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Komine H, Okabe K. Summer collection of multiple southern species of ticks in a remote northern island in Japan and literature review of the distribution and avian hosts of ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2023:10.1007/s10493-023-00819-x. [PMID: 37500956 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-023-00819-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases is of increasing concern worldwide. To decrease the risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases to public health, understanding the mechanisms of their current distribution and future expansion is needed. Although tick distribution has been studied globally on continents and large islands that are inhabited by large mammals, less attention has been paid to remote islands. However, small islands are often important stopover sites for migratory birds that may contribute to long-distance dispersal of ticks. Therefore, islands would be a suitable system to rule out potential effects of mammals and to evaluate the contribution of birds to the expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases. We collected questing ticks by dragging cloths over vegetation on Tobishima Island, northern Japan, in summer 2021, and conducted a literature search of the distribution and avian hosts of hard tick. We found several southern species of ticks (Haemaphysalis hystricis, H. formosensis, H. cornigera, Amblyomma testudinarium, and Dermacentor bellulus) on the island. These species have rarely or never been reported from the mainland of Japan at similar latitudes or higher, where large mammals are found. They are known vectors of tick-borne diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome. The present study suggests that migratory birds may contribute to the expansion of ticks and tick-borne diseases, and a remote island may function as a front line and/or a hub for their expansion. Evaluating tick fauna on remote islands used by migratory birds might be useful to monitor the expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirotaka Komine
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23, Wakaba-machi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-0037, Japan.
| | - Kimiko Okabe
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
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Foster E, Burtis J, Sidge JL, Tsao JI, Bjork J, Liu G, Neitzel DF, Lee X, Paskewitz S, Caporale D, Eisen RJ. Inter-annual variation in prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) at long-term surveillance sites in the upper midwestern United States: Implications for public health practice. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101886. [PMID: 34929604 PMCID: PMC10621653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The geographic range of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and its associated human pathogens have expanded substantially over the past 20 years putting an increasing number of persons at risk for tick-borne diseases, particularly in the upper midwestern and northeastern United States. Prevention and diagnosis of tick-borne diseases rely on an accurate understanding by the public and health care providers of when and where persons may be exposed to infected ticks. While tracking changes in the distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens provides fundamental information on risk for tick-borne diseases, metrics that incorporate prevalence of infection in ticks better characterize acarological risk. However, assessments of infection prevalence are more labor intensive and costly than simple measurements of tick or pathogen presence. Our objective was to examine whether data derived from repeated sampling at longitudinal sites substantially influences public health recommendations for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis prevention, or if more constrained sampling is sufficient. Here, we summarize inter-annual variability in prevalence of the agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi s.s.) and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs and adults at 28 longitudinal sampling sites in the Upper Midwestern US (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). Infection prevalence was highly variable among sites and among years within sites. We conclude that monitoring infection prevalence in ticks aids in describing coarse acarological risk trends, but setting a fixed prevalence threshold for prevention or diagnostic decisions is not feasible given the observed variability and lack of temporal trends. Reducing repeated sampling of the same sites had minimal impact on regional (Upper Midwest) estimates of average infection prevalence; this information should be useful in allocating scarce public health resources for tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance, prevention, and control activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
| | - James Burtis
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jennifer L Sidge
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lansing, MI 48933, USA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Gongping Liu
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - David F Neitzel
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Susan Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Diane Caporale
