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Spatial Heterogeneity of Sympatric Tick Species and Tick-Borne Pathogens Emphasizes the Need for Surveillance for Effective Tick Control
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11 2021
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Source: Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 21(11):843-853
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Alternative Title:Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis
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Description:Three tick species that can transmit pathogen causing disease are commonly found parasitizing people and animals in the mid-Atlantic United States: the blacklegged tick (| Say), the American dog tick (| [Say]), and the lone star tick (| [L.]) (Acari: Ixodidae). The potential risk of pathogen transmission from tick bites acquired at schools in tick-endemic areas is a concern, as school-aged children are a high-risk group for tick-borne disease. Integrated pest management (IPM) is often required in school districts, and continued tick range expansion and population growth will likely necessitate IPM strategies to manage ticks on school grounds. However, an often-overlooked step of tick management is monitoring and assessment of local tick species assemblages to inform the selection of control methodologies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tick species presence, abundance, and distribution and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in both questing ticks and those removed from rodent hosts on six school properties in Maryland. Overall, there was extensive heterogeneity in tick species dominance, abundance, and evenness across the field sites. | and | were found on all sites in all years. Overall, | was the dominant tick species. | was collected in limited numbers. Several pathogens were found in both questing ticks and those removed from rodent hosts, although prevalence of infection was not consistent between years. |, |, |, and |Panola Mountain" were identified in questing ticks, and | and | were detected in trapped | spp. mice. | was the dominant pathogen detected. The impact of tick diversity on IPM of ticks is discussed.
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Pubmed ID:34463140
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC10860641
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