New tick of “medical significance” confirmed in Wyoming

Jackson, Wyo. – After the first year of his tick surveillance program, Teton County Weed & Pest (TCWP) can confirm that a “medical significance” tick moved into Wyoming and established in the state.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define “Establishment” as more than six ticks of a single stage of life or more of a stage of life collected by Comté within 12 months.

Mikenna Smith, TCWP entomologist who has developed this pioneer tick surveillance program, says Loop The first year of the program included active and passive monitoring. Passive surveillance consisted in collecting samples sent by post in other districts of weeds and pests, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation Districts and Hiking Individuals, who have Given more than 400 tick samples.

These samples allowed TCWP to determine that the American dog tick established in Wyoming.

Smith confirms that the American dog tick was found in three counties: Natrona (reported), Campbell (reported) and Sheridan (established). This information will now be subject to the Ministry of Health of Wyoming and CDC.

“Making the American dog vibrate on the list is very important to inform public health,” says Smith Loop.

According to Smith, the dog’s American tick can be a vector of tularemia, Q fever, spotted rocky mountain, tick paralysis, bovine anaplasmosis and potentially human anaplasmosis, although the latter is very early in His research.

“For this tick, to transmit a transmission of human anaplasmosis, it’s really a big problem.”

Mikenna Smith, entomologist with TCWP

“In this ecosystem, I do not know how he will behave in terms of the spread of pathogens,” explains Smith. “All of these pathogenic agents are pretty nasty. The one I am most interested in learning is if he can transmit human anaplasmosis. Anaplasmosis in the United States is often caused by a different tick; For this tick, to potentially transmit human anaplasmosis, it is really a big problem. »»

The CDC writes that human anaplasmosis is a bacterial disease that causes fever, chills, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. More serious symptoms include respiratory failure, bleeding problems, insufficient organs and death, but the disease can be treated with antibiotics.

Smith tells Loop That there are currently four medical ticks known in Wyoming, all bearing what it calls a “linen list” of pathogens. Currently, the rocky mountain wooden checkout is the only one to have confirmed that scientists can spread the colorado tick fever virus. Research seeks to know if the Tick of the American dog can also spread this virus because Smith says that the species begins to move in the housing of rocky mountain ticks.

“This program has made a lot of progress,” says Smith. “We have a lot of data, we have a million more questions that we have answers, but we have the opportunity to start answering some of these questions.”

For those who wish to be scientific citizens with active monitoring of TCWP “Tick Blitz” in May and contributing to research, send an email to smith at msmith@tcweed.org. The TCWP vector disease page with tick information, passive surveillance and a citizen science form is accessible here.