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Eisen L, Stafford KC. Barriers to Effective Tick Management and Tick-Bite Prevention in the United States (Acari: Ixodidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1588-1600. [PMID: 32372075 PMCID: PMC8056842 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are increasing in the United States. Development of tick control tools have focused primarily on the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say. Application of acaricides or entomopathogenic fungal agents to kill host-seeking ticks or ticks on rodents can suppress I. scapularis abundance in residential landscapes, but evidence is lacking for impact on human tick bites or tick-borne disease. Similar studies remain limited for the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.). Other knowledge gaps include how well homeowners and pest control companies perform in the broadcast application of tick-killing products, relative to high efficacy reported in research studies, and the tick-killing potential of natural product formulations exempt from Environmental Protection Agency registration. Area-wide control based on preventing ticks from feeding on their main reproductive host, the white-tailed deer, can suppress populations of both I. scapularis and A. americanum. Some studies also suggest an impact on Lyme disease cases, but this needs to be further validated in larger-scale intervention studies. The effectiveness, scale, cost, and implementation of various tick management strategies are important considerations in efforts to reduce human tick encounters and tick-borne disease. Additional barriers include weak incentives for industry and academia to develop, test, and register new tick and pathogen control technologies, including vaccines targeting humans, tick reproductive hosts, or wildlife pathogen reservoirs. Solutions will need to be 'two-pronged': improving the tick and pathogen control toolbox and strengthening the public health workforce engaging in tick control at local and state levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
- Corresponding author,
| | - Kirby C. Stafford
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT 06504
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Diuk-Wasser MA, VanAcker MC, Fernandez MP. Impact of Land Use Changes and Habitat Fragmentation on the Eco-epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1546-1564. [PMID: 33095859 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent decades and accounts for the majority of vector-borne disease cases in temperate areas of Europe, North America, and Asia. This emergence has been attributed to multiple and interactive drivers including changes in climate, land use, abundance of key hosts, and people's behaviors affecting the probability of human exposure to infected ticks. In this forum paper, we focus on how land use changes have shaped the eco-epidemiology of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens, in particular the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern United States. We use this as a model system, addressing other tick-borne disease systems as needed to illustrate patterns or processes. We first examine how land use interacts with abiotic conditions (microclimate) and biotic factors (e.g., host community composition) to influence the enzootic hazard, measured as the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. We then review the evidence of how specific landscape configuration, in particular forest fragmentation, influences the enzootic hazard and disease risk across spatial scales and urbanization levels. We emphasize the need for a dynamic understanding of landscapes based on tick and pathogen host movement and habitat use in relation to human resource provisioning. We propose a coupled natural-human systems framework for tick-borne diseases that accounts for the multiple interactions, nonlinearities and feedbacks in the system and conclude with a call for standardization of methodology and terminology to help integrate studies conducted at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
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Tsao JI, Hamer SA, Han S, Sidge JL, Hickling GJ. The Contribution of Wildlife Hosts to the Rise of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in North America. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1565-1587. [PMID: 33885784 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife vertebrate hosts are integral to enzootic cycles of tick-borne pathogens, and in some cases have played key roles in the recent rise of ticks and tick-borne diseases in North America. In this forum article, we highlight roles that wildlife hosts play in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic, companion animal, livestock, and wildlife tick-borne pathogens. We begin by illustrating how wildlife contribute directly and indirectly to the increase and geographic expansion of ticks and their associated pathogens. Wildlife provide blood meals for tick growth and reproduction; serve as pathogen reservoirs; and can disperse ticks and pathogens-either through natural movement (e.g., avian migration) or through human-facilitated movement (e.g., wildlife translocations and trade). We then discuss opportunities to manage tick-borne disease through actions directed at wildlife hosts. To conclude, we highlight key gaps in our understanding of the ecology of tick-host interactions, emphasizing that wildlife host communities are themselves a very dynamic component of tick-pathogen-host systems and therefore complicate management of tick-borne diseases, and should be taken into account when considering host-targeted approaches. Effective management of wildlife to reduce tick-borne disease risk further requires consideration of the 'human dimensions' of wildlife management. This includes understanding the public's diverse views and values about wildlife and wildlife impacts-including the perceived role of wildlife in fostering tick-borne diseases. Public health agencies should capitalize on the expertise of wildlife agencies when developing strategies to reduce tick-borne disease risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and Schubot Center for Avian Health, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Seungeun Han
