New York State Tick Blitz: harnessing community-based science to understand range expansion of ticks

Abstract

Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an immense public health burden in New York State (NYS), United States. Tick species and associated pathogens are expanding into new areas, shifting threats to human, and animal health across the state. For example, the invasive tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae), was first detected in the United States in 2017 and has since been identified in 17 states, including NYS. In addition, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) is a native tick thought to be reestablishing historical populations in NYS. We implemented a community-based science project called the “NYS Tick Blitz” to determine the distribution of A. americanum and H. longicornis in NYS. Community volunteers were recruited, provided with education, training, and materials to conduct active tick sampling during a 2-wk period in June 2021. Fifty-nine volunteers sampled 164 sites across 15 counties, for a total of 179 separate collection events and 3,759 ticks collected. The most frequently collected species was H. longicornis, followed by Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), and A. americanum, respectively. Through the NYS Tick Blitz collections, H. longicornis was identified for the first time in Putnam County. We conducted pooled pathogen testing on a subset of specimens, with the highest rates of infection detected for pathogens transmitted by I. scapularis, including Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Most participants who completed a follow-up survey (n = 23, 71.9%) were promoters of the NYS Tick Blitz and 50% (n = 15) reported that they enjoyed participating in meaningful science.

Environmental variables serve as predictors of the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann): An approach for targeted tick surveillance

“…In areas where H . longicornis specimens have not yet been confirmed or where it is suspected to occur in the future, community engagement events such as tick blitzes, might help with monitoring and surveillance for this species [ 37 – 39 ]. In such activities, community members and stakeholders are asked to collect any and all ticks they encounter or collect from an accessible and available location and provide those collections to a researcher to better understand tick presence.…”

Emerging tickborne viruses vectored by Amblyomma americanum (Ixodida: Ixodidae): Heartland and Bourbon viruses

“…This is especially true for tick-borne pathogens such as HRTV and BRBV with low tick infection rates and areas without tick surveillance (Riemersma and Komar 2015, Clarke et al 2018b, Komar et al 2020, Dupuis et al 2021. A fundable national or multi-regional testing program facilitated or coordinated by state and federal partners, perhaps modeled on the current regional Centers of Excellence, would complement existing tick surveillance programs and citizen science initiatives such as tick blitz (Foley et al 2023) and tick submission/testing at commercial laboratories. Leveraging federal and state natural resource divisions, local fish and game clubs, and high-volume venison processors would provide an ample supply of samples (blood and ticks) to define the distribution of HRTV and BRBV and could be easily modified for other endemic and emerging tick-and mosquito-borne pathogens.…”

Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases’ Master of Science training program: a curriculum to support future capacity in public health entomology

“…Spatiotemporal Assessment of Borrelia miyamotoi Risk(Foley et al 2023b)/ New York State Tick Blitz(Foley et al 2023a) …”