Developing a Tick-Borne Disease Surveillance and Mapping System for Kentucky

Workers in production agriculture and forestry are at risk of exposure to ticks carrying pathogens that cause many diseases in humans, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis, Tularemia, and Powassan encephalitis virus.1 Not much information is available on the geographic distribution or seasonal activity of ticks in Kentucky counties where production agriculture and forestry are practiced. The main goal of this proposal is to develop a tick-borne disease surveillance and mapping system for Kentucky. We will survey for ticks in counties where data are lacking on tick species and the pathogens they carry and develop an interactive mobile online tick-borne disease application to display information from this activity, plus reportable disease data for tick-borne diseases, potential risk factors, and recommended preventive measures. The product of the proposed research will contribute to tick-borne disease prevention efforts, potentially resulting in improvement of worker health and safety. Data collection and mapping activities will provide preliminary data and hypothesis generation for future collaborative proposals. Specific aims Specific Aim 1: Conduct tick drags, speciation, and pathogen diagnosis in 20 counties with potential for agricultural and forestry worker exposure to tick-borne diseases. Specific Aim 2: Develop an interactive online tick-borne disease mapping application to display information from tick disease surveillance, potential risk factors, and preventive measures.