Ticks and Tick-Borne Illnesses of Alabama Emily Merritt and Dr. Graeme Lockaby Source:

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Those who spend time outdoors are at risk of coming into contact with ticks

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Tick-Borne Illness in Alabama ▪ Ticks bite and infect humans, pets, and wildlife in Alabama  Symptoms treatable, can be life- threatening or long-lasting Not much known about contributing factors of tick distributions or tick-borne illness prevalence in Alabama Kelly Stevens, unpublished data ADPH reported cases of tick- borne illness,

Research Suggests… ▪ Warmer winters, enhanced host distributions  expanding tick and TBI distributions  extent? ▪ Urbanization  forest fragmentation  increased tick densities  TBI risk? ▪ Fertile soils  increased tick densities and TBI prevalence  specifics?

▪ We will improve understanding of Alabama ticks and tick-borne illnesses by identifying factors that affect their presence, distribution, and prevalence 3-year project Sample state and private lands: Cumberland Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Piedmont, Coastal Plain ▪Ticks and blood from wildlife Age, sex, weight ▪Tick cloth drags ▪Sweetgum foliage samples  soil fertility RMSF STARI Lyme Ehrlichiosis For This Project…

▪ We will examine tick species/TBI-environmental relationships: For This Project… Physiography Elevation Climatic conditions Season Land use/cover Forest distribution/integrity Vegetation Soil fertility Burn regime Protected vs. hunted Hosts

▪ Factors that contribute to presence, distribution, prevalence ▪ TBIs affect wildlife? ▪ Hotspot maps  locations and densities of ticks and their TBIs ▪ Predictive model for disease risk as a function of changing seasons, climate, habitats, extent and distribution of forests ▪ Public outreach  events, seminars, publications Products Emily Merritt

▪ Provide evidence that TBIs are present in wildlife throughout Alabama Implications for wildlife? humans?  Information for medical professionals, state and federal agencies ADCNR, ADPH, USFS, CDC  Arm residents with knowledge they need to avoid ticks, prevent illness, and get proper treatment  Extend research Goals

What We Need ▪ 3 years of funding ▪ Pathogen analysis: $24,000 More funding = more TBIs ▪ Travel costs: $15,000 Car, food, lodging ▪ Materials and supplies: $5,000 Safety #1 concern ▪ Foliar analysis: $2,000+ More funding = more samples

Thank You!