Topical and spatial repellent bioassays against the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus (Acari: Ixodidae)

Topical and spatial repellent bioassays against the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus (Acari: Ixodidae)

1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

2 Department of Medical Entomology, NSW Health Pathology-ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW   2145, Australia.

The Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is the cause of significant human morbidity. Bites from the tick may result in paralysis, allergic reactions that can include anaphylaxis and death, mammalian meat allergies and the transmission of infectious agents. In recent years, there have been a number of papers published on the microbiome of the species, but to date, there is no published research on I. holocyclus management or personal protection options to prevent the bite from the species. The study here in focused on the latter; the use of repellents for the prevention of bites from I. holocyclus.