Data for: Exploiting a natural instance of vertebrate-posed chemical aposematism for tick bite prevention: repellency of Ixodes scapularis with (E)-Oct-2-enal

Published: 15 January 2025| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/hnw69pt9mh.1
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Description

Ticks are medically important and nuisance arthropods found worldwide. The applications for semiochemical-based tick repellents in personal protection and interventions targeting reproductive/reservoir hosts are understudied. This research evaluated the repellent effects of an allomone isolate of donkey sebum, (E)-oct-2-enal, against adult Ixodes scapularis ticks – the most frequent human-biting tick in the United States. A laboratory filter paper bioassay was used to expose ticks to 20% solutions of (E)-oct-2-enal and DEET. Behavior was observed for 10 min and quantified with a behavior tracking software. Changes in movement speed and peregrination were assessed relative to negative controls (exposed to ethanol). Repellency was defined by preventing ticks from crossing the treated surface and was evaluated as time-to-event data with a cox proportional hazard regression model. The effects of (E)-oct-2- enal presence on repellency, movement speed, and peregrination were stronger or comparable to DEET. Significant reductions in movement speed, increases in peregrination distances, and strong repellency were observed in ticks exposed to either DEET or (E)-oct-2-enal. Repellency was stronger against male ticks than female ticks for both (E)-oct-2-enal and DEET. This work represents the first report, to our knowledge, of the repellency of a natural, vertebrate emitted semiochemical against I. scapularis ticks. Future work is needed to understand the underlying mechanism of action and development of (E)-oct-2-enal formulations for practical use into personal protection or reproductive/reservoir-host targeted tick control products. These data are captured using EthoVision XT by Noldus Information Technologies. Individual trial coordinate data, activity tracks through trial conclusion, and supplemental statistics for activity parameter assessment are detailed.

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Institutions

University of Massachusetts Amherst, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Categories

Topical Insect Repellent, Tick (Organism), Semiochemicals, Tick-Borne Disease

Funding

New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Disease

CDC U01CK000661

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