The NETS team is excited to announce that we will be showcasing our results from the survey up to this point on Tuesday, July 23, 2019! After 9 months of collecting ticks and analyzing data, one of our team members will be presenting a poster at the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine with data on tick species prevalence, geographic distribution of these species, and host location frequency. In particular, the poster will focus on comparing the 2 most common tick species collected, Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum (more info on these and other collected tick species can be found here!) .
Included below are the current abstract for the project and graphs to supplement the information on the poster but still serve as interesting reads on their own. An example of the poster can also be found at the bottom of this post!
Abstract:
At present, there is no persistent, highly effective tick prevention commercially available for horses, leaving them vulnerable to disease and discomfort. Additionally, there is little current information on the relationship between ticks and horses. The National Equine Tick Survey was initiated to gather data about tick species’ geographic distribution, seasonal prevalence, and other species characteristics as they relate to horses. Veterinary clinics from across the United States were given tick-collecting kits and asked to submit ticks found on the horses in their area. Ticks were submitted to the NETS lab, identified to genus and species, and the tick ID along with relevant pathogen information were reported back to the submitting veterinarian. Information about the infested horses was collected as well, including geographic location, time spent in pasture, and tick location on the body. Since October 2018, 43 veterinary clinics were enrolled in the study across 21 states. 1112 ticks were found on 192 horses and sent to the lab. Tick species collected were Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor albipictus, Dermacentor variabilis, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor occidentalis, and Otobius megnini. The most common ticks submitted were I. scapularis (214 ticks, 31%) and A. americanum (182 ticks, 27%). The majority of I. scapularis ticks were collected during the fall months in the Northeast, while the majority of A. americanum ticks were collected during the spring months in the Southeast. Data also showed that the ventral head/neck area was the most common site of attachment by I. scapularis, while the inguinal area was the most common site for A. americanum. These data highlight the burden and diversity of ticks infesting horses in the US and call attention to this previously unaddressed problem. Future steps include testing collected ticks for known equine pathogens to further demonstrate the medical importance of ticks on horses.
Location Frequency of Ticks on Hosts:
This image shows where submitted ticks were found on horses.
Before the study, the NETS team divided the horse body into 13 zones. Throughout the course of the survey, at least 1 tick has been found in every zone, highlighting the importance of thoroughly inspecting the entire body for tick attachment.
Updated submission frequency by state can be found here.
Presenting poster:
