scholarly journals Effect of Vegetation on the Abundance of Tick Vectors in the Northeastern United States: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C Mathisson ◽  
Sara M Kross ◽  
Matthew I Palmer ◽  
Maria A Diuk-Wasser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Tick Abundance ◽  
Open Canopy

Abstract Tick-borne illnesses have been on the rise in the United States, with reported cases up sharply in the past two decades. In this literature review, we synthesize the available research on the relationship between vegetation and tick abundance for four tick species in the northeastern United States that are of potential medical importance to humans. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) is found to be positively associated with closed canopy forests and dense vegetation thickets, and negatively associated with open canopy environments, such as grasslands or old agricultural fields. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) has little habitat overlap with I. scapularis, with abundance highest in grasses and open-canopy fields. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) (Linnaeus; Acari: Ixodidae) is a habitat generalist without consistent associations with particular types of vegetation. The habitat associations of the recently introduced Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) (Neumann; Acari: Ixodidae) in the northeastern United States, and in other regions where it has invaded, are still unknown, although based on studies in its native range, it is likely to be found in grasslands and open-canopy habitats.

scholarly journals Association of the invasive Haemaphysalis longicornis tick with vertebrate hosts, other native tick vectors, and tick-borne pathogens in New York City

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Tufts ◽  
Laura B. Goodman ◽  
Meghan C. Benedict ◽  
April D. Davis ◽  
Meredith C. VanAcker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Vector Potential ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Tick Vectors ◽  
Host Associations

AbstractHaemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, is an invasive ixodid tick that has rapidly spread across the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States since first reported in 2017. The emergence of H. longicornis presents a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health as the host associations and vector potential of this invasive pest in the United States are poorly understood. Previous field data from the United States has shown that H. longicornis was not associated with natural populations of small mammals or birds, but they show a preference for medium sized mammals in laboratory experiments. Therefore, medium and large sized mammals were sampled on Staten Island, New York to determine H. longicornis host associations and vector potential for a range of human and veterinary pathogens. A total of 97 hosts were sampled and five species of tick (Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, H. longicornis, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes cookei) were found feeding concurrently on these hosts. Haemaphysalis longicornis was found in the highest proportions compared to other native tick species on raccoons (55.4%), Virginia opossums (28.9%), and white-tailed deer (11.5%). Tissue, blood, and engorged larvae were tested for 17 different pathogens using a nanoscale PCR platform. Infection with five pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Mycoplasma haemocanis, and Bartonella spp.) was detected in host samples, but no pathogens were found in any larval samples. These results suggest that although large and medium sized mammals feed large numbers of H. longicornis ticks in the environment there is presently a low potential for H. longicornis to acquire pathogens from these wildlife hosts.HighlightsH. longicornis were sampled from seven genera of large and medium-sized mammalsRaccoons, opossums, and white-tailed deer fed a large proportion of H. longicornisH. longicornis did not acquire pathogens through co-feeding with native tick vectorsHost species were infected with a range of pathogens of human and veterinary concernHost-derived H. longicornis engorged larvae were not infected with any pathogens

scholarly journals A two-year study on the phenology, host and habitat associations, and pathogens of Haemaphysalis longicornis in Virginia, U.S.A.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alec T. Thompson ◽  
Seth A. White ◽  
David Shaw ◽  
Kayla B. Garrett ◽  
Seth T. Wyckoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Didelphis Virginiana ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Rickettsia Felis ◽  
Rodent Host

AbstractUnderstanding the abiotic and biotic variables affecting tick populations is essential for studying the biology and health risks associated with vector species. We conducted a study on the phenology of exotic Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick) at a site in Albemarle County, Virginia. We assessed the importance of available wildlife hosts, habitats, and microclimate variables such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed on this exotic tick’s presence and abundance. In addition, we determined the prevalence of selected tick-borne pathogens potentially transmitted by H. longicornis. We determined that the seasonal activity of H. longicornis was slightly different from previous studies in the northeastern United States. We observed nymphal ticks persist year-round but were most active in the spring, followed by a peak in adult activity in the summer and larval activity in the fall seasons. We also observed a lower probability of detecting H. longicornis in field habitats and the summer months. In addition, we detected H. longicornis on several wildlife hosts, including coyote (Canis latrans), eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), woodchuck (Marmota monax), and a Peromyscus sp. This is the first detection of this tick on a rodent host important to the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens of humans and animals. Finally, we continued to detect the exotic piroplasm parasite, Theileria orientalis Ikeda, in H. longicornis as well as other pathogens, including Rickettsia felis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum (AP-1), and a Hepatozoon sp. previously characterized in Amblyomma americanum. These represent some of the first detections of arthropod-borne pathogens native to the United States in host-seeking H. longicornis. These data increase our understanding of H. longicornis biology in the United States and provide valuable information into the future health risks associated with this tick and pathogens.

