Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma americanum):

Abstract

Public health messaging in the eastern United States has historically underemphasized the risks posed by lone star ticks ( Amblyomma americanum ), focusing instead on blacklegged ticks ( Ixodes scapularis ). This gap persists despite mounting evidence that lone star ticks also play an important role in disease ecology as confirmed vectors for a wide variety of tick-borne pathogens. These pathogens include several distinct bacterial agents that cause ehrlichiosis and tularensis in humans and dogs, a protozoal agent that causes cytauxzoonosis in cats, and emerging viruses such as Heartland, Bourbon, and Tacaribe. Lone star ticks are additionally linked to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, southern tick-associated rash illness, and alpha-gal syndrome, a condition marked by immune reactions to ingestion of mammalian meat. Moreover, their distribution in North America is expanding due to changing climatic factors and land use patterns. Lone star ticks are the most commonly encountered tick in Delaware, especially in Sussex and Kent Counties, and make up the vast majority of ticks collected in the first two years of the state’s tick surveillance program. Given the magnitude of lone star ticks’ medical and veterinary import, it is vital for healthcare professionals and health educators to devote more attention to this emerging threat.

Seasonal Dynamics of Tick Species in the Ecotone of Parks and Recreational Areas in Middlesex County (New Jersey, USA)

“…The second most prevalent tick species in the ecotone was A. americanum , an aggressive biter responsible for most human bites in the USA [ 69 , 70 ] and NJ [ 71 ]. In a passive surveillance study conducted in NJ, most nymphs and adults of A. americanum were submitted during the spring and early summer [ 71 ], when these stages are most active in edge habitats.…”

Comprehensive Review of Emergence and Virology of Tickborne Bourbon Virus in the United States

“…Since the initial identification of BRBV in a tick-infected person, several studies have used PCR-based surveillance testing to show that BRBV can be detected in all life stages (larvae, nymph, and adult) of lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) (4,20). Lone star ticks (also known as northeastern water ticks or turkey ticks) are a species of hard tick with a wide range throughout the eastern and central United States (Figures 3, 4); they are commonly found in both wooded and grassy areas and known to harbor several human pathogens, including HRTV and Tacaribe virus and the bacteria Ehrlichia spp., Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetti, and Rickettsia amblyommii (21). Although other common species of ticks have been tested at surveillance sites, such as Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes scapularis, and Ixodes dentatus, to date, BRBV has only been found in A. americanum ticks (4,20).…”

“…Monitoring trends in tickborne and mosquitoborne diseases has become more prominent in recent literature (27). Proactive safety and awareness of tickborne diseases has been encouraged, especially because ticks such as A. americanum continue to be dominant health threats in much of the forested regions of the United States (21). Because of the lack of knowledge and established treatments or vaccines for BRBV, CDC recommends using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, and conducting a thorough tick check after spending time in known tick-infested regions (28).…”

Eight Years of Research Advances in Bourbon Virus, a Tick-borne Thogotovirus of the Orthomyxovirus Family

“…Importantly, the distribution of Lone Star ticks in North America has geographically expanded to the upper midwestern and northeastern regions of the United States and eastern Canada, owing to climatic change and landuse patterns [25]. Moreover, Lone Star ticks have become the most commonly encountered tick in Delaware [26]. Importantly, BRBV was detected in pools of tick Haemaphysalis Longicornis (Ixodidae), the Asian long horned tick, in several counties in Virginia [27].…”