TY - JOUR
T1 - A survey of tick species in a recently reintroduced elk (Cervus canadensis) population in Southeastern Kentucky, USA, with potential implications for interstate translocation of zoonotic disease vectors
AU - Slabach, B. L.
AU - McKinney, A.
AU - Cunningham, J.
AU - Hast, J. T.
AU - Cox, J. J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Wildlife Disease Association 2018.
PY - 2018/4
Y1 - 2018/4
N2 - In the late 20th century, elk (Cervus canadensis) were reintroduced into southeastern Kentucky, US. This population has since been used as a stock population for additional elk reintroductions in other eastern states. Although reintroduction and translocation practices are effective, they can disseminate vectors and pathogens. Therefore, we surveyed tick species residing on elk hosts a decade after elk reintroduction in Kentucky by examining 263 captured individuals (female=86; male=177) from 2011 to 2013. A total of 1,617 ticks were collected from 255 elk. We found five tick species: American dog (Dermacentor variabilis), Gulf Coast (Amblyom-ma maculatum), winter (Dermacentor albipictus), deer (Ixodes scapularis), and Lone Star (Ambly-omma americanum). The most prevalent ticks were winter tick (52.3%) and American dog tick (42.1%). We found no difference between female and male elk in mean intensity of American dog tick (mean=2.6, 95% confidence limits: 2.6, 2.7; P=0.701) or winter tick (mean=3.28, 95% confidence limits: 2.21, 2.07; P=0.274). Our findings demonstrated that the elk population acts as host to a diversity of tick species, suggested a broader distribution of tick species than previously reported in Kentucky, and highlighted the potential for inadvertent spread of ticks through translocation and reintroduction efforts, even on a local scale.
AB - In the late 20th century, elk (Cervus canadensis) were reintroduced into southeastern Kentucky, US. This population has since been used as a stock population for additional elk reintroductions in other eastern states. Although reintroduction and translocation practices are effective, they can disseminate vectors and pathogens. Therefore, we surveyed tick species residing on elk hosts a decade after elk reintroduction in Kentucky by examining 263 captured individuals (female=86; male=177) from 2011 to 2013. A total of 1,617 ticks were collected from 255 elk. We found five tick species: American dog (Dermacentor variabilis), Gulf Coast (Amblyom-ma maculatum), winter (Dermacentor albipictus), deer (Ixodes scapularis), and Lone Star (Ambly-omma americanum). The most prevalent ticks were winter tick (52.3%) and American dog tick (42.1%). We found no difference between female and male elk in mean intensity of American dog tick (mean=2.6, 95% confidence limits: 2.6, 2.7; P=0.701) or winter tick (mean=3.28, 95% confidence limits: 2.21, 2.07; P=0.274). Our findings demonstrated that the elk population acts as host to a diversity of tick species, suggested a broader distribution of tick species than previously reported in Kentucky, and highlighted the potential for inadvertent spread of ticks through translocation and reintroduction efforts, even on a local scale.
KW - Elk reintroduction
KW - Kentucky
KW - Tick distribution
KW - Vector translocation
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U2 - 10.7589/2017-06-135
DO - 10.7589/2017-06-135
M3 - Article
C2 - 29286258
AN - SCOPUS:85043497035
SN - 0090-3558
VL - 54
SP - 366
EP - 370
JO - Journal of Wildlife Diseases
JF - Journal of Wildlife Diseases
IS - 2
ER -