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennifer L Sidge
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Sidge JL, Foster ES, Buttke DE, Hojgaard A, Graham CB, Tsao JI. Lake Michigan insights from island studies: the roles of chipmunks and coyotes in maintaining Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi in the absence of white-tailed deer. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101761. [PMID: 34167044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Deer management (e.g., reduction) has been proposed as a tool to reduce the acarological risk of Lyme disease. There have been few opportunities to investigate Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick) and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto dynamics in the absence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in midwestern North America. A pair of islands in Lake Michigan presented a unique opportunity to study the role of alternative hosts for the adult stage of the blacklegged tick for maintaining a tick population as a deer herd exists on North Manitou Island but not on South Manitou Island, where coyotes (Canis latrans) and hares (Lepus americanus) are the dominant medium mammals. Additionally, we were able to investigate the maintenance of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in small mammal communities on both islands, which were dominated by eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). From 2011 to 2015, we surveyed both islands for blacklegged ticks by drag cloth sampling, bird mist netting, and small and medium-sized mammal trapping. We assayed questing ticks, on-host ticks, and mammal biopsies for the Lyme disease pathogen, B. burgdorferi. We detected all three life stages of the blacklegged tick on both islands. Of the medium mammals sampled, no snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus, 0/23) were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, but 2/2 coyotes (Canis latrans) sampled on South Manitou Island in 2014 were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, suggesting that coyotes played a role in maintaining the tick population in the absence of deer. We also detected I. scapularis ticks on passerine birds from both islands, providing support that birds contribute to maintaining as well as introducing blacklegged ticks and B. burgdorferi to the islands. We observed higher questing adult and nymphal tick densities, and higher B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in small mammals and in adult ticks on the island with deer as compared to the deer-free island. On the islands, we also found that 25% more chipmunks were tick-infested than mice, fed more larvae and nymphs relative to their proportional abundance compared to mice, and thus may play a larger role compared to mice in the maintenance of B. burgdorferi. Our investigation demonstrated that alternative hosts could maintain a local population of blacklegged ticks and an enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease bacterium in the absence of white-tailed deer. Thus, alternative adult blacklegged tick hosts should be considered when investigating deer-targeted management tools for reducing tick-borne disease risk, especially when the alternative host community may be abundant and diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Sidge
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, State of Michigan, 525 West Allegan Street, Lansing, MI, USA, 48933.
| | - Erik S Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Danielle E Buttke
- Biological Resources Division/Wildlife Health Branch and Office of Public Health, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80525
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Christine B Graham
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824
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Zikeli S, Zohdy S. Why Research on Lyme Disease and Ixodes scapularis Needs Wildlife Ecology without Taxonomic Bias: A Review. SOUTHEAST NAT 2020. [DOI: 10.1656/058.019.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shelby Zikeli
- Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, 602 Duncan Drive Auburn AL, 36830
| | - Sarah Zohdy
- Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, 602 Duncan Drive Auburn AL, 36830
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Ogden NH, Bouchard C, Badcock J, Drebot MA, Elias SP, Hatchette TF, Koffi JK, Leighton PA, Lindsay LR, Lubelczyk CB, Peregrine AS, Smith RP, Webster D. What is the real number of Lyme disease cases in Canada? BMC Public Health 2019; 19:849. [PMID: 31253135 PMCID: PMC6599318 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7219-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease is emerging in Canada due to expansion of the range of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis from the United States. National surveillance for human Lyme disease cases began in Canada in 2009. Reported numbers of cases increased from 144 cases in 2009 to 2025 in 2017. It has been claimed that few (< 10%) Lyme disease cases are reported associated with i) supposed under-diagnosis resulting from perceived inadequacies of serological testing for Lyme disease, ii) expectation that incidence in Canadian provinces and neighbouring US states should be similar, and iii) analysis of serological responses of dogs to the agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. We argue that performance of serological testing for Lyme disease is well studied, and variations in test performance at different disease stages are accounted for in clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease, and in surveillance case definitions. Extensive surveillance for tick vectors has taken place in Canada providing a clear picture of the emergence of risk in the Canadian environment. This surveillance shows that the geographic scope of I. scapularis populations and Lyme disease risk is limited but increasing in Canada. The reported incidence of Lyme disease in Canada is consistent with this pattern of environmental risk, and the differences in Lyme disease incidence between US states and neighbouring Canadian provinces are consistent with geographic differences in environmental risk. Data on serological responses in dogs from Canada and the US are consistent with known differences in environmental risk, and in numbers of reported Lyme disease cases, between the US and Canada. CONCLUSION The high level of consistency in data from human case and tick surveillance, and data on serological responses in dogs, suggests that a high degree of under-reporting in Canada is unlikely. We speculate that approximately one third of cases are reported in regions of emergence of Lyme disease, although prospective studies are needed to fully quantify under-reporting. In the meantime, surveillance continues to identify and track the ongoing emergence of Lyme disease, and the risk to the public, in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - C. Bouchard
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - J. Badcock
- Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, New Brunswick Department of Health, Fredericton, Canada
| | - M. A. Drebot
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - S. P. Elias
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - T. F. Hatchette
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada
| | - J. K. Koffi
- Policy Integration and Zoonoses Division, Centre for Food-Borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - P. A. Leighton
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, and Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - L. R. Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - C. B. Lubelczyk
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - A. S. Peregrine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - R. P. Smith
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - D. Webster
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint John Regional Hospital, Dalhousie University, Saint John, New Brunswick Canada
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Halsey SJ, Allan BF, Miller JR. The role of Ixodes scapularis, Borrelia burgdorferi and wildlife hosts in Lyme disease prevalence: A quantitative review. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1103-1114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Williams SC, Stafford KC, Molaei G, Linske MA. Integrated Control of Nymphal Ixodes scapularis: Effectiveness of White-Tailed Deer Reduction, the Entomopathogenic Fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, and Fipronil-Based Rodent Bait Boxes. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 18:55-64. [PMID: 29173127 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogens transmitted by ticks are the leading cause of arthropod-associated human diseases in the United States and managing the risk of exposure to potentially infected ticks is of vital public health importance. A 3-year integrated tick management program to control blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector for the pathogenic agents of Lyme disease, human anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, was implemented in the town of Redding in southwestern Connecticut beginning in 2013. Combinations of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, reduction, area application of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae, and fipronil-based rodent bait boxes were evaluated for their ability to reduce nymphal I. scapularis over 3 years. Interference from local hunters prevented sufficient, sustained deer removal previously reported to negatively impact I. scapularis abundances (i.e., <5 deer/km2). The combination of fipronil-based bait boxes and broadcast application of M. anisopliae had the most impact of any treatment combination; questing nymphs were reduced 78-95% within each year and Borrelia burgdorferi-infected questing nymphal I. scapularis encounter potential was reduced by 66% as compared with no treatment in the third year of the study. A combination of the broadcast application of M. anisopliae and small rodent-targeted fipronil-based bait boxes is an effective low-toxicity integrated approach that significantly reduced encounters with B. burgdorferi-infected questing nymphal I. scapularis on individual properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Williams
- 1 Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kirby C Stafford
- 1 Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Goudarz Molaei
- 1 Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut.,2 Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Megan A Linske
- 1 Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases , The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
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Eisen L, Dolan MC. Evidence for Personal Protective Measures to Reduce Human Contact With Blacklegged Ticks and for Environmentally Based Control Methods to Suppress Host-Seeking Blacklegged Ticks and Reduce Infection with Lyme Disease Spirochetes in Tick Vectors and Rodent Reservoirs. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 53:1063-1092. [PMID: 27439616 PMCID: PMC5788731 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In the 1980s, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, and rodents were recognized as the principal vector and reservoir hosts of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in the eastern United States, and deer were incriminated as principal hosts for I. scapularis adults. These realizations led to pioneering studies aiming to reduce the risk for transmission of B. burgdorferi to humans by attacking host-seeking ticks with acaricides, interrupting the enzootic transmission cycle by killing immatures infesting rodent reservoirs by means of acaricide-treated nesting material, or reducing deer abundance to suppress tick numbers. We review the progress over the past three decades in the fields of: 1) prevention of human-tick contact with repellents and permethrin-treated clothing, and 2) suppression of I. scapularis and disruption of enzootic B. burgdorferi transmission with environmentally based control methods. Personal protective measures include synthetic and natural product-based repellents that can be applied to skin and clothing, permethrin sprays for clothing and gear, and permethrin-treated clothing. A wide variety of approaches and products to suppress I. scapularis or disrupt enzootic B. burgdorferi transmission have emerged and been evaluated in field trials. Application of synthetic chemical acaricides is a robust method to suppress host-seeking I. scapularis ticks within a treated area for at least 6-8 wk. Natural product-based acaricides or entomopathogenic fungi have emerged as alternatives to kill host-seeking ticks for homeowners who are unwilling to use synthetic chemical acaricides. However, as compared with synthetic chemical acaricides, these approaches appear less robust in terms of both their killing efficacy and persistence. Use of rodent-targeted topical acaricides represents an alternative for homeowners opposed to open distribution of acaricides to the ground and vegetation on their properties. This host-targeted approach also provides the benefit of the intervention impacting the entire rodent home range. Rodent-targeted oral vaccines against B. burgdorferi and a rodent-targeted antibiotic bait have been evaluated in laboratory and field trials but are not yet commercially available. Targeting of deer-via deer reduction or treatment of deer with topical acaricides-can provide area-wide suppression of host-seeking I. scapularis. These two deer-targeted approaches combine great potential for protection that impacts the entire landscape with severe problems relating to public acceptance or implementation logistics. Integrated use of two or more methods has unfortunately been evaluated in very few published studies, but additional field evaluations of integrated tick and pathogen strategies are underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; )
| | - Marc C Dolan
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; )
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Michelet L, Joncour G, Devillers E, Torina A, Vayssier-Taussat M, Bonnet SI, Moutailler S. Tick species, tick-borne pathogens and symbionts in an insular environment off the coast of Western France. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2016; 7:1109-1115. [PMID: 27622976 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Insular environments provide ideal natural conditions to study disease ecology, especially emerging diseases, due to clear differentiation between local and long-distance transmission. Such environments are of particular interest regarding tick-borne pathogens (TBP), since animal exchange with the mainland (along with any ticks they carry) is limited, and because such locations could lie on migratory routes for birds carrying ticks. Therefore both tick species and TBP may display different prevalence than those observed on the continent. As such, an epidemiological survey was performed on Belle-Ile-en-Mer, an island off the coast of Western France, in order to estimate the prevalence of tick species and the microorganisms they carried. Three tick species, Dermacentor marginatus, D. reticulatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata were collected at five different sites in 2010 and 2011. All ticks were tested for pathogen's and symbiont's DNA by (i) PCR for Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp.; (ii) real-time PCR for Francisella tularensis, Francisella-like endosymbionts (FLE) and Coxiella spp. and (iii) PCR-RLB for Babesia-Theileria spp. Pathogen DNA detected in D. marginatus including Borrelia spp. (18%), Rickettsia spp. (13%) which was identified as R. slovaca, Babesia spp. (8%), and Theileria spp. (1%). Pathogens detected in D. reticulatus including Rickettsia spp. (31%) identified as R. raoulti, Francisella-like endosymbiont (86%), and Babesia spp (21%). Pathogens detected in H. punctata including Rickettsia spp. (1%) identified as R. aeschlimannii, FLE (0.4%), Babesia spp. (18%), and Theileria spp. (7%). Anaplasma spp., F. tularensis, or Coxiella spp. were not detected in any of the collected ticks. This study represents the first epidemiological survey of the insular Belle-Ile-en-Mer environment. It demonstrated the presence of expected pathogens, consistent with reports from island veterinarians or physicians, as well as unexpected pathogens, raising questions about their potential introduction through infected animals and/or their dispersion by migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorraine Michelet
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons Alfort cedex, France
| | - Guy Joncour
- Technical Veterinary Groups National Society (SNGTV), 2, Kervellan, Callac, France
| | - Elodie Devillers
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons Alfort cedex, France
| | - Alessandra Torina
- Dipartimento Sanità Interprovinciale, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, Via Gino Marinuzzi, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Muriel Vayssier-Taussat
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons Alfort cedex, France
| | - Sarah I Bonnet
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons Alfort cedex, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, 14 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94706 Maisons Alfort cedex, France.
