Adult ticks (Ixodes scapularis) infected with B. burgdorferi) have increased overwintering survival, with implications for tick population growth
El Nabbout, A.; Ferguson, L.; Miyashita, A.; Adamo, S. A.
Show abstract
The tick, Ixodes scapularis, vectors pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. Over the last few decades I. scapularis has expanded its range, introducing a novel health threat into these areas. Warming temperatures appear to be one cause of its range expansion to the north. However, other factors are also involved. We show that unfed adult female ticks infected with B. burgdorferi have greater overwintering survival than uninfected female ticks. Locally collected adult female ticks were placed in individual microcosms and allowed to overwinter in both forest and dune grass environments. In the spring we collected the ticks and tested both dead and living ticks for B. burgdorferi DNA. Infected ticks had greater overwintering survival compared with uninfected ticks every winter for three consecutive winters in both forest and dune grass environments. We discuss the most plausible explanations for this result. The increased winter survival of adult female ticks could enhance tick population growth. Our results suggest that, in addition to climate change, B. burgdorferi infection itself may be promoting the northern range expansion of I. scapularis. Our study highlights how pathogens could work synergistically with climate change to promote host range expansion.
Matching journals
The top 8 journals account for 50% of the predicted probability mass.
Similar papers in this journal
- Influence of endosymbionts on the reproductive fitness of the tick Ornithodoros moubata 94%
- The distribution, phenology, host range and pathogen prevalence of Ixodes ricinus in France: a systematic map and narrative review 93%
- Seasonality of host-seeking Ixodes ricinus nymph abundance in relation to climate 92%
Similar papers in this journal
- Northward Expansion of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) into Southern Michigan 94%
- Duplex PCR assay to determine sex and mating status of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), vector of the Lyme disease pathogen 94%
- From forests to fields: investigating Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) abundance and diversity in cattle pastures and adjacent woodlands 92%
Similar papers in this journal
- Population genetics as a tool to elucidate pathogen reservoirs: Lessons from Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose disease in bats 93%
- Host phylogeny and ecological associations best explain Wolbachia host shifts in scale insects 91%
- History matters: thermal environment before, but not during wasp attack determines the efficiency of symbiont-mediated protection 91%
Similar papers in this journal
Similar papers in this journal
- Context-dependent effects of ivermectin residues on dung insects: Interactions with environmental stressors, size, and sex in a sepsid fly (Sepsis neocynipsea) 93%
- Autumn larval cold tolerance does not predict the northern range limit of a widespread butterfly species 92%
- An elusive endosymbiont: Does Wolbachia occur naturally in Aedes aegypti? 92%
"Similar papers" are the closest papers from that journal in the model's embedding space. They show what the match is built on, but the ranking comes mostly from a classifier over the whole training set, not from these examples alone.