Transboundary Emerging and Exotic Animal Disease/ Exotic Animal Disease Practice Exam

Can an animal treated with acaricides that does not carry tropical bont ticks still cause an outbreak of heartwater?

1. Yes, it can be spread by nasal secretions.

2. Yes, it can be spread by ticks present in the United States.

3. No, the tick that spreads this disease does not exist in the United States.

4. No, heartwater is not an infectious disease.

The correct answer is: Yes, it can be spread by ticks present in the United States.

The correct answer indicates that it is indeed possible for an animal treated with acaricides to contribute to the spread of heartwater if the appropriate vectors, such as ticks, are present in the environment. Heartwater is a disease primarily transmitted by the Amblyomma hebraeum tick, which is known to exist in regions outside the United States. Although the animal in question is treated with acaricides and does not currently harbor tropical bont ticks, various tick species can serve as vectors if they are present in the environment. The key factor here is the distribution of the ticks that transmit the disease. If any suitable tick species capable of carrying the pathogen exists in the area, they could potentially re-establish or maintain a transmission cycle, thereby raising the risk of an outbreak. Thus, understanding the ecology of ticks and their geographical distribution is essential in assessing the risk of diseases like heartwater, even if certain control measures, such as acaricides, have been implemented. This underscores the importance of monitoring vector populations and their habitats as part of disease control strategies.