Modeling the Sensitivity of Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) to Temperature and Land Cover in the Northeastern United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M Winter ◽  
Trevor F Partridge ◽  
Dorothy Wallace ◽  
Jonathan W Chipman ◽  
Matthew P Ayres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Compartment Model ◽  
The United States ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Northeastern United States

Abstract The prevalence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases is dramatically increasing across the United States. While the rapid rise in Lyme disease is clear, the causes of it are not. Modeling Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), the primary Lyme disease vector in the eastern United States, presents an opportunity to disentangle the drivers of increasing Lyme disease, including climate, land cover, and host populations. We improved upon a recently developed compartment model of ordinary differential equations that simulates I. scapularis growth, abundance, and infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) by adding land cover effects on host populations, refining the representation of growth stages, and evaluating output against observed data. We then applied this model to analyze the sensitivity of simulated I. scapularis dynamics across temperature and land cover in the northeastern United States. Specifically, we ran an ensemble of 232 simulations with temperature from Hanover, New Hampshire and Storrs, Connecticut, and land cover from Hanover and Cardigan in New Hampshire, and Windsor and Danielson in Connecticut. Consistent with observations, simulations of I. scapularis abundance are sensitive to temperature, with the warmer Storrs climate significantly increasing the number of questing I. scapularis at all growth stages. While there is some variation in modeled populations of I. scapularis infected with B. burgdorferi among land cover distributions, our analysis of I. scapularis response to land cover is limited by a lack of observations describing host populations, the proportion of hosts competent to serve as B. burgdorferi reservoirs, and I. scapularis abundance.

Do-It-Yourself Tick Control: Granular Gamma-Cyhalothrin Reduces Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs in Residential Backyards

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gebbiena M Bron ◽  
Xia Lee ◽  
Susan M Paskewitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
The United States ◽  
Tick Control ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Nymphal Tick ◽  
Do It Yourself

Abstract Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with hotspots in the Northeast and Midwest. Integrated vector control for mosquito-borne disease prevention is often organized at the community level, but tick control is primarily coordinated at the household and individual level. Management of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), the vector of the causative agent of Lyme disease in the Midwest and eastern United States in peridomestic environments may be critical as many tick encounters are reported to occur in the yard. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of a widely available and low-cost pesticide that targets common lawn pests and is labeled for use against ticks. In June 2019, we evaluated a granular form of gamma-cyhalothrin in a placebo-controlled residential backyard study (n = 90) in two communities in Wisconsin. The product applied by the research team reduced nymphal blacklegged ticks in plots established in the lawn part of the ecotone by 97% one week after application at both communities and by 89–97% three to four weeks postapplication. The proportion of homes with at least one nymphal tick postapplication was significantly lower at acaricide-treated homes and ranged from 4.2 to 29.2% compared with placebo homes where at least one nymphal tick was found at 50–81.5% of homes. These results support the efficacy of a low-cost do-it-yourself strategy for homeowners seeking to reduce blacklegged ticks in the yard.

scholarly journals Practical Guide to Trapping Peromyscus leucopus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) and Peromyscus maniculatus for Vector and Vector-Borne Pathogen Surveillance and Ecology

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika T Machtinger ◽  
Scott C Williams
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Ixodes Pacificus ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Pathogen Surveillance

Abstract Arthropods pests are most frequently associated with both plants and vertebrate animals. Ticks, in particular the blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis Say and Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls (Acari: Ixodidae), are associated with wildlife hosts and are the primary vectors of Lyme disease, the most frequently reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Immature blacklegged ticks in the eastern United States frequently use small mammals from the genus Peromyscus as hosts. These mice are competent reservoirs for Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, as well as other tick-borne pathogens. To conduct surveillance on immature ticks and pathogen circulation in hosts, capture and handling of these small mammals is required. While protocols for rearing and pest surveillance on plants are common, there are very few protocols aimed at entomologists to conduct research on vertebrate–arthropod relationships. The goal of this manuscript is to provide a practical template for trapping Peromyscus spp. for vector and vector-borne pathogen surveillance and ecology for professionals that may not have a background in wildlife research. Important considerations are highlighted when targeting P. leucopus Rafinesque and P. maniculatus Wagner. Specifically, for tick and tick-borne disease-related projects, materials that may be required are suggested and references and other resources for researchers beginning a trapping study are provided.

scholarly journals Human Coinfection withBorrelia burgdorferiandBabesia microtiin the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen L. Knapp ◽  
Nancy A. Rice
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Immunological Response ◽  
The United States ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Current State ◽  
Tick Borne Disease ◽  
Multiple Pathogens

