Ticks that vector Lyme disease move west into North Dakota

Date:

September 11, 2014

Source:

Entomological Society of America

Summary:

Ixodes scapularis, also known as the blacklegged tick or deer tick -- is moving westward, and for the first time has been found to be established in North Dakota.

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Reducing deer populations may reduce risk of Lyme disease

Date:

July 1, 2014

Source:

Entomological Society of America

Summary:

Reduced deer populations can lead to a reduction in Lyme disease cases, researchers in Connecticut have found that after a 13-year study was conducted. White-tailed deer serve as the primary host for the adult blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) -- the vector for Lyme disease. The study found that the number of resident-reported cases of Lyme disease per 100 households was strongly correlated to deer density in the community.

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Single tick bite can pack double pathogen punch

Date:

June 20, 2014

Source:

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Summary:

People who get bitten by a blacklegged tick have a higher-than-expected chance of being exposed to more than one pathogen at the same time. "We found that ticks are almost twice as likely to be infected with two pathogens -- the bacterium that causes Lyme disease and the protozoan that causes babesiosis -- than we would have expected," said a professor of biology involved in a recent study.

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