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13
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Kugeler KJ, Jordan RA, Schulze TL, Griffith KS, Mead PS. Will Culling White-Tailed Deer Prevent Lyme Disease? Zoonoses Public Health 2015; 63:337-45. [PMID: 26684932 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
White-tailed deer play an important role in the ecology of Lyme disease. In the United States, where the incidence and geographic range of Lyme disease continue to increase, reduction of white-tailed deer populations has been proposed as a means of preventing human illness. The effectiveness of this politically sensitive prevention method is poorly understood. We summarize and evaluate available evidence regarding the effect of deer reduction on vector tick abundance and human disease incidence. Elimination of deer from islands and other isolated settings can have a substantial impact on the reproduction of blacklegged ticks, while reduction short of complete elimination has yielded mixed results. To date, most studies have been conducted in ecologic situations that are not representative to the vast majority of areas with high human Lyme disease risk. Robust evidence linking deer control to reduced human Lyme disease risk is lacking. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend deer population reduction as a Lyme disease prevention measure, except in specific ecologic circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Kugeler
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - R A Jordan
- Tick-borne Diseases Program, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, Tinton Falls, NJ, USA
| | | | - K S Griffith
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - P S Mead
- National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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14
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Khatchikian CE, Prusinski MA, Stone M, Backenson PB, Wang IN, Foley E, Seifert SN, Levy MZ, Brisson D. Recent and rapid population growth and range expansion of the Lyme disease tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, in North America. Evolution 2015; 69:1678-89. [PMID: 26149959 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Migration is a primary force of biological evolution that alters allele frequencies and introduces novel genetic variants into populations. Recent migration has been proposed as the cause of the emergence of many infectious diseases, including those carried by blacklegged ticks in North America. Populations of blacklegged ticks have established and flourished in areas of North America previously thought to be devoid of this species. The recent discovery of these populations of blacklegged ticks may have resulted from either in situ growth of long-established populations that were maintained at very low densities or by migration and colonization from established populations. These alternative evolutionary hypotheses were investigated using Bayesian phylogeographic approaches to infer the origin and migratory history of recently detected blacklegged tick populations in the Northeastern United States. The data and results indicate that newly detected tick populations are not the product of in situ population growth from a previously established population but from recent colonization resulting in a geographic range expansion. This expansion in the geographic range proceeded primarily through progressive and local migration events from southern populations to proximate northern locations although long-distance migration events were also detected.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Melissa Stone
- State University of New York, Albany, New York, 12222
| | - Peter Bryon Backenson
- New York Department of Health, Albany, New York, 12237.,State University of New York, Albany, New York, 12222
| | - Ing-Nang Wang
- State University of New York, Albany, New York, 12222
| | - Erica Foley
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | | | - Michael Z Levy
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104
| | - Dustin Brisson
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104.
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15
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Stich RW, Blagburn BL, Bowman DD, Carpenter C, Cortinas MR, Ewing SA, Foley D, Foley JE, Gaff H, Hickling GJ, Lash RR, Little SE, Lund C, Lund R, Mather TN, Needham GR, Nicholson WL, Sharp J, Varela-Stokes A, Wang D. Quantitative factors proposed to influence the prevalence of canine tick-borne disease agents in the United States. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:417. [PMID: 25185829 PMCID: PMC4167287 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Companion Animal Parasite Council hosted a meeting to identify quantifiable factors that can influence the prevalence of tick-borne disease agents among dogs in North America. This report summarizes the approach used and the factors identified for further analysis with mathematical models of canine exposure to tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger W Stich
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
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16
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Pacilly FCA, Benning ME, Jacobs F, Leidekker J, Sprong H, Van Wieren SE, Takken W. Blood feeding on large grazers affects the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by Ixodes ricinus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:810-7. [PMID: 25113977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The presence of Ixodes ricinus and their associated Borrelia infections on large grazers was investigated. Carcases of freshly shot red deer, mouflon and wild boar were examined for the presence of any stage of I. ricinus. Questing ticks were collected from locations where red deer and wild boar are known to occur. Presence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. DNA was examined in a fraction of the collected ticks. Larvae, nymphs and adult ticks were found on the three large grazers. Red deer had the highest tick burden, with many of the nymphs and adult females attached for engorgement. Most larvae had not attached. The mean number of ticks on the animals varied from 13 to 67. Ticks were highly aggregated amongst the animals: some animals had no ticks, while others had high numbers. Larvae and nymphs were mostly found on the ears, while adult ticks were attached to the axillae. The Borrelia infection rate of questing nymphs was 8.5%. Unengorged wandering nymphs on deer had a Borrelia infection rate of 12.5%, while only 0.9% of feeding nymphs carried a Borrelia infection. The infection rate of unengorged adult male ticks was 4.5%, and that of feeding female ticks was 0.7%. The data suggest that ticks feeding on red deer and wild boar lose their Borrelia infections. The implications of the results are discussed with respect to Borrelia epidemiology and maintenance of a Borrelia reservoir as well as the role of reproductive hosts for Ixodes ricinus.
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Affiliation(s)
- F C A Pacilly
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M E Benning
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - F Jacobs
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Leidekker
- National Park de Hoge Veluwe, Apeldoornseweg 250, 7351 TA Hoenderloo, The Netherlands
| | - H Sprong
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands; Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM), Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, PO Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - S E Van Wieren
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - W Takken
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8031, 6700 EH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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17
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Levy S. The Lyme disease debate: host biodiversity and human disease risk. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2013; 121:A120-A125. [PMID: 23548684 PMCID: PMC3620092 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.121-a120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
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