Comparative population genetics of Amblyomma maculatum and Amblyomma americanum in the mid-Atlantic United States.

ABSTRACT: The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is undergoing a northward expansion along the United States East Coast, most recently establishing populations in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. This expansion has human health implications, as A. maculatum is the primary natural vector of the bacterium Rickettsia parkeri, which causes a spotted fever-type rickettsiosis. Newly established populations of A. maculatum in Virginia tend to have high prevalence of R. parkeri, compared to lower infection rates in the historical range. The factors contributing to high R. parkeri prevalence in Virginia are not known. Investigating connectivity between sites colonized with A. maculatum can help determine whether sites with higher prevalence are isolated or well-connected through migration, thus serving a

SUBMITTER: Benham SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7780746 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature