Rates of infection in NJ ticks

(Too bad they didn't include bartonella.)



Relative Encounter Frequencies and Prevalence of Selected Borrelia,
Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma Infections in Amblyomma americanum and Ixodes
scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks from Central New Jersey

Authors: Schulze, Terry L.; Jordan, Robert A.; Schulze, Christopher J.;
Mixson, Tonya; Papero, Michele

Source: Journal of Medical Entomology, May 2005, vol. 42, no. 3, pp.
450-456(7)

Publisher: Entomological Society of America




Abstract:
To evaluate their relative importance in tick-borne disease
transmission in New Jersey, host-seeking Amblyomma americanum (L.) and
Ixodes scapularis Say adults and nymphs were collected during spring
activity periods in 2003 and 2004 to determine relative frequencies at
which these ticks were encountered from an area known to be
hyperendemic for Lyme disease. Although similar numbers of the two
species were encountered during early spring of both years, A.
americanum were encountered more often later in the season and
exhibited a longer activity period than I. scapularis. A. americanum
nymphs were collected at frequencies between 2.6 and 7.3 times higher
than I. scapularis nymphs.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of 121 A. americanum adults
yielded infection prevalences of 9.1% for Borrelia lonestari, 12.3% for
Ehrlichia chaffeenensis, and 8.2% for E. ewingii, and coinfection
prevalences of 4.1% for E. chaffeensis/E. ewingii and 0.8% for E.
chaffeensis/B. lonestari.

Infection prevalences in 147 I. scapularis adults were 50.3% for B.
burgdorferi, 6.1% for Anaplasma (Ehrlichia) phagocytophilum, and 1.4%
for a recently described novel Borrelia species, whereas the
coinfection prevalences were 2.7% for B. burgdorferi/A.
phagocytophilum, 0.7% for B. burgdorferi/novel Borrelia, and 0.7% for
A. phagocytophilum/novel Borrelia.

The B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in I. scapularis was
considerably higher than that in A. americanum. However, the higher A.
americanum encounter frequencies compared with I. scapularis may result
in increased risk of acquiring exposure to A. americanum-transmitted
pathogens. The potential public health implications of these results
are discussed.

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