Spatio-temporal variation in environmental features predicts the distribution and abundance of Ixodes scapularis

Tran, Teresa; Prusinski, Melissa A; White, Jennifer L.; Falco, Richard C.; Vinci, Vanessa; Gall, Wayne K.; Tober, Keith; Oliver, JoAnne; Sporn, Lee Ann; Meehan, Lisa; Banker, Elyse; Backenson, P. Bryon; Jensen, Shane T.; Brisson, Dustin

doi:10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.10.002

Cited by 21 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Tick submission data for the citizen science data can be found in Nieto et al [30]. Relevant R code and tick collection data for the NYSDOH data that were previously published can be found at MendeleyData (https://doi.org/10.17632/rtd52gnbyy.1) with further detail in the supplementary material for Tran et al [23].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…New York State (NYS) has one of the highest numbers of Lyme disease cases in the country (constituting over 10% of cases in the USA), and I. scapularis has undergone major population expansion in recent decades within the state [ 23 – 25 ]. Ticks are present in all counties, although tick abundance and the timing of tick population establishment are variable [ 26 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This dataset was the basis for a validated, two-part model described in Tran et al . [ 23 ] that accurately estimated tick population sizes as a composite of both the probability of occurrence and the population size [ 23 ]. The prediction accuracy to a dataset collected in a future year which included previously unvisited locations was 80% for the presence model and 75% for the abundance model.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The more than 15-year collection by the NYSDOH is one of the most extensive geospatial active surveillance efforts for ticks and provides the best estimate of actual tick density across NYS as collections accounted for distance surveyed and collection effort. This dataset was the basis for a validated, two-part model described in Tran et al [23] that accurately estimated tick population sizes as a composite of both the probability of occurrence and the population size [23]. The prediction accuracy to a dataset collected in a future year which included previously unvisited locations was 80% for the presence model and 75% for the abundance model.…”

Section: Estimated Tick Population Sizes For New York Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relevant R code and tick collection data for the NYSDOH data that were previously published can be found at MendeleyData ( ) with further detail in the supplementary material for Tran et al . [ 23 ].…”

Section: Data Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating disease vector population size from citizen science data

Tran

Porter

Salkeld

et al. 2021

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Citizen science projects have the potential to address hypotheses requiring extremely large datasets that cannot be collected with the financial and labour constraints of most scientific projects. Data collection by the general public could expand the scope of scientific enquiry if these data accurately capture the system under study. However, data collection inconsistencies by the untrained public may result in biased datasets that do not accurately represent the natural world. In this paper, we harness the availability of scientific and public datasets of the Lyme disease tick vector to identify and account for biases in citizen science tick collections. Estimates of tick abundance from the citizen science dataset correspond moderately with estimates from direct surveillance but exhibit consistent biases. These biases can be mitigated by including factors that may impact collector participation or effort in statistical models, which, in turn, result in more accurate estimates of tick population sizes. Accounting for collection biases within large-scale, public participation datasets could update species abundance maps and facilitate using the wealth of citizen science data to answer scientific questions at scales that are not feasible with traditional datasets.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Estimated Tick Population Sizes For New York Statementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Accessibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating disease vector population size from citizen science data

Tran

Porter

Salkeld

et al. 2021

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Climatic stress decreases tick survival but increases rate of host‐seeking behavior

et al. 2023

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Ticks are vectors of many diseases and are expanding in geographic distribution. However, how ticks will fare in their new environments, where they may experience stressful climatic conditions at the expansion front, remains unclear. Since there is a trade-off in ticks between behaviors that promote longevity and behaviors that promote reproduction, we hypothesized that extreme climatic stress reduces the survivorship of ticks but increases the frequency of tick host-seeking behavior, or questing. Here, we used a novel method to simulate climatic stress on individual ticks of three species-Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis-to evaluate their survival, physiology, and questing behavior. The first experiment involved placing 144 adult ticks of each species in two temperature ranges (15-25 C and 25-35 C) and three relative humidity (RH) treatments (32%, 58%, and 84% RH).We assessed the ticks daily for survivorship and questing, and we measured water loss by comparing the mass of each tick when it died to when it was fully hydrated. In this first experiment, ticks in warmer and less humid conditions generally died faster than those in cooler and more humid conditions. Ticks of all three species were more likely to quest shortly before their death and consistently died after losing approximately 50%-56% of their total body water content, but Ixodes reached that threshold much faster than the other two species.The second experiment involved placing 18 ticks of each species at 35 C and 32% RH. We assessed the ticks every 3 h for survivorship, questing, and water loss. Ticks again were more likely to quest shortly before their death. With frequent checks, we were able to measure the dehydration tolerance more accurately and the rate of water loss. Ticks of all three species consistently died after losing approximately 51% of their total body water content. However, Ixodes lost water approximately 5 times faster than Amblyomma and 11 times faster than Dermacentor. These results demonstrate that severe climatic stress tilts the trade-off toward higher questing rates but not higher overall questing time because of reduced survival rates.

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Neurologic Manifestations of Tick-Borne Diseases Transmitted by Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in the USA

Lum,

Syritsyna,

Spitzer

et al. 2023

Curr Trop Med Rep

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Purpose of Review This article aims to review the relevant updates in pathogenesis, diagnostics, clinical manifestations, and treatments of tick-borne diseases involving the nervous system, with special emphasis on emerging viral and bacterial infections transmitted by deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Recent Findings Neuroborreliosis includes a wide array of peripheral and/or central nervous system syndromes, of which diagnosis depends on a combination of clinical gestalt, serum serologic testing, and CSF cellular and serologic analysis. Powassan virus may cause life-threatening neuroinvasive disease and diagnosis that is based on CSF serology with treatment being largely supportive. Neurologic manifestations of anaplasmosis and babesiosis are rare but have been documented in case reports. Diagnosis is dependent on serum molecular and microscopic and serologic testing, and the pathophysiologic mechanisms of these neurologic syndromes are not fully understood. Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging pathogen and, in immunocompromised patients, can cause severe meningoencephalitis. Summary Ixodes scapularis-borne infections such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, and Borrelia miyamotoi disease can have significant neurologic manifestations. Due to the potential for poor outcomes, physicians must have a working knowledge of these pathogens, and a high index of suspicion is required to screen for these diseases in patients with the correct risk factors. Future research will help realize the full range of neurologic manifestations of these pathogens and also clarify their underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, which will aid in developing new methods of diagnosis and treatment.

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Spatio-temporal variation in environmental features predicts the distribution and abundance of Ixodes scapularis

Cited by 21 publications

References 67 publications

Estimating disease vector population size from citizen science data

Estimating disease vector population size from citizen science data

Climatic stress decreases tick survival but increases rate of host‐seeking behavior

Neurologic Manifestations of Tick-Borne Diseases Transmitted by Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in the USA

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