New Publication: Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases of Colorado

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 species that have been intercepted and 2 new state records: Argas radiatus and Ixodes brunneus.

This review creates a baseline for Colorado endemic ticks and tick-borne diseases, ticks that have been classified as visitors to the state via travel related introductions that may not have established populations, as well as identifying potential invasive species and human and veterinary health risks. 

In review of available research and records of tick collections in Colorado, it was found that some information was outdated, incomplete or inaccurate. Authors have recommended that increased surveillance for ticks in Colorado would likely be beneficial to add to the knowledge base on resident tick species and potential new species as ticks continue to expand in geographic range in association with migrating birds, habitat modifications and other changing environmental factors. 

The review article was co-authored by advocate and LDAnet member, Monica White. Monica is President and Co-Founder of Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association, an affiliate of the national Lyme Disease Association, Inc.. 

Access to article: H Joel Hutcheson, James W Mertins, Boris C Kondratieff, Monica M White, Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases of Colorado, Including New State Records for Argas radiatus (Ixodida: Argasidae) and Ixodes brunneus (Ixodida: Ixodidae), Journal of Medical Entomology, tjaa232, https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa232