Foreign ticks hitchhiking their way on people into CT
By Rob Polansky
Click here for updates on this story
CONNECTICUT (WFSB) — Exotic tick species are stowing away on humans coming to Connecticut, and local health officials fear they’ll become permanent residents in the state.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported it received several exotic tick species from returning vacationers.
“The number of invasive ticks intercepted Connecticut has increased substantially in recent years, and just within the past few weeks, the CAES tick testing laboratory has received at least four exotic tick species from state residents returning to Connecticut from international destinations, including Europe, Africa, and South and Central America,” said said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, a chief medical entomologist who also directs the CAES Tick and Tick-bone Diseases Surveillance Program. “These new introductions are in addition to several invasive ticks that the CAES has reported in the past few years, some of which have already established populations in the state, including the lone star tick, Gulf Coast tick, and Asian longhorned tick, placing new communities at risk for tick and tick-borne disease exposure.”
The CAES said the invasive ticks are capable of establishing populations and rapid range expansion due to an increasingly hospitable environment and have the potential to introduce new tick-borne pathogens and alter the dynamics of a myriad of existing and emerging tick-borne diseases in the state and throughout the northeast.
Both human travel and the expansion of the legal and illegal plant and animal trades are important contributing factors for the potential importation, establishment, and expansion of exotic ticks and their associated pathogens into new regions, resulting in considerable public and veterinary health concerns.
State scientists said the introduction of exotic tick vectors of bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and filarial parasites into Connecticut has accelerated in recent years due to increased trade, international travel, and the movement of wildlife. Native tick species are also expanding their ranges, which has been linked to environmental changes, a warming climate, and increased human and animal host populations.
To prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases, the CAES recommended that people:
Avoid or limit activity in tick-infested areas including grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. Treat clothing and gear with approved acaricides (e.g., products containing 0.5% permethrin). Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered repellents containing DEET and other products. Check your clothing for ticks Check your body and shower after outdoor activity Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on clothing after outdoor activity.
It said it is also important for travelers and practitioners to develop a heightened awareness of the public health risks associated with the unintended importation of exotic ticks and the potential such parasites have for breaching United States biosecurity defenses.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
