Tick Talk: October 2024

Fall & Winter 2024 Bug Barometer: Tick Predictions

These are the regions expected to experience an increase in pest pressure from ticks.?

• Northeast & New England - Unseasonably warm temperatures could allow?tick?and?mosquito?populations to remain active further into the fall and winter months than normal. Expect the drop in temperature to increase?rodent?activity as they look to enter homes in search of warmth and food.
• North Central U.S. - Homeowners in the region should prepare for increased?tick?activity this fall if warmer-than-average temperatures persist as predicted. Despite the potential for a warm fall, the drop in winter temperatures is likely to cause a spike in?rodent?sightings around homes.
• Northwest U.S. - Above-average temperatures predicted could lead to an increase in?tick?activity later into the year. The mountain region can also expect an increase in?rodent?pressure sooner in the year if cold temperatures arrive unseasonably early.

Rodent Mapping to Track Ticks

Notice on the Bug Barometer, regions with an expected increase in tick activity, all also have an expected increased rodent presence. This is not a coincidence, rodents are one of the main carriers of ticks, and can bring them into your yard or home. Because of the need for research on the correlation between rodent activity and tick-borne illnesses, John Orrock, the Wayland E. Noland Distinguished Chair in Integrative Biology, has been leading a research project that examines how climate impacts the behavior of animals that feed and infect ticks. Orrock’s team has focused on rodents, particularly mice, because they play a critical role in the transmission of Lyme disease. Young ticks feed on infected rodents to acquire the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease.

The timing and location of mouse activity are essential to understanding how disease transmission occurs, as ticks must encounter infected animals to pass the disease on to humans. By understanding the spatial and temporal patterns of animal activity, Orrock’s research aims to predict when and where ticks are most likely to encounter animals and spread Lyme disease.

Using a new tool developed to track the timing of rodent activity, Orrock and his team have collected data from eight different sites across the U.S. through the National Ecological Observation Network (NEON). By analyzing how temperature and precipitation patterns affect rodent behavior, they aim to predict when rodents are most likely to interact with ticks, providing insights into human disease risk.

Alpha-gal Treatment Study

Recent research from the University of Michigan has uncovered a potential breakthrough in treating alpha-gal syndrome, a severe allergic reaction to red meat caused by the bite of a lone star tick. With the condition on the rise due to the expanding habitat of these ticks, the study offers hope for those affected.

By delivering nanoparticles intravenously, researchers were able to retrain the immune system of test subjects to ignore the alpha-gal sugar found in meats like beef, pork, and lamb. In trials with mice, 10 out of 12 showed a reduced immune response, marking a promising step toward developing a treatment for this tick-borne allergy.

This nanoparticle technology could also be applied to other food allergies. Previous research at the University of Michigan has demonstrated similar success in addressing egg and peanut allergies. By encapsulating allergens within nanoparticles, the immune system can be desensitized more quickly than traditional therapies, potentially allowing for long-term tolerance with just a few doses. The platform has already completed a phase two clinical trial for celiac disease, showing promise for a wide range of allergic and autoimmune conditions.

Alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause reactions ranging from hives and itching to severe respiratory issues and even death, is affecting an estimated 450,000 people in the U.S. The rise of lone star ticks in areas like the Midwest and Northeast has contributed to the increasing prevalence of the syndrome. As this research progresses, there is hope for more effective treatments not just for alpha-gal syndrome, but for a wide variety of food allergies that leave many with limited options for relief.

Tick Research Grant

Vermont State University announced they were recently awarded a $1.8 million National Science Foundation grant, along with researchers from the University of Maine, to conduct groundbreaking research on ticks and invasive plant species.?This initiative is supported by the CDC-funded New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases

The multidisciplinary team of biologists, social scientists, and mathematical modelers will investigate land management decisions made by private landowners. They are looking to address threats to environmental and human health based on the control of invasive plants and ticks.?

"Tick-borne diseases are a persistent and rising concern in Vermont,” said Dr. Landesman. This project will help us to implement land management to help reduce this risk while maintaining the health of our forests. It is especially rewarding to do be able to perform this research with students and in collaboration with faculty across the VTSU system."?

“Researching the correlation between invasive species and number of ticks has been hard work but it is really important to keep it going. The results of this research could really impact what we know about tick habitat and possibly give more ways to help control tick populations in certain areas. This research is important from both an environmental and human health perspective,” said Allie Cloutier, a student at VTSU Johnson who participated in collecting preliminary data during the summer of 2024.??