The study “Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto DNA in Field-Collected Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Pennsylvania, United States” was recently published in the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Emerging Infectious Diseases. Pennsylvania has the highest number of reported Lyme disease cases in the US.
A review article has just been published by the Journal of Medical Entomology describing the ticks and tick-borne diseases of Colorado which includes tick-host associations, geographic distributions and medical/veterinary importance. In this article, 28 species of endemic ticks in Colorado are described as well as an additional 5 species that are occasionally detected, 13 exotic […]
The results of a study to collect ticks from Pike County, Pennsylvania, conducted by the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory of East Stroudsburg University included real time PCR analysis of ticks countywide. The county was divided into 9 grids, each with several collection sites. The sites were based on use by community members and presence of […]
In a recent Rutgers University-led study, researchers identified Carios kelleyi, a “soft” tick species associated with bats, for the first time in New Jersey. This parasite, of almost exclusively bats, is thought widespread in the US (as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Cuba), with known occurrences in 29 of the 48 […]
Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) cases first appeared in April 2020 in China and since then, 37 more cases have occurred in Jiangsu and 23 in Anhui Provinces in China. SFTS is a haemorrhagic fever transmitted by the Haemaphysalis longicornis tick (Asian longhorned tick). The disease spreads rapidly and has a high fatality rate […]
These pictures of the Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned) were taken recently by LDA’s Scientific & Professional Advisory Board member James L. Occi, Rutgers, in Bergen County NJ. The invasive tick was first discovered on a NJ farm on a sheep in 2017. The tick probably came from Asia, where it is able to transmit diseases […]
The picture in New Jersey of spotted fever group rickettsiosis (SFGR), which includes Rocky Mountain Spotted fever (RMSF), is complex. In this latest study from the Am. Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (James Occi, Rutgers University, et al, ), the researchers tested American dog ticks and lone star ticks in NJ to determine which […]
TICK VECTORS (For more information about ticks click here) These tick photos may help you to identify the different species of ticks and what they look like at various life stages. Some tick photos include objects to help you compare their size to the actual size of the ticks. There are a number of ticks […]
Learn more about blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks. What blacklegged ticks look like and the diseases they cause.
Tick Habitat Many people think ticks are only present in the woods. However, ticks can be found in many areas. Where woods/fields meet lawn Wooded areas Tall brush/grass Under leaves* Very small numbers on cut/raked lawns or sports fields Under ground cover (plants) in yard * Around stone walls and woodpiles where mice & other […]