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, andBabesia microti, a causative agent of babesiosis, are increasingly implicated in the growing tick-borne disease burden in the northeastern United States. These pathogens are transmitted via the bite of an infected tick vector,Ixodes scapularis, which is capable of harboring and inoculating a host with multiple pathogens simultaneously. Clinical presentation of the diseases is heterogeneous and ranges from mild flu-like symptoms to near-fatal cardiac arrhythmias. While the reason for the variability is not known, the possibility exists that concomitant infection with bothB. burgdorferiandB. microtimay synergistically increase disease severity. In an effort to clarify the current state of understanding regarding coinfection withB. burgdorferiandB. microti, in this review, we discuss the geographical distribution and pathogenesis of Lyme disease and babesiosis in the United States, the immunological response of humans toB. burgdorferiorB. microtiinfection, the existing knowledge regarding coinfection disease pathology, and critical factors that have led to ambiguity in the literature regarding coinfection, in order to eliminate confusion in future experimental design and investigation.

Shakers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Nicoletta
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
New Hampshire ◽  
New York State ◽  
The United States ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Economic Success ◽  
Linear Arrangement ◽  
State Prisons

Arriving in the colony of New York in 1774 from England, Ann Lee and her eight followers set about creating a model communal society in what would become the United States. Officially known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, the Shakers believed in Christ’s imminent return. Their support of pacifism, near equality between the sexes that allowed women to take on leadership roles, and perfectionism set them apart from most Americans. Within a decade, they had begun creating a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth through their worship, work ethic, and construction of orderly villages with buildings and furniture meant to reinforce religious belief and shape and control behavior. From humble beginnings, the sect created a total of twenty-two communities beginning in the 1780s, spreading from Maine to Indiana and as far south as Georgia and Florida, though these latter two sites and the one in Indiana were short lived. During periods of religious revivalism in the United States in the late 18th and early19th centuries, the Shakers attracted hundreds of converts who gave up their worldly possessions to live celibate, communal lives. After a peak population of over three thousand in the1840s, the Shakers have dwindled to just three members inhabiting the only surviving living community of Sabbathday Lake, near New Gloucester, Maine. The Shakers’ demographic and economic success over several decades left a legacy of buildings at numerous locations throughout the eastern United States. Some of these villages have become museum sites, most notably Hancock, Massachusetts; Mount Lebanon, New York; Canterbury, New Hampshire; and Pleasant Hill and South Union, both in Kentucky. Other Shaker buildings remain as private residences and parts of retirement communities and state prisons. In many ways, Shaker architecture reflects contemporary regional vernacular building practices, such as the closely spaced anchor bents in the framing of the earliest meetinghouses in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and eastern New York State, and the rather grand masonry structures of the dwelling houses and trustees’ offices in Kentucky. The linear arrangement of buildings, their large size, and separate entrances for men and women distinguished Shaker buildings from those of the outside world, though stylistically they appeared much like non-Shaker buildings. The Shakers organized building interiors to use space efficiently with many built-in cabinets and drawers, installed pegboards on walls for storage and to help keep floors clear for cleaning, and included separate staircases to demarcate men’s and women’s areas. The buildings, especially the meetinghouses and dwelling houses, reminded Shakers of their commitment to their faith and to their distinctive way of living and encouraged them to “put their hands to work and their hearts to God,” a saying attributed to Ann Lee. Nevertheless, the Shakers were not immune from influences from the outside world. They needed to interact with outsiders to encourage the economic success of their villages and to attract converts. As their population shrank in the latter half of the 19th century, they turned increasingly to hired help to assist with building construction and other aspects of daily life. The Shakers also embraced stylistic changes in architecture and furniture; their buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries reflect these influences with added ornamentation inside and out, as well as embellished furnishings either made by the Shakers or purchased from non-Shaker furniture makers. Rather than undercut any appreciation of the simple style for which the Shakers are best known, these changes show the group as always practical and responsive to changes in mainstream society.

scholarly journals Immature Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Collected From Peromyscus leucopus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) and Peromyscus maniculatus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) Nests in Northern Wisconsin

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 304-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan T Larson ◽  
Xia Lee ◽  
Tela Zembsch ◽  
Gebbiena M Bron ◽  
Susan M Paskewitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Immature Stages ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Blacklegged Tick ◽  
Disease Vector ◽  
Blood Meals

