Cattle Fever Ticks: Outbreaks Driven by Unique Landscape, Exotic Antelope
In South Texas, the unique landscape of the coastal plain and the presence of nilgai, an antelope species native to India, combine to drive a recent cattle fever tick resurgence.
Lab Study Shows Asian Longhorned Tick Can Spread Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) can, at least under lab conditions, acquire and transmit the bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Significant Reduction in Tick Bites Found via Permethrin-Treated Clothing
A two-year randomized control field trial among outdoor workers showed permethrin-treated clothing reduced the incidence of bites from blacklegged ticks, the primary vectors of Lyme disease, by as much as 65 percent.
To Reduce Tick Encounters, Where You Dump Your Leaves Matters
Raking leaves out to the yard edge may increase tick numbers there, according to a new study by researchers looking at how landscaping practices impact tick abundance.
Different Tick, Same Repellents: CDC Study Shows How to Avoid Asian Longhorned Tick
New research from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that DEET and other repellents approved by the EPA for use against native ticks are also effective against the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis).
LivLyme Foundation Puts a Fresh Face on Lyme Disease
Meet Olivia Goodreau, the teenage founder of the LivLyme Foundation, creator of the TickTracker app, and public policy advocate for tick-borne disease legislation.
Soil Ecology: Critical But Understudied in the Fight Against Ticks
In many tick species, more than three-quarters of their lives are spent off-host in the soil or among the leaf litter. A research team at Cornell University highlights an important opportunity for tick researchers and soil ecologists to collaborate to better understand what happens when the ticks aren't in contact with hosts.
Counting Ticks on Animals is More Complicated Than It Sounds
Simply counting the number of ticks on a host animal seems like a straightforward task, but an analysis of published tick research finds no single, standard method among scientists. A group of researchers says tick-counting methods should be as rigorous as any other scientific procedure and described clearly enough to allow their use in other studies.
Forest Service Crews Double as Tick-Surveillance Teams in Collaborative Study
A partnership between the University of Tennessee and the USDA Forest Service is a proof-of-concept for collaborative tick-surveillance programs.
New Study Highlights Ups and Downs in Tick Management
A new study examines two host-targeted tick-control methods, and one shows a distinct advantage, but it's likely not cost-effective for the typical homeowner.
Potential Range for Asian Longhorned Tick Covers Much of Eastern U.S.
The invasive Asian longhorned tick could find plenty of suitable habitat in North America that is similar to its native region, according to new research from the Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology.
Organic Dust Takes a Bite Out of Ticks
Researchers at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service find promising results using clay and silicate dusts to combat lone star ticks. They hope the dusts could be a useful tool against tick species that transmit deadly pathogens to livestock.
In the Southern U.S., Young Blacklegged Ticks’ Habitat is a Mystery
In the southern U.S., blacklegged tick larvae and nymphs can be found on hosts, but they don't otherwise show up in vegetation or—as a new study finds—in leaf litter or soil either. So where are they hiding?
Tick-Repellent Clothing: How Laundry Suds Affect Your Permethrin-Treated Duds
A study on the durability of permethrin-treated clothing found that, after 16 cycles of wearing and washing the clothes, their repellent effect on ticks was indeed reduced, but it was still better than untreated clothing.
Cattle Call: Tick Surveillance Project Offers Model for Monitoring Livestock
A study in Tennessee found ticks on about one in six cattle and at livestock monitoring locations in all regions of the state, highlighting a "hidden health threat" to the cattle industry.
The Case for Greater Focus on Mosquitoes and Other Arthropod Vectors in Epidemiology
The textbook approach to managing disease outbreaks focuses on pathogen, host, and environment but leaves out insect or arthropod vectors. For afflictions such as Zika, malaria, and Lyme, a report in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America proposes a new version of the classic 'epidemiologic triad' that better reflects the complexities of managing vector-borne diseases.