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Valdes SM, Simonson S, Scott-Waldron C, Balsamo G, Grasperge BJ, Foil LD, Balasuriya U, Macaluso KR. Surveillance of tick-borne pathogens present in ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) removed from companion animals in Louisiana, USA. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024:tjae122. [PMID: 39383453 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjae122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Current knowledge of tick distribution and tick-borne pathogen presence across Louisiana is limited. Collaborating with veterinarians across the state, ticks removed from companion animals were recovered and assessed for the presence of zoonotic pathogens. A large number of ticks (n = 959) were removed from companion animals and subsequently screened using qPCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bartonella henselae, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and spotted fever group Rickettsia. Five different tick species, Ixodes scapularis (54.5%), Amblyomma americanum (18.4%), Amblyomma maculatum (12.5%), Dermacentor variabilis (11.2%), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (0.3%) from different regions of Louisiana were collected from October 2018 to July 2019. There were 15 PCR-positive ticks for Rickettsia parkeri (1.6% prevalence), and four ticks were positive for Ehrlichia chaffeensis (0.4% prevalence). This survey identifies ticks and tick-borne pathogens associated with companion animals and areas for future active surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina M Valdes
- Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Sean Simonson
- Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Christine Scott-Waldron
- Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Gary Balsamo
- Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Britton J Grasperge
- Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lane D Foil
- Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Department of Entomology, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Udeni Balasuriya
- Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Kevin R Macaluso
- Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Mobile, AL, USA
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Foster E, Maes SA, Holcomb KM, Eisen RJ. Prevalence of five human pathogens in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus by region, state, and county in the contiguous United States generated through national tick surveillance. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102250. [PMID: 37703795 PMCID: PMC10629455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The majority of vector-borne disease cases reported in the United States (U.S.) are caused by pathogens spread by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. In recent decades, the geographic ranges of the tick and its associated human pathogens have expanded, putting an increasing number of communities at risk for tick-borne infections. In 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated a national tick surveillance program to monitor changes in the distribution and abundance of ticks and the presence and prevalence of human pathogens in them. We assessed the geographical representativeness of prevalence data submitted to CDC as part of the national tick surveillance effort. We describe county, state, and regional variation in the prevalence of five human pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), Borrelia mayonii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti) in host-seeking I. scapularis and I. pacificus nymphs and adults. Although I. scapularis and I. pacificus are widely distributed in the eastern and western U.S., respectively, pathogen prevalence was estimated predominantly in ticks collected in the Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Upper Midwest regions, where human Lyme disease cases are most commonly reported. Within these regions, we found that state and regional estimates of pathogen prevalence generally reached predictable and stable levels, but variation in prevalence estimates at the sub-state level was considerable. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was the most prevalent and widespread pathogen detected. Borrelia miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum shared a similarly broad geographic range, but were consistently detected at much lower prevalence compared with B. burgdorferi s.s. Babesia microti was detected at similar prevalence to A. phagocytophilum, where both pathogens co-occurred, but was reported over a much more limited geographic range compared with A. phagocytophilum or B. burgdorferi s.s. Borrelia mayonii was identified at very low prevalence with a focal distribution within the Upper Midwest. National assessments of risk for tick-borne diseases need to be improved through collection and testing of ticks in currently under-represented regions, including the West, South, Southeast, and eastern Plains states.
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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.
| | - Sarah A Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Karen M Holcomb
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, 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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Bhosale CR, Wilson KN, Ledger KJ, White ZS, Dorleans R, De Jesus CE, Wisely SM. Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Recreational Greenspaces in North Central Florida, USA. Microorganisms 2023; 11:756. [PMID: 36985329 PMCID: PMC10057063 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne infections are an increasing medical and veterinary concern in the southeastern United States, but there is limited understanding of how recreational greenspaces influence the hazard of pathogen transmission. This study aimed to estimate the potential human and companion animal encounter risk with different questing tick species, and the bacterial or protozoal agents they carry in recreational greenspaces. We collected ticks bimonthly along trails and designated recreational areas in 17 publicly accessible greenspaces, in and around Gainesville, Florida, USA. We collected Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes affinis, and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris. Across the six tick species collected, we detected 18 species of bacteria or protozoa within the Babesia, Borrelia, Cytauxzoon, Cryptoplasma (Allocryptoplasma), Ehrlichia, Hepatozoon, Rickettsia, and Theileria genera, including pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. While tick abundance and associated microorganism prevalence and richness were the greatest in natural habitats surrounded by forests, we found both ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in manicured groundcover. This relationship is important for public health and awareness, because it suggests that the probability of encountering an infected tick is measurable and substantial even on closely manicured turf or gravel, if the surrounding landcover is undeveloped. The presence of medically important ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in recreational greenspaces indicates that public education efforts regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases are warranted in this region of the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanakya R. Bhosale
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Kristen N. Wilson
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kimberly J. Ledger
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zoe S. White
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rayann Dorleans
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Carrie E. De Jesus
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Ginsberg HS, Hickling GJ, Pang G, Tsao JI, Fitzgerald M, Ross B, Rulison EL, Burke RL. Selective Host Attachment by Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae): Tick-Lizard Associations in the Southeastern United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:267-272. [PMID: 34718657 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Questing behavior and host associations of immature blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say, from the southeastern United States are known to differ from those in the north. To elucidate these relationships we describe host associations of larval and nymphal I. scapularis from 8 lizard species sampled from 5 sites in the southeastern U.S. Larvae and nymphs attached in greater numbers to larger lizards than to smaller lizards, with differential levels of attachment to different lizard species. Blacklegged ticks are generally attached to skinks of the genus Plestiodon in greater numbers per unit lizard weight than to anoles (Anolis) or fence lizards (Sceloporus). The broad-headed skink, Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider), was a particularly important host for immature I. scapularis in our study and in several previous studies of tick-host associations in the southeast. Blacklegged ticks show selective attachment to Plestiodon lizard hosts in the southeast, but whether this results from behavioral host preferences or from ecological factors such as timing or microhabitat distributions of tick questing and host activity remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard S Ginsberg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Field Station at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Genevieve Pang
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Meghan Fitzgerald
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Breann Ross
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
| | - Eric L Rulison
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Russell L Burke
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA
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