Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks
Medically important ixodid ticks often carry multiple pathogens, with individual ticks frequently coinfected and capable of transmitting multiple infections to hosts, including humans. Acquisition of multiple zoonotic pathogens by immature blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) is facilitated when th...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2024-08-01
|
| Series: | Parasitology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000349/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832590852080271360 |
|---|---|
| author | Richard S. Ostfeld Sahar Adish Stacy Mowry William Bremer Shannon Duerr Andrew S. Evans Ilya R. Fischhoff Fiona Keating Jennifer Pendleton Ashley Pfister Marissa Teator Felicia Keesing Ala Tabor |
| author_facet | Richard S. Ostfeld Sahar Adish Stacy Mowry William Bremer Shannon Duerr Andrew S. Evans Ilya R. Fischhoff Fiona Keating Jennifer Pendleton Ashley Pfister Marissa Teator Felicia Keesing Ala Tabor |
| author_sort | Richard S. Ostfeld |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medically important ixodid ticks often carry multiple pathogens, with individual ticks frequently coinfected and capable of transmitting multiple infections to hosts, including humans. Acquisition of multiple zoonotic pathogens by immature blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) is facilitated when they feed on small mammals, which are the most competent reservoir hosts for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (which causes anaplasmosis in humans), Babesia microti (babesiosis) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). Here, we used data from a large-scale, long-term experiment to ask whether patterns of single and multiple infections in questing nymphal I. scapularis ticks from residential neighbourhoods differed from those predicted by independent assortment of pathogens, and whether patterns of coinfection were affected by residential application of commercial acaricidal products. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used for pathogen detection in multiplex reactions. In control neighbourhoods and those treated with a fungus-based biopesticide deployed against host-seeking ticks (Met52), ticks having only single infections of either B. microti or B. burgdorferi were significantly less common than expected, whereas coinfections with these 2 pathogens were significantly more common. However, use of tick control system bait boxes, which kill ticks attempting to feed on small mammals, eliminated the bias towards coinfection. Although aimed at reducing the abundance of host-seeking ticks, control methods directed at ticks attached to small mammals may influence human exposure to coinfected ticks and the probability of exposure to multiple tick-borne infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e61a150e18c54ecb8d75c795898f5cde |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0031-1820 1469-8161 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasitology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e61a150e18c54ecb8d75c795898f5cde2025-01-23T07:11:40ZengCambridge University PressParasitology0031-18201469-81612024-08-0115194695210.1017/S0031182024000349Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticksRichard S. Ostfeld0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3707-9301Sahar Adish1Stacy Mowry2William Bremer3Shannon Duerr4Andrew S. Evans5Ilya R. Fischhoff6Fiona Keating7Jennifer Pendleton8Ashley Pfister9Marissa Teator10Felicia Keesing11Ala TaborCary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USADepartment of Behavioral and Community Health, Dutchess County, NY 12601, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USACary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USABard College, Annandale, NY 12504, USAMedically important ixodid ticks often carry multiple pathogens, with individual ticks frequently coinfected and capable of transmitting multiple infections to hosts, including humans. Acquisition of multiple zoonotic pathogens by immature blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) is facilitated when they feed on small mammals, which are the most competent reservoir hosts for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (which causes anaplasmosis in humans), Babesia microti (babesiosis) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease). Here, we used data from a large-scale, long-term experiment to ask whether patterns of single and multiple infections in questing nymphal I. scapularis ticks from residential neighbourhoods differed from those predicted by independent assortment of pathogens, and whether patterns of coinfection were affected by residential application of commercial acaricidal products. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used for pathogen detection in multiplex reactions. In control neighbourhoods and those treated with a fungus-based biopesticide deployed against host-seeking ticks (Met52), ticks having only single infections of either B. microti or B. burgdorferi were significantly less common than expected, whereas coinfections with these 2 pathogens were significantly more common. However, use of tick control system bait boxes, which kill ticks attempting to feed on small mammals, eliminated the bias towards coinfection. Although aimed at reducing the abundance of host-seeking ticks, control methods directed at ticks attached to small mammals may influence human exposure to coinfected ticks and the probability of exposure to multiple tick-borne infections.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000349/type/journal_articleanaplasmosisbabesiosiscoinfectionco-transmissionLyme diseasetick controltick-borne pathogens |
| spellingShingle | Richard S. Ostfeld Sahar Adish Stacy Mowry William Bremer Shannon Duerr Andrew S. Evans Ilya R. Fischhoff Fiona Keating Jennifer Pendleton Ashley Pfister Marissa Teator Felicia Keesing Ala Tabor Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks Parasitology anaplasmosis babesiosis coinfection co-transmission Lyme disease tick control tick-borne pathogens |
| title | Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| title_full | Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| title_fullStr | Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| title_short | Effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| title_sort | effects of residential acaricide treatments on patterns of pathogen coinfection in blacklegged ticks |
| topic | anaplasmosis babesiosis coinfection co-transmission Lyme disease tick control tick-borne pathogens |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024000349/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT richardsostfeld effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT saharadish effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT stacymowry effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT williambremer effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT shannonduerr effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT andrewsevans effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT ilyarfischhoff effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT fionakeating effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT jenniferpendleton effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT ashleypfister effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT marissateator effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT feliciakeesing effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks AT alatabor effectsofresidentialacaricidetreatmentsonpatternsofpathogencoinfectioninblackleggedticks |