Distribution, Seasonality, and Hosts of the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick in the United States Author(S): Angela M
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Distribution, Seasonality, and Hosts of the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick in the United States Author(s): Angela M. James, Jerome E. Freier, James E. Keirans, Lance A. Durden, James W. Mertins, and Jack L. Schlater Source: Journal of Medical Entomology, 43(1):17-24. 2006. Published By: Entomological Society of America DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/0022-2585(2006)043[0017:DSAHOT]2.0.CO;2 URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/ full/10.1603/0022-2585%282006%29043%5B0017%3ADSAHOT%5D2.0.CO %3B2 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/ terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. SAMPLING,DISTRIBUTION,DISPERSAL Distribution, Seasonality, and Hosts of the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick in the United States ANGELA M. JAMES, JEROME E. FREIER, JAMES E. KEIRANS,1 LANCE A. DURDEN,1 2 2 JAMES W. MERTINS, AND JACK L. SCHLATER USDAÐAPHIS, Veterinary Services, Centers of Epidemiology and Animal Health, 2150 Centre Ave., Building B, Fort Collins, CO 80526Ð8117 J. Med. Entomol. 43(1): 17Ð24 (2006) ABSTRACT Anaplasma marginale Theiler is a tick-borne pathogen that causes anaplasmosis in cattle. There are Ϸ20 tick species worldwide that are implicated as vectors of this pathogen. In the United States, Dermacentor andersoni Stiles and Dermacentor variabilis (Say) are the principal vectors. The risk of transmission of anaplasmosis to cattle has been largely based on the distribution of D. andersoni in the United States. We developed a centralized geographic database that incorporates collection records for D. andersoni from two large national databases. We reviewed the geographic records in each database and postings from MEDLINE and AGRICOLA to produce a national county-level distribution map based on a total of 5,898 records. The records spanned the period from 1903 through 2001 with the majority between 1921 to 1940. Populations of D. andersoni were recorded from 267 counties in 14 states and were distinguished as either established or reported. We found 180 counties with established populations of D. andersoni and 87 counties with reported occurrences in 14 states with the majority of established populations reported from Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. D. andersoni populations in the United States currently extend from the western portions of Nebraska and the Dakotas westward to the Cascade Mountains and from the northern counties of Arizona and New Mexico northward to the Canadian border. The data will be useful for identifying regions at increased risk of acquiring anaplasmosis in the United States. Based upon the database collection records, we also present a summary of recorded hosts for D. andersoni and comments on its seasonal occurrence. KEY WORDS Dermacentor andersoni, distribution, United States TICKS ARE IMPORTANT VECTORS of disease-causing patho- infection rates of male D. andersoni with their inter- gens affecting humans and animals. Disease agents mittent feeding behavior make the males the primary transmitted to livestock, equids, and poultry by ticks method for A. marginale transmission to cattle in cer- can have a major impact on animal production in many tain regions (Eriks et al. 1993, Kocan and de la Fuente regions of the world (Jongejan and Uilenberg 1994). 2003). The Rocky Mountain wood tick is also a vector Ticks cause not only severe toxic reactions, such as of the agents of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tula- paralysis, but also may transmit bacterial, viral, and remia, and Q fever and can cause tick paralysis in protozoal pathogens. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, humans and animals (Comer 1991, McLean et al. 1993, Dermacentor andersoni Stiles, is the principal vector of Treadwell et al. 2000, Lysyk 2003). Anaplasma marginale Theiler to cattle in the United Numerous studies on the Rocky Mountain wood States (Kocan 1986). Anaplasmosis can cause serious tick deal with its ecology, distribution, seasonal be- health problems to cattle with estimated losses of $300 havior, vector capacity, and paralyzing ability. Kocan million annually in the United States (Kocan et al. (1986) cites its distribution as from western Nebraska 2000). A. marginale is a rickettsial organism that pro- and South Dakota, westward to the Cascades and duces progressive anemia, anorexia, resultant weight Sierra Nevada Mountains, and from northern New loss, reduced exercise tolerance, and even death in Mexico and Arizona, northward into Canada. In Can- cattle (SchoÞeld and Saunders 1987, Kocan 1992, ada, D. andersoni has been reported from southern Palmer et al. 2001). Geographic isolates of A. marginale British Columbia eastward into Alberta and extending can vary in genotype, antigenic composition, mor- into Saskatchewan where it is replaced by Dermacen- phology, and infectivity in ticks (Ewing 1981). High tor variabilis (Say), the American dog tick (Gregson 1973). The Rocky Mountain wood tick is a three-host tick, and its life cycle is usually completed within 2 to 1 Georgia Southern University, Box 8056, Statesboro, GA 30460. 