Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"New insight into the tick neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: from molecular to pharmacological studies.","authors":"Khalid Boussaine, Philippine Chartier, Alison Cartereau, Daniel Auguin, Emiliane Taillebois, Steeve H Thany","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ACh is known to be an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of several arthropod species. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are involved in rapid neurotransmission and are the target of compounds used as acaricides. In the present review, we discuss recent data on the study of the functional properties of tick neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes present in the synganglion. Several nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits have been characterized in tick species. We show that despite difficulties expressing functional receptors in heterologous systems, recent advances using the microtransplantation of tick synganglion membranes in Xenopus oocytes, and electrophysiological recordings of native neurons help to understand the pharmacological properties of tick nicotinic receptors. In addition, molecular modeling studies provide new criteria in the study of ligand-receptor interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"102534"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144823037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of large ungulate grazers on Ixodes ricinus and tick-borne pathogens in the New Forest - a case study for future rewilded landscapes","authors":"Sara L. Gandy ,&nbsp;Faye V. Brown ,&nbsp;Nicola J. Jones ,&nbsp;Sarah M. Biddlecombe ,&nbsp;Georgia Kirby ,&nbsp;Colin J. Johnston ,&nbsp;Kayleigh M. Hansford ,&nbsp;Alexander G.C. Vaux ,&nbsp;Ternenge T. Apaa ,&nbsp;Nicholas Johnson ,&nbsp;Jolyon M. Medlock","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large ungulate grazers can manage habitats via conservation grazing, a practice using livestock to control vegetation growth, which has many ecological benefits but has the potential to provide additional hosts for ticks and consequently have an impact on tick-borne disease risk. Cattle and sheep are suspected to be transmission hosts for several tick-transmitted pathogens, so the presence of livestock could increase disease hazard. However, some ungulate species do not transmit other pathogens such as <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato (s.l.), so conservation grazing could reduce prevalence of these pathogens, and thus environmental disease hazard, by diverting ticks from feeding on transmission hosts. To better understand these dynamics, we used a paired experiment in the New Forest in southern England. Questing ticks were collected at 20 sites between 2021 and 2023. Ten sites were inside “inclosures” (New Forest term for fenced woodlands to exclude livestock) and the remaining ten were not fenced, which permitted livestock grazing. Grazing led to significantly shorter ground vegetation and fewer questing <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> nymphs. We tested 2974 nymphs for multiple pathogens and determined there were no significant differences in nymphal infection prevalence or density of infected nymphs for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. and <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> between sites<em>.</em> However, we found that the density of infected nymphs for <em>Borrelia garinii</em> and <em>Borrelia valaisiana</em> was lower where there was grazing. In this study, we show that conservation grazing by ponies and cattle could lower tick density, probably by affecting the vegetation understory, and could potentially lower disease hazard for some genospecies of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. but not <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102541"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review on the role of birds as disseminators of ticks, with special emphasis on Hyalomma species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus","authors":"Gergő Keve ,&nbsp;Attila D. Sándor ,&nbsp;Sándor Hornok","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hyalomma marginatum</em> and <em>Hyalomma rufipes</em> are tick species of high medical importance, primarily due to their ability to transmit the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. While <em>H. marginatum</em> is endemic in Southern Europe, <em>H. rufipes</em> maintains viable populations exclusively in Africa. Nevertheless, adult specimens of both tick species are frequently detected in non-endemic regions of Europe. This phenomenon is primarily driven by bird migration, during which these two-host ticks can be transported over great distances. To enhance our understanding of the role of birds in the dispersal of <em>Hyalomma</em> ticks and their potential contribution to the passive transmission of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, this mini review was compiled. By synthesizing relevant articles, the summary aims to contribute to a more precise understanding of the phenomenon. According to our findings, the relationship between