The Spread of Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma americanum) and Persistence of Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) on a Coastal Island in Massachusetts, USA.

ABSTRACT: In the northeastern USA, the distribution of lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) has expanded northward in recent decades, overlapping with the range of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Blacklegged ticks carry pathogens for diseases such as Lyme, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis, while bites from lone star ticks cause other diseases and the alpha-gal syndrome allergy. Lone star ticks can become so abundant that they are perceived as more of a public health threat than blacklegged ticks. Using the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, as a case study, we analyzed data from a total of 1265 yard surveys from 2011 to 2024 to document lone star tick presence and subsequent expansion from two peripheral areas, Chappaquiddick and Aquinnah, to all six towns. The timing of

SUBMITTER: Johnson RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11432020 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature