The Ratio of Human Hosts Among Species of Ticks Found in the Mid-Atlantic
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
Ticks are ectoparasitic animals known to be vectors of various diseases known to be pathogenic to humans. In this study, we explore several species of ticks, their likelihood to use humans as hosts, and compare the results to findings of our active surveillance project. The species of ticks include the American dog tick, lone star tick, blacklegged tick, and Gulf Coast tick. We limited ourselves to obtaining data from various sites found in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and North Carolina. Data was obtained by flagging as well as submission from volunteers of ticks found on themselves. We found fewer American dog ticks on human hosts than lone star ticks; however, when the number of encounters is compared to the total number of American dog ticks found through flagging, the percentage skyrockets. Based on our results, we found that American dog ticks are far more likely to feed on human hosts than lone star ticks.
Presentation Type
Event
Location
Learning Commons @ Perry Library, Northwest Atrium
Start Date
2-13-2016 8:00 AM
End Date
2-13-2016 12:30 PM
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The Ratio of Human Hosts Among Species of Ticks Found in the Mid-Atlantic
Learning Commons @ Perry Library, Northwest Atrium
Ticks are ectoparasitic animals known to be vectors of various diseases known to be pathogenic to humans. In this study, we explore several species of ticks, their likelihood to use humans as hosts, and compare the results to findings of our active surveillance project. The species of ticks include the American dog tick, lone star tick, blacklegged tick, and Gulf Coast tick. We limited ourselves to obtaining data from various sites found in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and North Carolina. Data was obtained by flagging as well as submission from volunteers of ticks found on themselves. We found fewer American dog ticks on human hosts than lone star ticks; however, when the number of encounters is compared to the total number of American dog ticks found through flagging, the percentage skyrockets. Based on our results, we found that American dog ticks are far more likely to feed on human hosts than lone star ticks.
Comments
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Holly Gaff
Biological Sciences