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

Which disease is NOT likely to be eradicated by controlling its tick vector(s)?

1. East Coast fever

2. Bovine babesiosis

3. Equine babesiosis

4. African swine fever

The correct answer is: African swine fever

The chosen answer pertains to African swine fever, a viral disease that primarily affects domestic and wild pigs, leading to severe economic losses in the swine industry. This disease is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or through contact with contaminated materials, rather than through tick vectors. Efforts to control tick populations would not impact the spread of African swine fever because it is not a disease that relies on ticks for transmission; hence, eradicating the disease through vector control would be ineffective. In contrast, diseases such as East Coast fever, bovine babesiosis, and equine babesiosis are all transmitted by ticks. These diseases depend on the tick lifecycle for their transmission, which means that controlling the tick populations can significantly reduce the incidence and spread of these diseases. By effectively managing or eliminating ticks, efforts can lead to a reduction in the reservoirs of these pathogens, creating a feasible pathway towards their eventual eradication. Thus, while tick-borne diseases can potentially be addressed through the control of their vectors, African swine fever's transmission dynamics do not lend themselves to such vector control measures, making it less likely to be eradicated through this method.