bird-transported <em>Hyalomma</em> species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is highly complex from an eco-epidemiological perspective. A better understanding of the direct association between migratory birds and the virus, as well as the mechanisms of viral persistence and transmission, is essential for developing effective risk assessment strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102535"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metagenomic evidence of viral secretion from tick salivary glands to saliva: implications for potential horizontal transmission","authors":"Jun Ni ,&nbsp;Liyan Fu ,&nbsp;Jian Xiao ,&nbsp;Chenxuan Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Wu ,&nbsp;Zhi Yuan ,&nbsp;Jun Wang ,&nbsp;Shuang Tang ,&nbsp;Fei Deng ,&nbsp;Shu Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks transmit diverse viral pathogens to hosts during blood-feeding via saliva secretion. This study characterized viral compositions in salivary glands and saliva from adults of four tick species (<em>Ixodes persulcatus, Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>, and <em>Haemaphysalis concinna</em>) collected in China. Meta-transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct viromes across species, with <em>Flaviviridae</em> dominant in <em>R. microplus, Nairoviridae</em> in <em>H. concinna</em> and <em>I. persulcatus</em>, and <em>Phenuiviridae</em> in <em>H. longicornis</em> and <em>I. persulcatus</em>. Among 27 viruses detected in salivary glands, 14 were identified in saliva, indicating horizontal transmission potential. Viruses with higher abundance (transcripts per thousand bases per million, TPM) in salivary glands were more likely to be secreted in saliva. Genomic sequences of eight viruses, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Jingmen tick virus (JMTV), Songling virus (SGLV), Wetland virus (WELV), Beiji nairovirus (BJNV), Mukawa virus (MKWV), and Wuhan tick virus 2 (WHTV2), which are associated with human diseases or possess spillover potentials, were fully assembled from salivary glands and confirmed in saliva. Notably, SFTSV in <em>H. longicornis</em>; MKWV, Sichuan tick hepe-like virus, and Jilin luteo-like virus 2 in <em>I. persulcatus</em>; and JMTV in <em>R. microplus</em> showed significantly increased abundance in saliva, indicating an enhanced secretion of these viruses into saliva. Conversely, TBEV, BJNV, and Sara tick phlebovirus in <em>I. persulcatus</em>, SGLV and WELV in <em>H. concinna</em>, and WHTV2 in <em>R. microplus</em> exhibited reduced salivary abundance despite glandular presence. These findings demonstrate differential secretion capabilities of tick-borne viruses (TBVs) from glands to saliva, advancing understanding of horizontal transmission risks for pathogens affecting human health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102540"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual dimorphism of the Lyme disease bacterium in its tick vector – Abundance of Borrelia burgdorferi is higher in female than male Ixodes scapularis larvae","authors":"Cody W. Koloski ,&nbsp;Hesham Adam ,&nbsp;Azka Siddiqa ,&nbsp;Brooklyn Bourgeois ,&nbsp;Neil B. Chilton ,&nbsp;Monika Gulia-Nuss ,&nbsp;Maarten J. Voordouw","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102539","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102539","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In North America, the tick-borne spirochete <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto (ss) causes Lyme disease and is transmitted by the blacklegged tick, <em>Ixodes scapularis</em>. Acquisition and transmission of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> ss occur during blood feeding, which is done by three tick stages, larvae, nymphs, and adults. Sex-specific differences in tick body size and blood feeding behaviour may influence transmission of tick-borne pathogens. However, sex-specific molecular markers are needed for sex determination of immature ticks. The objective of this study was to determine whether tick sex influences the acquisition and abundance of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> ss in immature <em>I. scapularis</em> ticks.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Uninfected or <em>B. burgdorferi</em>-infected larvae and nymphs were fed on <em>B. burgdorferi</em>-infected or uninfected lab mice and allowed to moult into the next stage. The sex of immature and adult ticks was determined using sex-specific PCR. The presence and abundance of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> in ticks were determined using <em>23S rRNA</em> qPCR, and the amount of tick tissue was determined using tick <em>calreticulin</em> qPCR.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There was no difference in acquisition of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> between immature male and female <em>I. scapularis</em>. In engorged larvae, the spirochete load was 45.7 % higher in female larvae compared to male larvae, and this difference was significant. In 4-week-old unfed nymphs, the spirochete load was 7.4 % higher in female nymphs compared to male nymphs, but this difference was not significant. In engorged larvae, the tick <em>calreticulin</em> gene content was similar between the sexes, whereas in unfed nymphs, the <em>calreticulin</em> gene content was 12.6 % higher in females than males, suggesting that female nymphs are larger. In adult ticks, female ticks weighed more, had higher <em>calreticulin</em> gene content, and higher spirochete loads than adult male ticks. Future studies should investigate whether tick sex influences the vector competence of <em>Ixodes</em> ticks for other tick-borne pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102539"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Opinion: Ecologists and entomologists wanted! An open invitation to alpha-gal syndrome research","authors":"Kate M. Barnett ,&nbsp;Caroline K. Maki ,&nbsp;William L. Nicholson ,&nbsp;Charles Ben Beard ,&nbsp;Gilbert J. Kersh ,&nbsp;Johanna S. Salzer","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this Opinion, the authors investigated peer-reviewed publications on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy, since its first description in the literature in 2009 to October 2024 to understand academic discipline and geographic affiliation of associated authors. We raise the issue of disproportionate contribution between medical disciplines and ecology/entomology disciplines and emphasize the positive future impacts of increased collaboration between the fields to address current gaps in our fundamental knowledge of this unique tick-borne disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102538"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proposing a subgenus Borreliella","authors":"Gabriele Margos ,&nbsp;Brian Stevenson ,&nbsp;Richard Birtles ,&nbsp;Alexander Gofton ,&nbsp;Emilie Talagrand-Reboul ,&nbsp;Markus Goeker ,&nbsp;Volker Fingerle","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2014, it was proposed (validly published in 2015) that the genus <em>Borrelia</em> be divided into two genera, with a new genus <em>Borreliella</em> holding species of the Lyme borreliosis group of spirochetes and the genus <em>Borrelia</em> retaining all other species. As borrelias are medically important bacteria and as concerns about this taxonomic proposal were raised, this genus split was controversial. In particular, the accuracy of the genetic signatures used to support the division of the genus has been questioned, particularly as new taxa have markedly increased the diversity of the genus in recent years. Restoration of the genus <em>Borrelia</em> to its original form was therefore proposed as an emendation in 2018.</div><div>However, some databases adhere to the policy of using the last validly published name of a genus as the correct name and, hence, fail to recognize a reversion to a previous taxonomy and to previously validly published names (homotypic synonyms). We therefore propose to lower the genus <em>Borreliella</em> in rank to a subgenus. This will create a validly published name newer than the genus name <em>Borreliella</em> that can then be used by databases and provides a means of formally referring to the same group without implying necessary changes of species names. Applying the underused subgenus category instead of splitting an already monophyletic genus into several genera could be a preferable solution for other bacterial groups, too.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in the prevalence of three disease-causing pathogens in bird-borne blacklegged ticks: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti","authors":"Medha Pandey ,&nbsp;J. Alan Clark ,&nbsp;Nicholas P. Piedmonte ,&nbsp;Christine P. Zolnik ,&nbsp;Justin R. Pool ,&nbsp;Thomas J. Daniels ,&nbsp;Evon Hekkala","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Babesia microti</em> are common tick-borne pathogens of medical and veterinary concern in the United States and are transmitted by the blacklegged tick (<em>Ixodes scapularis</em>). The range expansion of ticks and their pathogens depends on the movements of vertebrate hosts, including birds. Flight grants birds high mobility – giving them the potential to rapidly expand the range of ticks and their pathogens, thus impacting human, wildlife, and livestock risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases. We examined the prevalence of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, A. phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Ba. microti</em> in bird-borne <em>I. scapularis</em> larvae over the last decade and the relative importance of specific bird species in their maintenance in the environment. Engorged <em>I. scapularis</em> larvae collected from birds in 2010 and 2019 were tested for pathogens using qPCR. Annual prevalences of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, A. phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Ba. microti</em> significantly differed between years (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), changing from 17.2 %, 9.7 %, and 0 % in 2010 to 33.8 %, 2.9 %, and 5.1 % in 2019, respectively. Bird species significantly predicted <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto infection with the American robin (<em>Turdus migratorius</em>), Carolina wren (<em>Thryothorus