Eradication and surveillance of the tropical bont tick in the Caribbean. An international approach

Abstract

The Caribbean Amblyomma program (CAP) is a multidonor funded effort involving several technical organizations and national governments in the eradication of the tropical bont tick. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is the lead technical agency, providing both technical and administrative support to the CAP Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) based in Barbados. All collaborating agencies, donors, and national representatives are members of the Amblyomma Program Council (APC), the overall governing body of the CAP. In addition to FAO, the other organizations involved are the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the European Union (EU), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Several agencies (EU, FAO, IFAD, and USDA) are also major donors. The CAP cooperates with the complementary Plan POSEIDOM Veterinaire Program in the French West Indies. The University of the West Indies (UWI), the International Institute for Biological Control (IIBC), and the Departement d'Elevage et de Medecine Veterinaire des Pays Tropicaux (EM-VT) in Guadeloupe are other collaborators.