Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Diversity and prevalence of spotted-fever group rickettsiae in ixodid ticks across Slovakia, Central Europe","authors":"Ivana Heglasová ,&nbsp;Bronislava Víchová ,&nbsp;Michal Stanko","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102490","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102490","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Habitats with the sympatric occurrence of several ixodid tick species are significant from an epidemiological perspective. These habitats can influence the diversity and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens, and their monitoring can help estimate the risk of infection. A total of 1260 questing ticks from five species (<em>Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Haemaphysalis concinna</em>, and <em>Haemaphysalis inermis</em>) were collected from vegetation using the flagging method in three different habitats in eastern Slovakia. Additionally, 900 rodent-attached ticks of six species (<em>I. ricinus, Ixodes trianguliceps, D. marginatus, D. reticulatus, H. concinna</em>, and <em>H. inermis</em>) collected from 149 small mammals belonging to seven species (<em>Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus agrarius, Microtus arvalis, Myodes glareolus, Micromys minutus, Crocidura leucodon</em>, and <em>Crocidura suaveolens</em>) were selected for molecular analyses. DNA obtained from rodent-attached and questing ticks was tested by nested PCR targeting the <em>gltA</em> gene to determine the presence of <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. The <em>ompA, ompB</em>, and <em>sca4</em> genes were amplified and sequenced to identify rickettsiae species. The overall prevalence of rickettsiae in questing and rodent-attached ticks was 12.5 % and 20.0 %, respectively. Overall studied localities, the most diverse spectrum of rickettsiae species, including <em>R. helvetica, R. monacensis, R. raoultii</em>, and <em>R. slovaca</em>, was recorded in questing and rodent-attached ticks in the natural habitat of the Slovak Karst. The dominant species, <em>R. helvetica</em> (62.9 %), was identified in two species of questing and rodent-attached ticks, specifically <em>I. ricinus</em> and <em>H. concinna,</em> and in rodent-attached <em>D. reticulatus</em> ticks. <em>Rickettsia raoultii</em> (20.4 %) was identified in questing and rodent-attached <em>D. marginatus, D. reticulatus,</em> and in questing <em>H. concinna</em>. Additionally, this study provides the first input of pathogenic <em>R. raoultii</em> in <em>I. trianguliceps</em> obtained from the striped field mouse (<em>A. agrarius</em>). <em>Rickettsia monacensis</em> (9.0 %) was detected in questing and rodent-attached <em>I. ricinus</em>, while <em>Rickettsia slovaca</em> (3.6 %) was found in questing and rodent-attached <em>D. marginatus</em> ticks. Natural biotopes with different tick species and hosts significantly affect the diversity and prevalence of rickettsiae.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102490"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124687","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":"Epidemiological study on the prevalence of Anaplasma ovis infection in Aragón, Spain","authors":"Héctor Ruiz ,&nbsp;José María González ,&nbsp;Marta Ruiz de Arcaute ,&nbsp;Sergio Villanueva-Saz ,&nbsp;Juan José Ramos ,&nbsp;José Luis Arnal ,&nbsp;Cristina Baselga ,&nbsp;Pablo Quilez ,&nbsp;Aurora Ortín ,&nbsp;Delia Lacasta","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102486","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102486","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ovine anaplasmosis is an emerging disease in Europe, primarily affecting the Mediterranean region. It is caused by <em>Anaplasma ovis</em>, a bacterium mainly transmitted by ticks. Despite its growing presence, comprehensive data on its distribution across Europe remain scarce. This epidemiological study aimed to assess the prevalence of <em>A. ovis</em> in sheep farms across Aragón, Spain, between March 2023 and April 2024. A total of 70 farms, covering a diverse range of climatic zones within Aragón, were sampled, representing 700 sheep. Two pooled blood samples, each comprising five sheep per farm, were tested using quantitative PCR (qPCR) to detect the presence of <em>A. ovis</em>. The results revealed a widespread presence of the bacterium, with 69 out of 70 farms testing positive. The only negative case was a farm located in a Steppe Dry climate area near Zaragoza, at approximately 240 m above sea level. Notably, no clinical signs of the disease were observed in any of the animals during the study period. In addition to the high prevalence, the study highlighted a concerning lack of awareness among farmers, with only 33 % reporting familiarity with the disease. These findings underscore the extensive distribution of <em>A. ovis</em> in Aragón and suggest that neither climatic conditions nor livestock management practices had a significant influence on transmission. The study also emphasizes the urgent need for enhanced control measures, increased farmer education, and further research into environmental and management factors that may contribute to outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102486"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143937671","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":"Corrigendum to “Rodent-targeted fluralaner baiting reduces the density of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected questing Ixodes scapularis ticks in a peri-urban setting in southern Canada” [Ticks Tick Borne Dis 16(2);2025 102467]","authors":"Jérôme Pelletier ,&nbsp;Jean-Philippe Rocheleau ,&nbsp;Catherine Bouchard ,&nbsp;Geneviève Baron ,&nbsp;Heather Coatsworth ,&nbsp;Antonia Dibernardo ,&nbsp;Christopher Fernandez-Prada ,&nbsp;Nicholas H Ogden ,&nbsp;Liliana Potes ,&nbsp;Patrick A Leighton ,&nbsp;Cécile Aenishaenslin","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102489","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102489"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144144048","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":"Tick hazard in a Central European country: Mapping Europe’s principal tick-borne disease vector across Germany","authors":"Andrea Springer ,&nbsp;Alexander Lindau ,&nbsp;Katrin Fachet-Lehmann ,&nbsp;Daniel Kämmer ,&nbsp;Ingrid Bulling ,&nbsp;Steffen Knoll ,&nbsp;Nina Król ,&nbsp;Dominik Fischer ,&nbsp;Luisa Fischer ,&nbsp;Marco Drehmann ,&nbsp;Lidia Chitimia-Dobler ,&nbsp;Madeleine Noll ,&nbsp;Hannah Rose Vineer ,&nbsp;Olaf Kahl ,&nbsp;Martin Pfeffer ,&nbsp;Christina Strube ,&nbsp;Ute Mackenstedt","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102485","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102485","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The most common European tick species, <em>Ixodes ricinus,</em> is the principal vector of <em>Borrelia</em> and tick-borne encephalitis virus and several other pathogens of public health relevance in Europe. Comprehensive data on tick abundance and the underlying ecological drivers are crucial for developing awareness and control strategies and to assess future changes in tick-borne disease risk. We aimed to provide a Germany-wide map of <em>I. ricinus</em> abundance to aid in disease transmission risk assessment. During 2018−2020, questing tick density was assessed at 83 sites across the whole country by drag flagging, whereby 49,344 <em>I. ricinus</em> nymphs and adults were collected. Relationships between climate, land cover, and monthly questing <em>I. ricinus</em> nymph density were explored and used to draw an abundance map. Highest tick hazard was observed in areas near the coast with mild winters and moist springs, and in mid-elevation mountain ranges, which represent popular tourist destinations. The ticks’ seasonal activity pattern was predominantly unimodal. The fact that the observed regional differences are contradictory to a previous estimation based on a combination of regional studies illustrates the need for an extensive and coordinated sampling effort to reliably estimate tick abundance at larger spatial scales. Combined with data on tick-borne pathogens, our study enables estimating the density of infected ticks and consequently the risk of acquiring an infectious tick bite. Moreover, the observed relationships with climate and land cover can help to predict future developments of tick hazard under different climate scenarios in Central Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102485"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069873","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":"Corrigendum to “Effective control of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Daishan County, a former epicenter in Zhejiang Province, Southeast China” [Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases 16 (2025) 102481]","authors":"Qilong Tan ,&nbsp;Shuqin Fu ,&nbsp;Jiwei Shu ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Yihan Lou ,&nbsp;Mingxing Hu ,&nbsp;Sen Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiangping Ren ,&nbsp;Jimin Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102484","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102484"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144056891","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":"Vaccinomics-driven selection and validation of protective salivary antigens from the argasid tick Ornithodoros moubata","authors":"Ana Laura Cano-Argüelles,&nbsp;Ana Oleaga,&nbsp;María González-Sánchez,&nbsp;Rocío Vizcaíno-Marín,&nbsp;Ricardo Pérez-Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102483","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102483","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ornithodoros moubata</em> serves as primary vector of African swine fever and tick-borne human relapsing fever in Africa. Developing an effective vaccine targeting this argasid tick would significantly enhance disease control measures. To identify potential vaccine targets, the recently characterised sialome of <em>O. moubata</em> was analysed using a vaccinomics approach. This led to the identification of a set of salivary secreted proteins predicted to be antigenic and implicated in the regulation of blood-feeding and host immune defences. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective potential of seven of these proteins, namely Complement inhibitor (OmCI), Cyclophilin (OmCPH), Hypothetical protein 275 (OmH275), Peroxiredoxin (OmPXR), Calreticulin (OmCLR), Neprilysin (OmNEP), and Superoxide dismutase (OmSOD). These candidates were produced as recombinant proteins, formulated with Montanide adjuvant, and administered individually to different groups of rabbits. Adult and nymphal-3 specimens of <em>O. moubata</em> and <em>Ornithodoros erraticus</em> (the Mediterranean vector of ASF and TBRF) were allowed to feed on the vaccinated rabbits, and the ticks’ feeding performance, survival, and reproduction rates were assessed. OmH275, OmPXR, OmCPH, and OmCLR conferred 20 %–32 % protection against <em>O. moubata</em> and/or <em>O. erraticus</em>, whereas OmCI, OmNEP, and OmSOD afforded 2 %–17 % protection against one or both tick species. Consequently, OmH275, OmPXR, OmCPH, and OmCLR were deemed suitable candidates for inclusion in the development of anti-<em>Ornithodoros</em> cocktail vaccines, while OmCI, OmNEP, and OmSOD were considered less promising for tick vaccine development. These findings validate the vaccinomics pipeline, identifying four of seven candidates (57 %) as viable antigens for Ornithodoros tick vaccines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102483"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143883222","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":"Effective control of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Daishan County, a former epicenter in Zhejiang Province, Southeast China","authors":"Qilong Tan ,&nbsp;Shuqin Fu ,&nbsp;Jiwei Shu ,&nbsp;Ying Liu ,&nbsp;Yihan Lou ,&nbsp;Mingxing Hu ,&nbsp;Sen Zhang ,&nbsp;Jimin Sun ,&nbsp;Jiangping Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102481","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102481","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease with high case fatality rate. In 2016, a series of community-based comprehensive measures were put into effect in Daishan. This study was conducted to explore the change in the epidemiology of SFTS following the implementation of those measures..</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Descriptive and statistical analyses were conducted to characterize the epidemiology of SFTS.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In total, 156 cases were reported in Daishan during 2011–2023, with the average annual incidence rate of 66.58 per million. The incidence increased with age, and the case fatality rate was significantly higher among the cases over 65 years (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.050). After the implementation of the community-based comprehensive measures in 2016, the incidence was remarkably declined from 2015 to 2019 (Annual Percent Change [APC] = -39.98, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001) and remained relatively stable without significant alteration between 2019 and 2023 (APC = 15.77, <em>P</em> = 0.156), which was in contrast to the trends in Zhejiang and Mainland China. The hospital type that was most frequently visited for the initial medical-seeking shifted from type I (59.26 %) in 2011–2016 to type II (56.52 %) in 2017–2023. The time intervals between first-visiting and confirmation, onset and confirmation were shortened in the period of 2017–2023 (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Consequently, the case fatality was insignificantly reduced (8.70 % vs. 20 %, <em>P</em> = 0.084).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The community-based comprehensive measures are highly efficacious in the containment of SFTS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102481"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850638","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":"Isolation, culture, and genome analysis of Rickettsia oklahomensis sp. nov. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) from Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae)","authors":"Michael Karounos ,&nbsp;Praveen Kumar Korla ,&nbsp;James Wilson ,&nbsp;Sarah Clarke ,&nbsp;Susan Little ,&nbsp;Barbara Qurollo","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102482","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102482","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An uncharacterized <em>Rickettsia</em> species was previously identified by molecular detection in <em>Amblyomma americanum</em> ticks from Oklahoma, a state reported to have high <em>Rickettsia</em> seroprevalence. <em>Amblyomma americanum</em> ticks are aggressive feeders capable of transmitting viral, protozoal and bacterial species that cause diseases in humans and animals. Discovering and characterizing novel microorganisms in this tick species is crucial for identifying potential new pathogens. Using <em>A. americanum</em> ticks collected from Oklahoma, we isolated, cultured and sequenced the entire genome of a previously detected, but uncharacterized, novel <em>Rickettsia</em> species. Triturated <em>A. americanum</em> ticks were used as inoculum to culture the novel <em>Rickettsia</em> species in Vero E6 cells, and qPCR testing confirmed the presence of the new <em>Rickettsia</em> species while ruling out the presence of other tick-borne organisms. The total genome size was 1.17 Mbp consisting of a complete chromosome with a 30.7 % G+C content (GenBank accession CP157197). We predicted 1037 genes, 997 coding gene open reading frames, along with 33 tRNAs, 4 ncRNAs and 3 rRNAs. This genome was most similar to <em>Rickettsia canadensis</em> strain CA410 at 91.1 % identity, based on average nucleotide identity analysis. A maximum-likelihood phylogeny tree, constructed using 636 concatenated core proteins, placed the novel <em>Rickettsia</em> species in a clade with <em>Rickettsia canadensis.