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Viruses in Amblyomma americanum , Dermacentor variabilis , and Ixodes scapularis Ticks

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafal Tokarz ◽  
Stephen Sameroff ◽  
Teresa Tagliafierro ◽  
Komal Jain ◽  
Simon H. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sequencing Platforms

ABSTRACT Ticks carry a wide range of known human and animal pathogens and are postulated to carry others with the potential to cause disease. Here we report a discovery effort wherein unbiased high-throughput sequencing was used to characterize the virome of 2,021 ticks, including Ixodes scapularis ( n = 1,138), Amblyomma americanum ( n = 720), and Dermacentor variabilis ( n = 163), collected in New York, Connecticut, and Virginia in 2015 and 2016. We identified 33 viruses, including 24 putative novel viral species. The most frequently detected viruses were phylogenetically related to members of the Bunyaviridae and Rhabdoviridae families, as well as the recently proposed Chuviridae . Our work expands our understanding of tick viromes and underscores the high viral diversity that is present in ticks. IMPORTANCE The incidence of tick-borne disease is increasing, driven by rapid geographical expansion of ticks and the discovery of new tick-associated pathogens. The examination of the tick microbiome is essential in order to understand the relationship between microbes and their tick hosts and to facilitate the identification of new tick-borne pathogens. Genomic analyses using unbiased high-throughput sequencing platforms have proven valuable for investigations of tick bacterial diversity, but the examination of tick viromes has historically not been well explored. By performing a comprehensive virome analysis of the three primary tick species associated with human disease in the United States, we gained substantial insight into tick virome diversity and can begin to assess a potential role of these viruses in the tick life cycle.

scholarly journals Effects of Climate on the Variation in Abundance of Three Tick Species in Illinois

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E A Bacon ◽  
H Kopsco ◽  
P Gronemeyer ◽  
N Mateus-Pinilla ◽  
R L Smith
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Tick Abundance ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Tick Borne Disease

Abstract The range of ticks in North America has been steadily increasing likely, in part, due to climate change. Along with it, there has been a rise in cases of tick-borne disease. Among those medically important tick species of particular concern are Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), and Amblyomma americanum Linneaus (Acari: Ixodidae). The aim of this study was to determine if climate factors explain existing differences in abundance of the three aforementioned tick species between two climatically different regions of Illinois (Central and Southern), and if climate variables impact each species differently. We used both zero-inflated regression approaches and Bayesian network analyses to assess relationships among environmental variables and tick abundance. Results suggested that the maximum average temperature and total precipitation are associated with differential impact on species abundance and that this difference varied by region. Results also reinforced a differential level of resistance to desiccation among these tick species. Our findings help to further define risk periods of tick exposure for the general public, and reinforce the importance of responding to each tick species differently.

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)

Emergence of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Small Mammal Population in a Coastal Oak-Pine Forest, Maine, USA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan P Elias ◽  
Jack W Witham ◽  
Elizabeth F Schneider ◽  
Peter W Rand ◽  
Malcolm L Hunter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Mouse Population ◽  
Small Mammal Population ◽  
Prevalence Proportion ◽  
Dog Tick ◽  
White Footed Mouse

