County-Level Surveillance for the American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and Rickettsia Species in Kentucky

Details

• Journal Article:
  Scientific Reports
• Personal Author:
  Vandegriff, Callista W. ; Ryoo, Jun Seok ; Carrasquilla, Maria C. ; Pasternak, Anna R. ; Sanderson, Wayne T. ; Palli, Subba R.
• Description:
  Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiosis includes a group of illnesses with similar symptoms caused by Rickettsia species bacteria. While Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a well-known pathogen, other SFG Rickettsia spp. can infect ticks and occasionally contribute to human disease. We conducted county-level surveillance of Dermacentor variabilis ticks in Kentucky to characterize the distribution and diversity of SFG Rickettsia. Ticks were collected from the environment from 2019 to 2024 by dragging a white cloth and through our Kentucky Tick Submission Program. In total, 2,023 D. variabilis ticks were collected from 114 counties. Rickettsia species were detected in 1% of Dermacentor variabilis ticks, including R. montanensis (0.47%), R. amblyommatis (0.13%), and R. parkeri (0.13%). These findings indicate that, while SFG Rickettsia are present at low levels in D. variabilis ticks in Kentucky, continued surveillance in counties with reported SFG rickettsiosis cases is essential to improve clinical recognition and guide public health efforts to monitor and prevent SFG rickettsiosis. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Rickettsia Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Safety Tick-Borne Diseases
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Rickettsia; Dermacentor Variabilis; Tick Surveillance; Spotted Fever Group Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; Pathogens; Bacterial Disease; Tickborne Diseases; Surveillance; Outdoors; Infectious Diseases;
• Source:
  Sci Rep 2026 Feb; 16:7404
• ISSN:
  2045-2322
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Birmingham Region [OSHA] ; Kentucky
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  7 pdf pages
• Volume:
  16
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071656
• Contact Point Address:
  Subba R. Palli, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, S-225 Ag Science Center N, Lexington, KY, 40546-0091, USA
• Email:
  rpalli@uky.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky, Lexington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20120701
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9a8382e603f2b2cfb65a5188b94d3c71e386a98404a4d4d36ac036fccac25906b72368bb8dbf448ac11c532b3fd747c7c89c6b711238938c2d67a059becae6c5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259429/cdc_259429_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.42 MB ]