI Vector-borne Disease Lab

Photos: Vector-borne Disease Lab 2

MMCRI Vector-borne Disease Lab

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BackgroundI. scapularis, Lyme disease and controlling ticks

Photos: Vector-borne Disease Lab and Monmouth County Mosquito Commission; Graphics: Microsoft Office 4

Ixodes scapularis

I. scapularis, or the deer tick, is the vector for Lyme and other potentially harmful diseases in humans and animals.

In the last two decades, the deer tick has become prevalent in Maine.

Graphics: Vector-borne Disease Lab 5

I. scapularis in Maine

1989

1994

2009

Graphics: Vector-borne Disease Lab 6

Lyme Disease in Maine

2009

2008

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2006

2005

2004

Photo: Georgia Southern University 7

Lyme Disease

Lyme borreliosis, or Lyme disease, occurs after an infected deer tick has attached and fed for at least 24 hours.

Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochetal bacteria, is the main cause of Lyme disease.

Fluorescing Bb spirochete

20 μm

Photos: Vector-borne Disease Lab and Wikipedia 8

Symptoms of Lyme disease include an erythema migrans rash, fever, fatigue, headache, chills, muscle and joint pain and swollen lymph nodes.

Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. The EM rash

Lyme Disease Symptoms and Treatment

Photo: Microsoft Office 9

Lyme Disease Vaccine

A Lyme disease vaccine for humans (LYMErix) was approved by the FDA in 1998.

But the vaccine’s developer, GlaxoSmithKline, pulled it from the U.S. market in 2002 amidst negative media coverage and financial hardship.

Lyme disease vaccines are available for dogs.

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How do we control deer ticks?

Pesticides Insecticides ▪Acaricides

Graphics: Wikipedia 11

Bifenthrin

Bifenthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid that acts as a neurotoxin and can be used to control a number of arthropods.

It inhibits the closing of sodium channels and is toxic to humans and non-target animals like bees and fish.

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Eco-Exempt IC2

Eco-Exempt IC2 is a botanical acaricide containing rosemary oil, peppermint oil, wintergreen oil, mineral oil and vanillin.

It blocks the octopamine neurotransmitter receptors in invertebrates.

It is not known to harm mammals, birds and fish since they lack these receptors.

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Bifenthrin vs. Eco-Exempt IC2A 2009 study by the VBDL compared

the two acaricides in their ability to control deer ticks.

The study found that IC2 was nearly as effective in killing deer ticks as bifenthrin and had only a temporary impact on non-target, ground insects and no impact on bees.

However, IC2 was observed to be moderately phytotoxic.

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The Project Novozymes, Met52, methods, results, conclusion and discussion

Photo: Novozymes Biologicals, Inc. 15

What is Novozymes?

Novozymes is an international bio-technology corporation.

They have developed a formulation of Metarhizium anisopliae Strain F-52 (Met52) to kill ticks and other pests.

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What is Met52?

Met52 is a contact bio-insecticide.M. anisopliae Strain F-52 is a

naturally occurring, entomopathogenic soil fungus.

Graphics: Novozymes Biologicals, Inc. 17

How does Met52 work?

Graphics: Novozymes Biologicals, Inc. 18

How does Met52 work?

Photos: Ray Young, Novozymes 19

How is Met52 applied?

Met52 is applied by way of a high-pressure spray.

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Our Role

Along with 24 other study sites, and in cooperation with Atlantic Pest Solutions, the Vector-borne Disease Lab elected to participate in a trial of Met52.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Met52 to reduce deer ticks.

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Previous Literature on M. anisopliae

A study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology showed that exposure to M. anisopliae resulted in 96% deer tick mortality in a laboratory setting and 53% mortality in a field setting. The study concluded that M. anisopliae is highly pathogenic to adult deer ticks.

(Benjamin et al. 2002)

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Previous Literature on M. anisopliae

Another study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology concluded that M. anisopliae not only kills deer ticks but reduces their body mass and “fitness” too.

(Hornbostel et al. 2004)

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Experimental Set-up

21 plots were established in Arundel.

Seven plots were designated as control plots, and 14 plots were designated as treatment plots.

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Experimental Procedure

Tick flagging consisted of dragging a piece of corduroy through the brush and leaf litter for five minutes, checking for ticks after each minute.

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Results

The control plots yielded adult and nymphal deer tick means consistent with stage seasonality, while the treatment plots yielded no adult or nymphal deer ticks two weeks post spray.

Overall, Met52 reduced deer ticks by 80-100%.

Graphics: Novozymes Biologicals, Inc. 26

I. scapularis Stage Seasonality

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Response of Adult Deer Ticks to Multiple Sprays of Met52

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Response of Nymphal Deer Ticks to Multiple Sprays of Met52

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Response of Adult Deer Ticks to a One-time Spray of Met52 on Jun 8

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Response of Nymphal Deer Ticks to a One-time Spray of Met52 on Jun 8

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% Reduction = 100 (Yc-Yt)/Yc

Reduction of Deer Ticks by Multiple Sprays of Met52

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% Reduction of Adults % Reduction of Nymphs

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% Reduction = 100 (Yc-Yt)/Yc

Reduction of Deer Ticks by One Spray of Met52

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% Reduction of Adults % Reduction of Nymphs

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Lab Experiment

Control a I. scap.Treated a I. scap.

Treated a I. scap. (Close-up)

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Conclusion

Met52 effectively reduces deer ticks. It is slightly less effective than

synthetic acaricides but comparable to botanical ones.

It is an effective biological alternative to synthetic and botanical acaricides.

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Discussion

Although Met52 is naturally occurring, its effects on non-target species and the environment should be evaluated in further studies.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to MMCRI, Liz Bergst and Dr. Jeong Yoon

Thank you to VBDL: Dr. Robert Smith, Dr. Peter Rand, Susan Elias, Chuck Lubelczyk, Leticia Smith, Eleanor Lacombe, Linda Turcotte and Ally Boyington.

And a special thanks to Ray Young, Novozymes and Atlantic Pest Solutions for their involvement in the project.

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Paper Citations

Benjamin, Michael A. et al. “Laboratory and Field Evalulation of the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycetes) for Controlling Questing Adult Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).” Journal of Medical Entomology. 2002.

Bharadwaj, Anuja and Kirby C. Stafford III. “Evaluation of Metarhizium anisopliae Strain F52 (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) for Control of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).” Journal of Medical Entomology. 2010.

Hornbostel, Victoria L. et al. “Sublethal Effects of Metarhizium anisopliae (Deuteromycetes) on Engorged Larval, Nymphal, and Adult Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae).” Journal of Medical Entomology. 2004.

Pourseyed, S.H. et al. “Metarhizium anisopliae (Ascomycota: Hypocreales): An effective alternative to chemical acaricides against different developmental stages of fowl tick Argus persicus (Acari: Argasidae).” Journal of Veterinary Parasitology. 2010.