ludovicianus</em>), and northern house wren (<em>Troglodytes aedon</em>) yielding ticks with high infection prevalences. Migratory and resident bird species may play important roles in the environmental maintenance of tick-borne pathogens and their range expansion in various ways, and further assessments of these pathogen-vector-host interactions are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102537"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Willingness to pay for residential property-based and community-based tick control methods in Lyme disease-endemic areas of the Upper Midwest, United States","authors":"Elizabeth K. Schiffman ,&nbsp;Jenna Bjork ,&nbsp;Daniel Phaneuf ,&nbsp;Alyssa Beck ,&nbsp;Erik Foster ,&nbsp;Jean I. Tsao ,&nbsp;Rebecca Osborn ,&nbsp;Rebecca Eisen ,&nbsp;Susan Paskewitz ,&nbsp;Sarah A. Hook ,&nbsp;Alison F. Hinckley","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks and tickborne diseases are of increasing concern in the United States, and the burden is high in certain focal areas. While the acceptability of various tick control and disease prevention methods has been studied, the public’s willingness to pay for environmental interventions at the individual or community level is less well described. Using data collected as part of a larger survey, we performed an additional analysis of residents of Lyme disease-endemic counties of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to assess their willingness to support and pay annually for various methods of property-based tick control and examined demographic characteristics that might influence willingness to pay. Seventy-nine percent of respondents were willing to perform some form of tick control on their property, with most preferring self-application. Landscaping and natural pesticide application were the most popular options, with people willing to pay an estimated $78 and $61 annually, respectively. High income, a high perceived prevalence of disease, and a high perceived likelihood of disease were all associated with a willingness to pay more. When asked about a community control option, 97 % of respondents indicated interest, with respondents being willing to pay $52/year for a community-based program regardless of household characteristics. These results suggest a moderate demand in the Upper Midwest for tick control efforts at both the individual property level and for local, publicly funded, community-based programs. These findings provide a starting point for assessing community characteristics, cost structure, environmental attributes, and efficacy needed to generate net benefits for community-based tick control programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102531"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial distribution and clustering of medically important tick species in Illinois: Implications for tick-borne disease risk","authors":"Abrar Hussain ,&nbsp;Csaba Varga ,&nbsp;Brian F. Allan ,&nbsp;Nohra Mateus-Pinilla ,&nbsp;Rebecca L. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102533","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102533","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The geographic range of medically significant tick species has expanded across the United States, with Illinois experiencing increased tick populations and incidence of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in recent decades. This study investigated the spatial distribution of three tick species: <em>Amblyomma americanum</em> (lone star tick), <em>Dermacentor variabilis</em> (American dog tick), and <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> (blacklegged tick) in Illinois, using data collected through active surveillance from 2018 to 2022. A total of 476 records of 1414 ticks were analyzed. Spatial analytical techniques, including species distribution mapping, Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation, Hot Spot (Getis-Ord Gi*), and Cluster and Outlier (Anselin Local Moran’s I) analyses, were applied to identify distribution patterns and statistically significant local clusters. The species distribution mapping results revealed distinct geographic patterns: <em>A. americanum</em> was most prevalent in southern, <em>D. variabilis</em> in central and southern, and <em>I. scapularis</em> in central and northeastern Illinois regions, respectively. With agreement between Hot Spot and Cluster-outlier analysis, counties with significantly high tick prevalence were identified, including 10 counties for <em>A. americanum</em> in southern Illinois, four counties for <em>D. variabilis</em> in central and southern Illinois, and seven counties for <em>I. scapularis</em> in central and northeastern Illinois. The study results correspond with incidence of TBDs reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), including ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis. These findings provide insights into the geographic variability of tick distributions, emphasizing the importance of targeted public health strategies and tick control efforts to mitigate the burden of TBDs in Illinois.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102533"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}