Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 8-14-2023
Abstract
Tick species and their associated pathogens are rapidly expanding their geographic range due to climate change, accidental introductions, and globalization. In the United States (US), exotic and invasive species such as the Haemaphysalis longicornis (The Asian longhorned tick) are seen interacting with established tick species in the environment and on animal hosts. In addition, tickborne pathogens (TBP), novel and domestic, are continuing to expand geographically. Therefore, four research chapters were dedicated to understanding ecological interactions of native and exotic tick species and their associated pathogens on human, companion, livestock, and wildlife hosts at varying geographic scales. First, forestry-related environmental variables were analyzed for the association on the abundance of ticks on human hosts in the southeastern US. Here we learned that each tick species, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis, responds differently to biotic and abiotic variables which could be associated with their abundance. Next, we created environmental niche models (ENM) from GPS data for where foresters encountered tick species, A. americanum, D. variabilis, and I. scapularis, can be encountered. These maps are an important tool for implementing management strategies to control each tick species and can be used to reduce concurrence with hosts. Next, ticks were collected through a Tennessee-statewide surveillance from livestock and companion animal hosts and screened for Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Theileria pathogens to understand their current prevalence. Here we detected the occurrence of the devastating novel pathogen T. orientalis Ikeda in eastern Tennessee and an expanded geographic range of Ehrlichia and Anaplasma in the state. Finally, wildlife and bovine were sampled on farms in three eastern Tennessee counties infested with H. longicornis. This was done to understand ecological interactions of H. longicornis on hosts and with established tick species. Here we found that the presence of H. longicornis can be predicted by host and established tick species life history characteristics.
Recommended Citation
Butler, Rebecca Ann, "AN EVALUATION OF EMERGENT AND ESTABLISHED TICK SPECIES AT MULTIPLE GEOGRAPHIC SCALES: COMMUNITY IMPACTS AND ECOLOGICAL PREDICTORS" (2023). Entomology & Plant Pathology Publications and Other Works.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_entopubs/17