Occurrence and County-Level Distribution of Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) in Nebraska Using Passive Surveillance

Cortinas, Roberto; Spomer, Stephen M.

doi:10.1603/me13122

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Ixodes scapularis ’ spatial distribution has been studied at various geographic scales in North America [ 16 ]. Some studies reported I. scapularis tick distribution at a broad spatial scale, i.e., sampling sites in different counties or regions of one state [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ], or sampling sites in the same county [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Some other studies were carried out at a local scale, i.e., sampling sites in the same city [ 16 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] or in the same forest or park [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada

Ripoche

Lindsay

Ludwig

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Since its detection in Canada in the early 1990s, Ixodes scapularis, the primary tick vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America, has continued to expand northward. Estimates of the tick’s broad-scale distribution are useful for tracking the extent of the Lyme disease risk zone; however, tick distribution may vary widely within this zone. Here, we investigated I. scapularis nymph distribution at three spatial scales across the Lyme disease emergence zone in southern Quebec, Canada. We collected ticks and compared the nymph densities among different woodlands and different plots and transects within the same woodland. Hot spot analysis highlighted significant nymph clustering at each spatial scale. In regression models, nymph abundance was associated with litter depth, humidity, and elevation, which contribute to a suitable habitat for ticks, but also with the distance from the trail and the type of trail, which could be linked to host distribution and human disturbance. Accounting for this heterogeneous nymph distribution at a fine spatial scale could help improve Lyme disease management strategies but also help people to understand the risk variation around them and to adopt appropriate behaviors, such as staying on the trail in infested parks to limit their exposure to the vector and associated pathogens.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada

Ripoche

Lindsay

Ludwig

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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“…In the context of LD and other TBZ, a passive surveillance approach may involve the collection of tick samples from people or pets or submission of human case reports (e.g., notifiable disease reporting). Passive surveillance can be inexpensive and require less time and labour investment, when compared to other methods [21,22], but can be influenced by population density, as well as the level of effort placed into communication with and education of the public and medical communities [[23], [24], [25]]. A passive approach is well-suited to areas where there is limited information and can be used to establish a baseline of tick and pathogen distribution and monitor for deviations from this baseline [25,26].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for adaptive surveillance of emerging tick-borne zoonoses

et al. 2019

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Significant global ecological changes continue to drive emergence of tick-borne zoonoses around the world. This poses an important threat to both human and animal health, and highlights the need for surveillance systems that are capable of monitoring these complex diseases effectively across different stages of the emergence process. Our objective was to develop an evidence-based framework for surveillance of emerging tick-borne zoonoses. We conducted a realist review to understand the available approaches and major challenges associated with surveillance of emerging tick-borne zoonoses. Lyme disease, with a specific focus on emergence in Canada, was used as a case study to provide real-world context, since the process of disease emergence is ongoing in this country. We synthesize the results to propose a novel framework for adaptive surveillance of emerging tick-borne zoonoses. Goals for each phase of disease emergence are highlighted and approaches are suggested. The framework emphasizes the needs for surveillance systems to be inclusive, standardized, comprehensive and sustainable. We build upon a growing body of infectious disease literature that is advocating for reform to surveillance systems. Although our framework has been developed for tick-borne zoonoses, it is flexible and has the potential to be applied to a variety of other vector-borne and zoonotic diseases.

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“…Passive surveillance is sometimes criticized for under-representation of certain taxa or bias toward certain host associations. However, citizen-submitted tick collections can provide valuable baseline data on prevalence and likelihood of tick encounters ([82–84,7]. In fact, there is evidence that passive tick surveillance data is more strongly correlated with reported human cases of tick-borne diseases than active surveillance [7].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 117 year retrospective analysis of Pennsylvania tick community dynamics

Pak

Jacobs

Sakamoto

2018

Preprint

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BackgroundTick-borne diseases have been increasing at the local, national, and global levels. Researchers studying ticks and tick-borne disease need a thorough knowledge of the pathogens, vectors, and epidemiology of disease spread. Three surveillance approaches are commonly used to provide insight into tick-borne disease risk: human disease case surveillance, active tick surveillance, and passive tick surveillance. Long-term passive surveillance can provide up-to-date data on the spatial variability and temporal dynamics of ectoparasite communities and shed light into the ecology of rarer tick species. We present a retrospective analysis on compiled data of ticks from Pennsylvania over the last 117 years.MethodsWe compiled data from ticks collected during tick surveillance research, and from citizen-based submissions to the Penn State University Department of Entomology (PSUEnt). Specimens were deposited at the PSUEnt arthropod collections that eventually became The Frost Entomological Museum. While most of the specimens were submitted by the public, a subset of the data were collected through active methods (flagging or dragging, or removal of ticks from wildlife). We analyzed all data from 1900-2017 for tick community composition, host associations, and spatio-temporal dynamics.ResultsIn total there were 4,491 submission lots consisting of 7,132 tick specimens. Twenty-four different species were identified, with the large proportion of submissions represented by five tick species. We observed a shift in tick community composition in which the dominant species of tick (Ixodes cookei) was overtaken in abundance by Dermacentor variabilis in the early 1990s, and then replaced in abundance by I. scapularis. We analyzed host data and identified overlaps in host range amongst tick species, suggesting potential hubs of pathogen transfer between different tick vectors and their reservoir hosts.ConclusionsWe highlight the importance of long-term passive tick surveillance in investigating the ecology of both common and rare tick species. Information on the geographic distribution, host-association, and seasonality of the tick community can help researchers and health-officials to identify high-risk areas.

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Occurrence and County-Level Distribution of Ticks (Acari: Ixodoidea) in Nebraska Using Passive Surveillance

Cited by 18 publications

References 43 publications

Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada

Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada

A framework for adaptive surveillance of emerging tick-borne zoonoses

A 117 year retrospective analysis of Pennsylvania tick community dynamics

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