Mapping the Potential Distribution of Ticks in the Western Kanto Region, Japan: Predictions Based on Land-Use, Climate, and Wildlife

Abstract

Background: Tick distributions have changed rapidly with changes in human activity, land-use patterns, climate, and wildlife distributions over the last few decades. Methods: To estimate potential distributions of ticks, we conducted a tick survey at 134 locations in western Kanto, Japan. We estimated the potential distributions of six tick species (Amblyomma testudinarium Koch, 1844; Haemaphysalis flava Neumann, 1897; Haemaphysalis kitaokai Hoogstraal, 1969; Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, 1901; Haemaphysalis megaspinosa Saito, 1969; and Ixodes ovatus Neumann, 1899) using MaxEnt modeling based on climate patterns, land-use patterns, and the distributions of five common wildlife species: sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838), wild boar (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758), raccoon (Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758), Japanese raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray, 1834), and masked palm civet (Paguma larvata C.E.H. Smith, 1827)). Results: We collected 24,546 individuals of four genera and 16 tick species. Our models indicated that forest connectivity contributed to the distributions of six tick species and that raccoon distribution contributed to five tick species. Other than that, sika deer distribution contributed to H. kitaokai, and wild boar distribution, bamboo forest, and warm winter climate contributed specifically to A. testudinarium. Conclusions: Based on these results, the dispersal of some tick species toward residential areas and expanded distributions can be explained by the distribution of raccoons and by forest connectivity.

Effect of voluntary human mobility restrictions on vector-borne diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A descriptive epidemiological study using a national database (2016 to 2021)

“…For example, in countries with distinct wet and dry seasons, climatic factors may have a strong influence on mosquito-borne disease outbreaks beyond seasonal effects [ 57 ]. Moreover, animals with ticks move into residential areas, expanding the distribution area of various ticks [ 58 ].…”

MaxEnt model for predicting potential distribution of ticks in the western Kanto region of Japan

“…Our tick survey collected 24,546 individuals of 4 genera and 16 tick species (Doi et al 2021). Notably, our MaxEnt models indicated that forest connectivity was most important for the 6 species under study.…”

Preliminary report on the relationship between recent tick bite cases caused by <i>Amblyomma testudinarium</i> and ticks collected from wild boar and deer in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

“…Summary of reports of A. testudinarium in the other four neighboring prefectures is as follows: one female was collected from an Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus G. Cuvier, 1823) in Fukushima Prefecture (Kabeya et al, 2020), one case (number unknown) was recorded from Sika Deer (Cervus nippon Temminck, 1836 hereafter deer) (Yamaguti et al, 1971) and also a single specimen was collected by flagging from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute premises (Doi, 2022) from Ibaraki Prefecture, Doi et al (2021) collected more than one hundred specimens using the flagging method from nine collection sites in Gunma Prefecture, more than one hundred specimens from three wild boars (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758) were reported in Saitama Prefecture (Takahashi et al, 2021).…”