</em> We propose the name <em>Rickettsia oklahomensis</em> sp. nov., strain Oklahoma 10, which is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rickettsial Isolate Reference Collection (WDCM 1093), Atlanta, GA, USA (CRIRC accession number ROK001).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102482"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844504","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":"Midgut-specific vitellogenin-1 is involved in the negative regulation of Babesia ovata migration or proliferation in Haemaphysalis longicornis tissues","authors":"Nariko Sato,&nbsp;Rika Umemiya-Shirafuji","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102480","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102480","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transovarial transmission of bovine <em>Babesia</em> has been experimentally demonstrated using larvae from <em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em> ticks that are parasitized on cattle infected with <em>Babesia ovata</em>. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this transovarial transmission remain unclear. We previously showed that vitellogenin (Vg) and its receptor, essential for oogenesis, are key factors involved in <em>Babesia</em> infection in the ovary of <em>H. longicornis</em>. So far, three <em>Vg</em> genes (<em>HlVg-1, HlVg-2</em>, and <em>HlVg-3</em>) have been identified from <em>H. longicornis</em>, but the roles of Vgs other than HlVg-2 in <em>Babesia</em>-infected ticks are unknown. Here, we report the estimated roles of midgut-specific <em>HlVg-1</em> in <em>Babesia</em>-infected ticks. Following semi-artificial feeding of <em>B. ovata</em>-infected bovine red blood cells, the expression level of <em>HlVg-1</em> was significantly upregulated at 1 and 2 days after engorgement (dAE). Subsequently, gene silencing mediated via RNA interference (RNAi) was performed to infer the role of <em>HlVg-1</em> in <em>B. ovata</em>-infected ticks. Interestingly, relative detection levels of <em>Babesia</em> DNA in <em>HlVg-1</em> RNAi ticks were higher compared with control ticks at 1 and 2 dAE. These results indicate that <em>HlVg-1</em> might regulate tissue-to-tissue migration or proliferation of <em>Babesia</em> in the tick body. Our data hypothesize that each organ-specific Vg has individual roles during <em>Babesia</em> infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102480"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143844505","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":"Efficacy of rodent pathogen reservoir-targeted topical acaricide treatment strategies to lower the density of host-seeking Ixodes pacificus nymphs in California","authors":"Newton Maxwell ,&nbsp;Nakano Angie ,&nbsp;Summers Shannon ,&nbsp;Esquivel Alexander ,&nbsp;Swei Andrea","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102479","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102479","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lyme disease, caused primarily by the bacterium <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto (s.s.), is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. Lyme disease spirochetes are maintained through enzootic cycles of pathogen transmission between vertebrate reservoir hosts and tick vectors. Reservoir host targeted strategies have been examined for their ability to disrupt enzootic transmission cycles of <em>B. burgdoferi</em> s.s. within natural environments in the eastern U.S. However, there are no studies in the western U.S. examining the effect of permethrin- and deltamethrin-based topical acaricides on <em>Ixodes pacificus</em> over consecutive years of treatment. We evaluated rodent reservoir-targeted topical acaricide treatments from 2023 to 2024 in California and examined their impact on larval <em>I. pacificus</em> infesting rodent host species and the density of host-seeking nymphal <em>I. pacificus</em>. Modified bait stations contained topical acaricides to treat dusky-footed woodrats (<em>Neotoma fuscipes</em>), western gray squirrels (<em>Sciurus griseus</em>), and several <em>Peromyscus</em> species throughout the peak of larval and nymphal <em>I. pacificus</em> host-seeking activity between March and May. Topical acaricide treatments including permethrin and deltamethrin were applied on three replicate plots. Our results show that larval <em>I. pacificus</em> burdens decreased by 96 % at acaricide treated plots compared to control plots in 2024. In addition, the density of host-seeking nymphal <em>I. pacificus</em> was 56 % lower at acaricide treated plots compared to control plots in 2024. This suggests that in the western U.S., host-targeted topical acaricide treatments are a highly effective strategy for reducing rodent reservoir-attached ticks as well as the abundance of host-seeking nymphal <em>I. pacificus</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102479"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825384","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}