Borrelia,Ehrlichia, andRickettsiaspp. in Ticks Removed from Persons, Texas, USA

Phillip C Williamson,Meredith A Turnbough,Samuel F Atkinson,Glenna J Teltow,Peggy M Billingsley,Janel P Seals

doi:10.3201/eid1603.091333

Abstract

Data regarding the type, frequency, and distribution of tick-borne pathogens and bacterial agents are not widely available for many tick species that parasitize persons in the southern United States. We therefore analyzed the frequency and identity of pathogens and bacterial agents in ticks removed from humans and subsequently submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis Control Program, from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2008. The data showed associations of bacterial agents and potential vectors. Tick-related illnesses may pose unidentified health risks in areas such as Texas, where incidence of human disease related to tick bites is low but well above zero and where ticks are not routinely suspected as the cause of disease. Cause, treatment, and prevention strategies can be better addressed through collecting sufficient data to establish baseline assessments of risk.

Highlights

Data concerning the full distribution of tick-borne agents and their potential relationship to both emerging and characterized illnesses in the southern United States are not widely available
Ticks that had been attached to a person were submitted to University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), where they were screened for the genera Borrelia, Rickettsia, and Ehrlichia with genus-specific PCRs
Genetic material from SFGR was identified in A. americanum, A. cajennense, D. variabilis, Ixodes scapularis, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks

Summary

Introduction

Data concerning the full distribution of tick-borne agents and their potential relationship to both emerging and characterized illnesses in the southern United States are not widely available. Persons who become ill after a tick bite may be at increased risk because a tick bite may not be considered as the source of the pathogen and because of the length of time that febrile illness may elude effective treatment. Detailed knowledge of the causative agents, their distribution, and their relationship to potential vectors is lacking. As of October 1, 2004, the Tick-Borne Disease Research Laboratory at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) became the primary facility for testing ticks submitted to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TX DSHS)

Methods

Results

Conclusion