Ticks Parasitizing Humans in Georgia and South Carolina

Abstract

From 1990 through 1995, 913 ticks removed from 460 human patients in Georgia or South Carolina were identified and recorded. The majority of these specimens (758, 83.0%) were lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum. One hundred and four (11.4%) American dog ticks Dermacentor variabilis, 36 (3.9%) blacklegged ticks Ixodes scapularis, 9 (1.0%) Gulf coast ticks Amblyomma maculatum, and 6 (0.7%) brown dog ticks Rhipicephalus sanguineus were also recovered. All active stages (larvae, nymphs, and adults) of A. americanum were represented, whereas nymphs and adults of D. variabilis and I. scapularis and only adults of A. maculatum and R. sanguineus were recorded. Compared with data published for other regions in the U.S.A., A. americanum was a much more prevalent parasite of humans in the current survey. Only 1 (3%) of the I. scapularis collected was a nymph. Because these tick species are vectors of zoonotic pathogens or cause tick paralysis in humans, the data have epidemiological significance.

A Focus of Dogs and Rickettsia massiliae–Infected Rhipicephalus sanguineus in California

“…sanguineus . [43][44][45] Such human encounters may become more frequent when severe infestations occur. 46 High temperatures are thought to increase the risk of humans being bitten.…”

The Biological Survey of Canada: A Personal History

“…Birds are rarely infested by D. variabilis larvae or nymphs (Battaly et al 1987;Stafford et al 1995;Nicholls and Callister 1996). Adult dog ticks readily bite humans (Scholten 1977;Schwartz et al 1993), though larvae and nymphs rarely do (Felz et al 1996).…”

Diagnosis and Management of Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Other Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses, Ehrlichioses, and Anaplasmosis — United States

“…Consequently, the lone star tick is found most commonly in woodland habitats that have white-tailed deer populations. The lone star tick feeds on a wide range of hosts, including humans, and has been implicated as the most common tick to bite humans in the southern United States (55,56). Although all stages of this tick feed on humans, only adult and nymphal ticks are known to be responsible for transmission of E. chaffeensis to humans.…”