Abstract
Since the raccoon (Procyon lotor) was introduced to Japan, studies have established that they are infested with native Japanese tick species. However, the quantity of ticks infesting raccoons is unknown. We conducted a survey of ticks on invasive raccoons captured on the Miura Peninsula, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, from April 2015 through June 2016 to determine the species of ticks and to quantify the intensity of tick infestation in order to obtain basal information related to the ecology of host–parasite relationships among indigenous tick species and an alien mammalian species. We collected and identified 15,931 ticks of two genera and six species, namely, Haemaphysalis flava, H. megaspinosa, H. longicornis, H. japonica, Ixodes ovatus, and I. tanuki, from 100 out of 115 raccoons. The dominant tick species was H. flava (96.8%) and individuals were mainly adults. Seasonal patterns of infestation intensity of adults and nymphs peaked in the autumn and winter and decreasing in the late spring and summer, May to August, while larvae peaked in August. Our results indicated that host–parasite relationships between invasive raccoons and Japanese tick species, especially H. flava, were established in Kanagawa Prefecture. The ticks infest invasive raccoons for their blood-meal and also for overwintering. The results of this study extend our understanding of the ecology of tick-borne diseases.
Highlights
The first report of feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Japan was reported in 1962 in Aichi Prefecture and the raccoon was imported toJapan as a pet and increased number in the late 1970s (Ikeda, 2006)
Multiple reports indicate that raccoons have a role as a reservoir of tickborne diseases (TBD), (e.g., Japanese spotted fever; JSF) (Inoue et al, 2011), tularemia (Berrada et al, 2006; Fujita, 2009a; Inoue et al, 2011), babesiosis (Kawabuchi et al, 2005), and severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) (Takahashi et al, 2014)
Our results indicated a relatively high intensity of adult and nymphal H. flava infestation that started to increase in November and peaked in February while larval H. flava peaked in August (Fig. 2)
Summary
The first report of feral raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Japan was reported in 1962 in Aichi Prefecture and the raccoon was imported toJapan as a pet and increased number in the late 1970s (Ikeda, 2006). A survey performed by the Japanese government in 2006 confirmed that raccoons have established populations throughout Japan (Ikeda, 2006) They compete for resources with native mammals, such as the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes japonica; Ikeda, 2006; Ikeda et al, 2004), prey on endangered reptiles (Kaneda and Kato, 2011), damage crops (Ikeda, 2006), break into houses (Ikeda, 1999, 2006) and are recognized as an invasive species (Ikeda, 1999). Since both human infestation and TBD case reports, such as JSF, concentrate in seasons, ticks are mostly active in the environment (Mahara, 1997)
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