Establishment of a multi-acaricide resistant reference tick strain (IVRI-V) of Rhipicephalus microplus

Tick-borne diseases is a global threat and tick resistance to commonly used acaricides is a growing problem, thus calling for improved resistance monitoring tools. To aid in monitoring of resistance in field tick populations, a resistant colony of Rhipicephalus microplus was characterized with the aim to establish a reference multi-acaricide resistant tick strain. Using a standardized adult immersion test, the Lethal Concentration(LC)50 values for deltamethrin, cypermethrin, fenvalerate and diazinon against the laboratory selected resistant tick (LSRT) strain were determined as 306.7 ppm, 2776.9 ppm, 30262.1 ppm and 9458.7 ppm. Relative to the susceptible IVRI-I tick strain, the LSRT strain showed 4.78- and 5.84-fold increases in activity of esterases, a 6-fold increase for monooxygenases and a 2.24 fold increase for glutathione S-transferase. In the acetylcholinesterase 2 gene, 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in the LSRT strain. Four of these SNPs lead to amino acid substitutions and were consistently found in resistant field populations in India. A C190A mutation in the domain II S4-5 linker region of sodium channel gene resulting in a L64I amino acid substitution was recorded in the LSRT strain. Monitorable indicators for the maintenance of the strain, designated as the reference IVRI-V tick strain and representing the first established multi-acaricide resistant tick strain in India, were identified.