Identification of the environmental characteristics of pastures that influence the risk to harbor herds infected with a tick-borne disease in Wallonia

Rousseau, Raphaël [UCL] Delooz, Laurent [Association Régionale de Santé et Identification Animale (ARSIA), Ciney, Belgium] Dion, Elise [Département de l’Environnement et de l’Eau, Service Public de Wallonie, Namur, Belgium] Quinet, Christian [Association Régionale de Santé et Identification Animale (ARSIA), Ciney, Belgium] Vanwambeke, Sophie [UCL] et al.

Ticks constitute a threat for human and animal health, as they are vectors of different pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a bacterium that causes bovine ehrlichiosis in cattle, an infection associated with fevers, drops in milk production and abortions. In Wallonia, the first case was identified in 2005, but the disease is still poorly known. Nevertheless, the high seroprevalence found in Walloon herds suggests that the disease is endemic and that some pastures, where the herds graze, constitute environments at risk.