Dealing with ticks

1. Dealing with ticks Entomology

2. Tick Impacts • Interfere with work & recreation • Allergic reactions – painful bites • Blood loss - anemia • Feeding wounds – infections • Stress to host • Disease risk

3. More & earlier • Weather • Wildlife/ conservation areas • Increase in hosts • More outdoors activity • Winter conditions

4. Factors • High reproductive potential • Low survival – finding hosts, water loss • Few natural enemies – predators and parasites

5. Gradual metamorphosis Larva – seed tick (6 legs) Egg mass (100’s) Nymph (8 legs) Adult (8 legs)

6. 3 host tick 1 Life cycle can take 1 to 2 years Larva on small mammal Eggs on ground 2 3 Nymph on small mammal Adult on large mammal

7. Tick distribution L = larvae – seed ticks N = nymphs A = Adults L L L A A A N N A Shelter for ticks & hosts

8. Cues for host-finding • CO2 • Vibration • Odor- Host-produced substances – constituents of sweat and skin lipids – host specificity • Heat • Shadows or visual appearance

9. Tick mouthparts - ventral

10. American dog tick (left)Lone star tick (right)

11. Feeding process 1 Wander, select feeding site (hours) 2 Anesthetize skin 3 Cut skin and insert mouthparts 4 Secrete “cement” 5 Inject saliva 6 Feed

12. Salivary secretions • Prevent clotting, dilate skin capillaries, digest host tissues, cause hemorrhage, suppress host response

13. Tick attachment sites 10% Limits effects of repellents 25% 40% 25%

14. Feeding time • Larvae & nymphs 2.5 to 8 days • Adults = 5 to 12 days • Slow feeding then rapid feeding on last day • Pathogens often transferred at end of feeding period

15. Tick removal Remember the barbed mouthparts and cement! Use tweezers grab at skin and use STEADY PULL DO NOT USE sudden jerky pull, hot matches, nail polish, etc – increase tick salivation Wash site with soap and water – prevent infection

16. Tick removal tools Timely detection and removal are the most important factors in avoiding tick-borne diseases

17. Kentucky Ticks American dog tick Blacklegged tick Lone star tick

18. Americandog tickwood tick • 3-host tick • Short mouthparts • Mottled white markings on back • Immature stages on small mammals – mice, etc. • Only adults on humans and larger mammals • Active April – August

19. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Caused by bacterium Affects circulatory system – increased vascular permeability (leaks) Reservoirs - opossums, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and mice Mortality rate 2% – 5% if treated; 20% to 30% if not treated

20. RMSF Early diagnosis difficult “Flu”-like symptoms Rash, fever, tick exposure Early treatment effective

21. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever • Must be attached more than 10 hours Rickettsia virulent only after long attachment • Est. 1 – 3% tick infection rate • Diagnosis – clinical signs & symptoms, medical history, tick exposure • Most effective if antibiotic treatment (doxyclycline) started within 5 days

22. RMSF risk factors • Children and adults 50 yrs to 70 yrs old • Frequent exposure to dogs • Live near wooded areas with high grass • Greatest increases in Native Americans

23. RMSF – 2008 - CDC 60% cases NC OK AR TN MO

24. American dog tick (left)Lone star tick (right)

25. Lone startickturkey mitesdeer tick

26. Lone Star Tick Spread 2000 - 2006 1995 - 1999 Pre 1995

27. Lone star tick • In brushy vegetation with high humidity • L, N, & A will attack most any mammal & ground-feeding bird • Associated with large deer populations • N & A emerge from winter diapause in spring, feed in small, medium, and large mammals but prefer large mammals • STARI (Borrelialonestari), human erlichiosis

28. Ticks Smallest tick to feed on humans- larvae (seed ticks), nymphs, and adults

29. Questing seed ticks

30. Lone star seed ticks

31. Lone star tick is not a vector of Lyme Disease Saliva of lone star tick is lethal to the organism that causes Lyme disease

32. Southern Tick- AssociatedRash Illness (STARI) • Rash, fatigue, headache, muscle & joint pain following bite of lone star tick • “Bulls-eye” rash about 7 days after bite • No chronic effects • Clears following use of oral antibiotics 1 – bite 2 – edge of rash 3 – cleared area

33. This training approved for1 (one) general CEUSend your license/certification number toLee.Townsend@uky.edutoday

34. Black legged tickdeer tick • Long mouthparts • Female reddish body with dark brown plate on back • Male dark brown • Active Nov – March

36. More spp of host than any other NA tick • Larvae and nymphs - 52 spp mammals (prefer white-footed mice , 60 spp birds, 8 spp reptiles • Adults – white-tailed deer • Vector of Lyme disease in northeast and north central US

37. Lyme disease risk map - CDC Feeding habits of larvae & nymphs – skinks instead of mammals Kentucky - Minimum to no risk

38. Kentuckiana Lyme Support Group • Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne infection in America. The Center for Disease Control acknowledges that Lyme disease is seriously under-reported, and the actual number of new cases in the U.S. could exceed 460,000 people per year. Lyme disease can and does strike anyone, but children under 10 years of age represent the fastest growing segment of new cases. • Lyme is a multi-system mimic disease caused by a spirochete bacterium and most commonly spread by the bite of an infected deer tick. The Lyme bacteria can penetrate virtually any tissue in the body, including the brain and other vital organs. Lyme can present a wide range of symptoms that may appear to be ailments such as Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, MS, Autism, Alzheimer’s, and even ALS. There are numerous cases of patients thought to have these conditions, later diagnosed with and successfully treated for Lyme disease. • Lyme disease is present in Kentucky and Indiana. • Under our skin – Lyme disease movie

39. Protect Yourself from Ticks(and chiggers) Wear light colored clothing Tuck pants in socks Use repellents Inspect yourself, children and pets carefully after being outdoors Remove ticks correctly as soon as possible

40. Choosing Repellents - Deet • Available in wide range of concentrations • Low concentrations for minimal exposure • Higher concentrations more pests or longer protection. • Netting • Long sleeve shirts and pants

41. Permanone - permethrin • CLOTHING TREATMENT ONLY • Long lasting – several days • Effective against ticks, chiggers, low feeding mosquitoes • Quick knock-down effect • Outdoor stores – outfitters, hunters

42. No substitute for inspection

43. Tick management • Habitat management – clearing brush • Reduce immigration – ticks have limited movement but hosts can carry them long distances • Acaricide applications • Few natural enemies

44. Activity periods

45. Ticks worst enemies • Sunlight and dry air – mowing and brush clearing • Reduces tick survival & discourages other hosts

46. Lawn applications - borders • Bayer Multi-Insect Killer Ready to Spray or Concentrate (cyfluthrin) • Bonide Beetle Killer (cyhalothrin) • Bonide Eight Flower & Vegetable Spray (bifenthrin) • Bonide Total Pest Control Outdoor Concentrate (permethrin) • Bonide Eight Yard & Garden Ready to Spray (permethrin) • Carbaryl sprays • Ortho Bug-B-Gon Max Lawn & Garden Insect Killer Ready to Spray (bifenthrin)

47. Pets

48. Protecting pets from ticksKPN 1298 April 17, 2012 • Collars – 3 to 6 months • Spot On - 1 month • Shampoo / Wash • Permethrin and other pyrethroids toxic to cats

49. Wildlife

50. 4-poster self-applicator for deer(for 1 host ticks)