Surveillance for hard ticks of public health concern in Illinois: methods, application, and education

Lyons, Lee Ann

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113183 Copy

Description

Title

Surveillance for hard ticks of public health concern in Illinois: methods, application, and education

Author(s)

Lyons, Lee Ann

Issue Date

2021-07-14

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Smith, Rebecca L

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Smith, Rebecca L

Committee Member(s)

• Maddox, Carol
• Mateus-Pinilla, Nohra
• Ryan, Sadie
• Stone, Chris L

Department of Study

Pathobiology

Discipline

VMS - Pathobiology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Hard Ticks
• Ixodidae
• Surveillance
• Epidemiology
• KAP
• Review

Abstract

Between 2004 and 2016, the number of human tick-borne disease (TBD) cases doubled and seven new tick-borne pathogens that can infect humans were discovered within the United States. Because tick exposure and the risk of infection with TBDs are closely related and there is a lack of approved and effective environmental control methods for ticks, prevention of TBDs relies on reducing of tick bites through other methods. These other methods, such as avoiding tick habitat when ticks are active and using personal protective measures when in tick habitats, often rely on tick surveillance to inform prevention strategies. In 2019, the CDC published guidelines for public health agencies to follow when performing tick surveillance. To determine how effective these guidelines are, a baseline of prior surveillance is needed. Chapter 1 of this dissertation seeks to answer this need through a systematic review of methods for active tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance in the United States prior to 2019. We found most surveillance within the US has concentrated on the ticks (Ixodes scapularis in particular) which transmit Lyme disease and the pathogens those ticks can transmit (i.e., Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, etc.). Comparisons between tick and pathogen studies are difficult due to the wide variety of collection methods utilized and high variability within those methods. Additionally, there are many areas of the country with little to no representation in tick surveillance literature while other counties and/or states dominate publications. Illinois (IL) has had more surveillance than many other states, but after collating all the available data, there are still counties that have scant information on the main IL vector species (Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and I. scapularis). In 2018, we began the Illinois Tick Inventory Collaboration Network (I-TICK), a collaboration of academic, government, and community scientists, to gather information on the ticks of public health concern within the state using three different strategies: 1) passive collection (voluntary submission by the public); 2) systematic collection (biweekly active surveillance); 3) special collections (active collections in locations of special interest). The second chapter of this dissertation describes the I-TICK program and the contributions to surveillance that were made through it. The distribution status of one or more species changed in 36 counties. Each strategy contributed to these changes and highlighted how they can be combined to inform public health. Beyond updating distribution maps, we built a network of collaborations and partnerships to support future tick surveillance efforts within the state. Increasingly, the responsibly for tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance is being placed on local health departments (LHDs), but they lack funding, time, and training. The third chapter reports on the development, delivery, and effectiveness of tick surveillance training workshops for LHD employees within Illinois. As part of these workshops, we administered pre-, post-, and six-month follow-up questionnaires on knowledge, attitudes, and practices of LHDs with regards to tick surveillance. Participants were able to significantly increase and retain their knowledge of ticks, TBDs, tick and surveillance safety, and surveillance methods. The training promoted positive attitudes towards tick surveillance and reduced perceived barriers. Unfortunately, we did not see significant increases in surveillance practices. With the increasing number of TBDs cases and the continued geographic expansion of vector tick species, tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance is a necessary tool in public health. These results point out some of the current knowledge gaps with regards to tick surveillance, present the practical application of both passive and active surveillance strategies, and show how the knowledge gained from the first two studies can be disseminated within public health organizations to promote more widespread surveillance efforts.

Graduation Semester

2021-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Copyright 2021 Lee Ann Lyons

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