2 USDAÐAPHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services 3 yr, depending on its geographic location, with all Laboratories, 1800 Dayton Ave., Ames, IA 50010. three life stages capable of overwintering (Wilkinson 18 JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY Vol. 43, no. 1 1968, 1979; Eads and Smith 1983). Adults usually occur (e.g., cities) were used to identify the counties of as early as March, reaching a maximum abundance in record. April and May; nymphs typically parasitize hosts in Literature Sources. MEDLINE (http://www.ncbi. early April, whereas, larvae usually occur in early June. nlm.nih.gov) and the National Agricultural LibraryÕs All three stages usually disappear by late summer or AGRICOLA (http://agricola.nal.usda.gov) databases early fall (Cooley 1932). Small mammals such as chip- were reviewed to identify articles on the distribution of munks (Tamias spp.), ground squirrels (Spermophilus the Rocky Mountain wood tick in the United States. spp.), woodrats (Neotoma spp.), and jackrabbits Any county-level data identiÞed were added to the (Lepus spp.) serve as hosts for larvae and nymphs, tick geodatabase along with records from the USNTC whereas adults generally feed on larger mammals such and NVSL tick surveillance activities to produce a as horses (Equus caballus L.), cattle (Bos taurus L.), distribution map for D. andersoni. In addition, annual mule deer [Odocoileus hemionus (RaÞnesque)], reports from USDAÕs National Tick Surveillance Pro- mountain goat [Oreaminos americanus (Blainville)], gram from 1962 through 1989 were reviewed for coun- and elk (Cervus elaphus L.). ty- and state-speciÞc information relevant to D. ander- Generally, infections with tick-borne disease agents soniÕs distribution in the United States. are tied closely to the local prevalence of tick vectors, The combined Þnal database was used to produce a and speciÞcally, the risk of A. marginale transmission county-level distribution map for D. andersoni. Maps to cattle has largely been based on studies of the were created using ArcView, version 3.3 (ESRI, Red- distribution of D. andersoni (Kocan 1986). Because the lands, CA). Counties were shaded to reßect the re- United States distribution of D. andersoni has not been ported and established populations. reported previously at the county level, we developed such a distribution map, using data from two large Results extant faunistic collections. This map provides a basis for designing better prevention strategies against The USNTC provided 6,256 distribution records for anaplasmosis and other diseases associated with the D. andersoni, including 375 records from Canada. Of Rocky Mountain wood tick. the original total, 5,811 records had United States county-level information. The NVSL database pro- vided 89 D. andersoni records, 87 of which had county- level information. Thus, we were able to use 5,898 Materials and Methods records to develop a county-level-based map for the Definitions. We used the county-level deÞnitions of distribution of the Rocky Mountain wood tick in the Ixodes scapularis Say, the blacklegged tick, popula- United States (Fig. 1). Although the timeline of da- tions given by Dennis et al. (1998) as a basis to describe tabase entries extended from 1903 through 2001, the D. andersoni populations. D. andersoni was deÞned as majority of the records (59%) came from 1921 to 1940. “reported” from a county if at least one specimen of Table 1 summarizes the reported data mapped by state any life stage had been collected, or if the number of and county with D. andersoni populations character- specimens collected was not speciÞed in that area at ized as established or reported. Tick populations were any time within that county. Tick populations were reported in 87 (2.8%) of the 3,141 counties in the deÞned as “established” if at least six ticks of one life United States and established in 180 counties (5.7%) stage or two of the three active life stages (adults, for a total of 267 counties (8.5%) nationwide. nymphs, or larvae) were collected within that county Table 2 summarizes the extent and level of Rocky during one collection period. Mountain wood tick distribution by county within USDA Tick Geodatabase. Electronic records from each state and the contribution of each state to the the United States National Tick Collection (USNTC) total area encompassing the distribution of D.