Abstract In the United States, surveillance has been key to tracking spatiotemporal emergence of blacklegged ticks [Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida:Ixodidae)] and their pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), the agent of Lyme disease. On the Holt Research Forest in midcoastal Maine, collection of feeding ticks from live-trapped small mammal hosts allowed us to track the emergence and establishment of I. scapularis, 1989–2019. From 1989–1995, we collected only I. angustus Neumann (Ixodida: Ixodidae)(vole tick), Dermacentor variabilis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae) (American dog tick), and I. marxi Banks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) (squirrel tick) from seven species of small mammals. The most abundant tick host was the white-footed mouse [Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque (Rodentia:Cricetidae)] followed by the red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi Vigors (Rodentia: Cricetidae)). Emergence of I. scapularis was signaled via the appearance of subadult I. scapularis in 1996. Emergence of B. burgdorferi was signaled through its appearance in I. scapularis feeding on mice in 2005. There was a substantial increase in I. scapularis prevalence (proportion of hosts parasitized) and burdens (ticks/host) on white-footed mice and red-backed voles in 2007. The ~11-yr time-to-establishment for I. scapularis was consistent with that seen in other studies. White-footed mice comprised 65.9% of all captures and hosted 94.1% of the total I. scapularis burden. The white-footed mouse population fluctuated interannually, but did not trend up as did I. scapularis prevalence and burdens. There were concurrent declines in I. angustus and D. variabilis. We discuss these results in the broader context of regional I. scapularis range expansion.

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.

scholarly journals Aversion of the invasive Asian longhorned tick to the white-footed mouse, the dominant reservoir of tick-borne pathogens in the United States

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isobel Ronai ◽  
Danielle M. Tufts ◽  
Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mammalian Host ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Short Period ◽  
First Time ◽  
White Footed Mouse ◽  
Laboratory Assay

AbstractThe Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was reported for the first time in the United States of America in 2017 and has now spread across 12 states. The potential of this invasive tick vector to transmit pathogens will be determined through its association to native hosts, such as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) which is the primary reservoir for the causative agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) and other zoonotic pathogens. We placed larval H. longicornis on P. leucopus, 65% of the larvae (n = 40) moved off the host within a short period of time and none engorged. In contrast, larval black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) did not move from where they were placed in the ear of the mouse. We then conducted a laboratory behavioural assay to assess the interaction of H. longicornis with the hair of potential mammalian host species in the United States of America. H. longicornis larvae were less likely to enter the hair zone of P. leucopus and humans compared to the hair of domestic cats, domestic dogs, and white-tailed deer. Our study identifies a tick-host hair interaction behaviour, which can be quantified in a laboratory assay to predict tick-host associations and provides insights into how ticks select a host.

Distribution and Density of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) on Public Lands in Pennsylvania, United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith J Price ◽  
Bryn J Witmier ◽  
Rebecca A Eckert ◽  
Christian N Boyer ◽  
Matt W Helwig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Public Lands ◽  
The United States ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Distributional Patterns ◽  
Report Data

Abstract Since the recent introduction of the Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann) in the United States, quantitative surveillance information remains lacking, which hinders accurate estimates of population structure and entomological risk. We conducted statewide, active tick surveillance from May to August 2019 and report data on H. longicornis geographical distribution and population density in Pennsylvania. In total, 615 H. longicornis were collected from four counties. Across samples recovering H. longicornis, mean density of H. longicornis was 9.2/100 m2, comparably greater than Ixodes scapularis Say (8.5/100 m2). Density of H. longicornis was also significantly greater in August, largely driven by larvae, and greater in recreational habitat types (12.6/100 m2) and in Bucks County (11.7/100 m2), situated adjacent to the location of the first U.S. discovery of intense infestations. These data are among the first to document H. longicornis from statewide tick surveillance and provide initial measures of population density enabling more quantitative characterizations of distributional patterns.

Ehrlichiosis in Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Harkess ◽  
S. A. Ewing ◽  
Timothy Brumit ◽  
Charles R. Mettry
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Human Illness ◽  
Human Ehrlichiosis ◽  
Common Laboratory

Tick-borne rickettsiae of the genus Ehrlichia have recently been recognized as a cause of human illness in the United States. In the years 1986-1988, 10 cases of ehrlichiosis were diagnosed in children in Oklahoma. Fever and headache were universal; myalgias, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia were also common. Rash was observed in six patients but was a prominent finding in only one. Leukopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia were common laboratory abnormalities. Six patients were treated with tetracycline, three with chloramphenicol, and one was not treated with antibiotics; all recovered. The onset of illness in spring and early summer for most cases paralleled the time when Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis are most active, suggesting that one or both ticks may be vectors of human ehrlichiosis in Oklahoma.

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