Abstract The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is the primary Lyme disease vector in the eastern United States. Both immature stages of I. scapularis take blood meals from mice belonging to the genus Peromyscus. Mice are active during the night and spend the majority of diel periods in nests. Thus, immature I. scapularis have a greater opportunity to drop from Peromyscus hosts while in nests compared with the forest floor. Here, we collected 11 Peromyscus nests during a 3-mo period during which the immature I. scapularis are known to be active. We then examined nesting materials for the presence of I. scapularis. Immature I. scapularis were detected in 64% of Peromyscus nests examined. Additionally, 55% of the nests contained at least one Dermacentor variabilis Say larva. Eighty-seven percent of all larval ticks found within nests were blood-fed. Because Peromyscus spp. are highly competent reservoirs of numerous tick-borne pathogens, the ticks that detach in their nests may be important for the maintenance of tick-borne diseases. However, further studies are needed to determine the fate of the I. scapularis that detach in Peromyscus nests.

scholarly journals Assessing Recognition of the Vector of Lyme Disease Using Resin-Embedded Specimens in a Lyme Endemic Area

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gebbiena M Bron ◽  
Hannah Fenelon ◽  
Susan M Paskewitz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Endemic Area ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Tick Check

Abstract Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. To assess whether a tick bite puts someone at risk for LD, adequate tick identification skills are needed. We surveyed residents of a high LD-incidence state, Wisconsin, on their ability to distinguish ticks from insects and to identify the specimens that could transmit the LD causative agent. Surveys were conducted using resin blocks with four insects and four tick specimens embedded. About half of the participants (64 of 130) recognized all of the ticks, and 60% of those individuals chose only ticks and no insects. Younger participants (18- to 44-yr old) were more likely to identify ticks correctly compared with those 45 yr and older. Participants who agreed strongly with the statement ‘I know a lot about ticks` were also likelier to correctly identify ticks. When asked to identify which specimens could transmit LD, less than 25% of participants chose both the Ixodes scapularis Say adult female and nymph and about half of those (15% of participants) picked only those two and no other specimens. Although the relatively small convenience sample was biased toward younger participants who consider themselves ‘outdoorsy’, results showed that further assessments of tick recognition skills are needed to understand what determines whether people can recognize medically important ticks and to evaluate the potential benefits of enhanced education. In addition to the value of the resin blocks as research tools, the blocks may be useful as training tools to improve tick check efficacy.

scholarly journals Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick, Ixodes scapularis Say (Arachnida: Acari: Ixodidae)

EDIS ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 2003 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Patnaude ◽  
Thomas N. Mather
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cooperative Extension Service ◽  
Extension Service ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
University Of Florida ◽  
Blacklegged Tick

In the United States, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say affects the greatest number of people for threeprincipal reasons: their geographic distribution coincides in the northeastern United States with the greatest concentration of humans (Miller et al. 1990); spirochete infection rates are high, often exceeding 25 (Burgdorfer et al. 1982, Anderson et al. 1983, Magnarelli et al. 1986); and the geographical range of the tick is spreading (Lastavica et al. 1989, Anderson et al. 1990, Godsey et al. 1987, Davis et al. 1984). This document is EENY-143, one of a series of Featured Creatures from the Entomology and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published: July 2000. Revised: June 2003. EENY-143/IN300: Blacklegged Tick or Deer Tick, Ixodes scapularis Say (Arachnida: Acari: Ixodidae) (ufl.edu)

scholarly journals Passage through Ixodes scapularis Ticks Enhances the Virulence of a Weakly Pathogenic Isolate of Borrelia burgdorferi

2009 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarojini Adusumilli ◽  
Carmen J. Booth ◽  
Juan Anguita ◽  
Erol Fikrig
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Array Analysis ◽  
C3h Mice ◽  
Attenuated Isolate

ABSTRACT Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. In this paper we explore the contribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks to the pathogenicity of Borrelia burgdorferi in mice. Previously we demonstrated that an isolate of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (designated N40), passaged 75 times in vitro (N40-75), was infectious but was no longer able to cause arthritis and carditis in C3H mice. We now show that N40-75 spirochetes can readily colonize I. scapularis and multiply during tick engorgement. Remarkably, tick-transmitted N40-75 spirochetes cause disease in mice. N40-75 spirochetes isolated from these animals also retained their pathogenicity when subsequently administered to mice via syringe inoculation. Array analysis revealed that several genes associated with virulence, including bba25, bba65, bba66, bbj09, and bbk32, had higher expression levels in the tick-passaged N40-75 spirochete. These data suggest that transmission of a high-passage attenuated isolate of B. burgdorferi by the arthropod vector results in the generation of spirochetes that have enhanced pathogenesis in mice.

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