In the United States, tick-borne diseases are increasing in incidence and cases are reported over an expanding geographical area. Avoiding tick bites is a key strategy in tick-borne disease prevention, and this requires current and accurate information on where humans are at risk for exposure to ticks. Based on a review of published literature and records in the U.S. NationalTick Collection and National Ecological Observatory Network databases, we compiled an updated county-level map showing the reported distribution of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say). We show that this vector of the bacterial agents causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia is widely distributed, with records derived from 45 states across the contiguous United States. However, within these states, county-level records of established tick populations are limited. Relative to the range of suitable habitat for this tick, our data imply that D. variabilis is currently underreported in the peer-reviewed literature, highlighting a need for improved surveillance and documentation of existing tick records.
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1 August 2019
Reported County-Level Distribution of the American Dog Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Contiguous United States
Aine Lehane,
Christina Parise,
Colleen Evans,
Lorenza Beati,
William L. Nicholson,
Rebecca J. Eisen
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Journal of Medical Entomology
Vol. 57 • No. 1
January 2020
Vol. 57 • No. 1
January 2020
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Francisella tularensis
Rickettsia rickettsii
tick surveillance