Dealing with ticks

Entomology

Tick Impacts

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

More & earlier

• Weather• Wildlife/ conservation areas

• Increase in hosts• More outdoors activity

• Winter conditions

Factors

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

parasites

Gradual metamorphosis

Egg mass(100’s)

Larva – seed tick (6 legs)

Nymph(8 legs)

Adult (8 legs)

3 host tickLife cycle can take 1 to 2 years

Larva on small mammal

Nymph on small mammal

Adult on large mammal

Eggs on ground

1

32

Tick distribution

Shelter for ticks & hosts

A

AA

N

N

L L L

A

L = larvae – seed ticksN = nymphsA = Adults

Cues for host-finding

•CO2• Vibration• Odor- Host-produced substances – constituents

of sweat and skin lipids – host specificity• Heat• Shadows or visual appearance

Tick mouthparts - ventral

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

Feeding process1 Wander, select feeding site (hours)

2 Anesthetize skin3 Cut skin and insert

mouthparts 4 Secrete “cement”5 Inject saliva6 Feed

Salivary secretions

• Prevent clotting, dilate skin capillaries, digest host tissues, cause hemorrhage, suppress host response

Tick attachment sites

25%

40%

25%

10%Limits effects

of repellents

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

Tick removal

Remember the barbed mouthparts and cement!

Use tweezers grab at skin and use STEADY PULLDO NOT USE sudden jerky pull, hot matches, nail

polish, etc – increase tick salivation

Wash site with soap and water – prevent infection

Tick removal tools

Timely detection and removal are the most important factors in avoiding tick-borne diseases

Kentucky Ticks

Blacklegged tick

American dog tick

Lone star tick

Americandog tick

wood 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

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

RMSF

Early diagnosis difficult

“Flu”-like symptoms

Rash, fever, tick exposure

Early treatment effective

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

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

RMSF – 2008 - CDC

60% cases

NCOKARTNMO

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

Lone startick

turkey mitesdeer tick

Lone Star Tick Spread

2000 - 2006

1995 - 1999

Pre 1995

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 (Borrelia lonestari), human erlichiosis

Ticks

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

Questing seed ticks

Lone star seed ticks

Lone star tick is not a vector of Lyme Disease

Saliva of lone star tick is lethal to the organism that causes Lyme disease

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 – bite2 – edge of rash3 – cleared area

This training approved for1 (one) general CEU

Send your license/certification number to

Lee.Townsend@uky.edutoday

Black legged tickdeer tick

• Long mouthparts• Female reddish body

with dark brown plate on back

• Male dark brown• Active Nov – March

• 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

Lyme disease risk map - CDC

Kentucky - Minimum to no riskFeeding habits of larvae & nymphs – skinks instead of mammals

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

Protect Yourself from Ticks(and chiggers)Wear light colored clothing

Tuck pants in socksUse repellentsInspect yourself, children

and pets carefully after being outdoors

Remove ticks correctly as soon as possible

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

Permanone - permethrin

• CLOTHING TREATMENT ONLY• Long lasting – several days• Effective against ticks, chiggers, low feeding

mosquitoes• Quick knock-down effect• Outdoor stores – outfitters, hunters

No substitute for inspection

Tick management

• Habitat management – clearing brush• Reduce immigration – ticks have limited

movement but hosts can carry them long distances

• Acaricide applications• Few natural enemies

Activity periods

Tick Active Distribution

American dog April – mid-August

Statewide

Blacklegged October - March

East & southeast

Lone star Spring – early summer

Late summer – early fall

Almost statewide

Ticks worst enemies

• Sunlight and dry air – mowing and brush clearing

• Reduces tick survival & discourages other hosts

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)

Pets

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

Wildlife

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

Things to know

• Impacts of ticks • Life cycles• Host finding, attachment and feeding• Comparison of common species• Tick management

Lyme Disease in Humans

Skin – rash - varies

Joints – severe joint pain and swelling

Nervous system burning, shooting pains, and numbness

Heart – Affects 5% to 10% of patients

Assessment

Lyme DiseaseInfected ticks must feed

for at least 24 hours to transmit

Up to 4% of people bitten by infected vector get disease

80% of human cases a bull’s-eye rash appears in 5 days to several weeks