scholarly journals Integrating tick density and park visitor behaviors to assess the risk of tick exposure in urban parks on Staten Island, New York

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Hassett ◽  
Maria Diuk-Wasser ◽  
Laura Harrington ◽  
Maria del Pilar Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
Staten Island ◽  
Nymphal Stage ◽  
Tick Density ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Kap Survey

Abstract Background Public green spaces are important for human health, but they may expose visitors to ticks and tick-borne pathogens. We sought to understand risk and drivers of tick-preventative behavior in three popular parks on Staten Island, NY, USA by integrating tick hazard and park visitors’ behaviors. Methods From 20 May to 19 August 2019, ticks were collected via drag cloth sampling in multiple parks, sites, and habitats to estimate tick density. Human behavior was assessed by observing usage (time spent and activity type) in each site and habitat. To evaluate risk of tick exposure, we compared park usage by demographics across sites and compared individual exposure time per site and habitat. To assess visitors’ tick prevention behaviors, a knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) survey was administered. Results Three tick species (Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum and Haemaphysalis longicornis) were collected. The density of nymphs was heterogenous across parks, with the greatest density in unmaintained herbaceous habitats and trails. The fewest people entered the highest tick risk park and within-park locations. The KAP survey revealed that most respondents (N= 190) could not identify a nymphal stage tick when shown examples of various arthropods. Interviewees identified parks as the main location for tick exposure, but most believed they themselves had minimal risk for tick encounter. Consequently, many visitors did not conduct tick checks. People were most likely to practice tick checks if they knew multiple prevention methods and perceived a high likelihood of tick encounter. Conclusions By integrating acarological indices and park visitor behaviors we found a mismatch between the areas with higher tick densities and areas more frequently used by park visitors. However, this exposure risk varied among demographic groups and the type of activities. Moreover, the use of preventative measures was associated with the perceived probability of tick encounter and knowledge of tick habitat, which would modify the ultimate risk of tick encounter and disease given exposure. Our research is a first step towards identifying visitor risk, attitudes, and practices that could be targeted by optimized messaging strategies for tick bite prevention among park visitors.

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 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 Distribution, Host-Seeking Phenology, and Host and Habitat Associations of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Staten Island, New York, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 792-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Tufts ◽  
Meredith C. VanAcker ◽  
Maria P. Fernandez ◽  
Anthony DeNicola ◽  
Andrea Egizi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Staten Island ◽  
Host Seeking

scholarly journals A 4-Yr Survey of the Range of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in the Lehigh Valley Region of Eastern Pennsylvania

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 1122-1134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marten J Edwards ◽  
James C Russell ◽  
Emily N Davidson ◽  
Thomas J Yanushefski ◽  
Bess L Fleischman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽  
Lehigh Valley ◽  
Eastern Pennsylvania ◽  
Pathogen Surveillance

AbstractQuesting ticks were surveyed by dragging in forested habitats within the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania for four consecutive summers (2015–2018). A high level of inter-annual variation was found in the density of blacklegged tick nymphs, Ixodes scapularis Say, with a high density of host-seeking nymphs (DON) in summer 2015 and 2017 and a relatively low DON in summer 2016 and 2018. Very few American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) and Ixodes cookei Packard were collected. Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) and longhorned ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann) were not represented among the 6,398 ticks collected. For tick-borne pathogen surveillance, DNA samples from 1,721 I. scapularis nymphs were prepared from specimens collected in summers 2015–2017 and screened using qPCR, high resolution melting analysis, and DNA sequencing when necessary. The overall 3-yr nymphal infection prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi was 24.8%, Borrelia miyamotoi was 0.3%, Anaplasma phagocytophilum variant-ha was 0.8%, and Babesia microti was 2.8%. Prevalence of coinfection with B. burgdorferi and B. microti as well as B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum variant-ha were significantly higher than would be expected by independent infection. B. burgdorferi nymphal infection prevalence is similar to what other studies have found in the Hudson Valley region of New York, but levels of B. microti and A. phagocytophilum variant-ha nymphal infection prevalence are relatively lower. This study reinforces the urgent need for continued tick and pathogen surveillance in the Lehigh Valley region.

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 Vector competence of human-biting ticks Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis for Powassan virus

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Sharma ◽  
Duncan W. Cozens ◽  
Philip M. Armstrong ◽  
Douglas E. Brackney
Keyword(s):  
Tick Species ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Vector Competence ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Hard Tick ◽  
Nymphal Stage ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis ◽  
Powassan Virus ◽  
The Usa

Abstract Background Powassan virus (POWV; genus Flavivirus) is the sole North American member of the tick-borne encephalitis sero-complex and an increasing public health threat in the USA. Maintained in nature by Ixodes spp. ticks, POWV has also been isolated from species of other hard tick genera, yet it is unclear if these species can serve as vectors. Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum share geographic and ecologic overlap with Ixodes spp. ticks and POWV transmission foci, raising the possibility that POWV could become established in these tick species and leading to range expansion and increased human risk. Therefore, we assessed the competency of Ixodes scapularis, D. variabilis and A. americanum for POWV lineage II (POWV II). Methods Larvae from all three species were co-infested on POWV-infected Balb/c mice. The engorged larvae were allowed to molt to nymphs and screened for the presence of POWV II RNA by reverse transcription-qPCR. Eight infected nymphs from each species were allowed to individually feed on a naïve mouse. Mice were screened for the presence of POWV II RNA to determine infection status. Results The results demonstrated that larvae from all three tick species were able to efficiently acquire POWV II via feeding on viremic mice, maintain infection through molting and successively transmit POWV to naïve mice at the nymphal stage at comparable rates across all three species. Conclusions Our findings reveal that non-Ixodes tick species can serve as competent vectors for POWV and highlight the potential role of these species in the ecology and epidemiology of POWV. Future studies examining the possible implications of these findings on POWV epidemiology and the adaptability of POWV in these new vectors are warranted. Graphical abstract

Seasonal Activity of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Southern New York State

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas P Piedmonte ◽  
Vanessa C Vinci ◽  
Thomas J Daniels ◽  
Bryon P Backenson ◽  
Richard C Falco
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
New York State ◽  
The United States ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Eastern Asia ◽  
Short Life ◽  
Human Bite

Abstract The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, is a species native to eastern Asia that has recently been discovered in the United States. In its native range, H. longicornis transmits pathogens that cause disease in humans and livestock. It is currently unknown whether H. longicornis will act as a vector in the United States. Understanding its seasonal activity patterns will be important in identifying which times of the year represent greatest potential risk to humans and livestock should this species become a threat to animal or public health. A study site was established in Yonkers, NY near the residence associated with the first reported human bite from H. longicornis in the United States. Ticks were collected once each week from July 2018 to November 2019. Haemaphysalis longicornis larvae were most active from August to November, nymphs from April to July, and adult females from June to September. This pattern of activity suggests that H. longicornis is capable of completing a generation within a single year and matches the patterns observed in its other ranges in the northern hemisphere. The data presented here contribute to a growing database for H. longicornis phenology in the northeastern United States. Potential implications of the short life cycle for the tick’s vectorial capacity are discussed.

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