“Most tick-borne diseases that affect humans can also affect wildlife, as well as dogs, cats and other domestic animals. However, which animal species will be affected will depend on the specific pathogen the tick vector is carrying.”
Maps showing an estimated 30 percent of serologic results for Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis in dogs and cats. The estimates are for the U.S. and Illinois from January to June 2025. Maps adapted from the Companion Animal Parasite Council website. Adaptation of information for this Illustration courtesy of Dr. Nelda A. Rivera, Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory (INHS-PRI).
If you are interested in learning about the ticks found in Illinois, what diseases they can transmit to humans and your furry friends, as well as how to protect yourself your dogs and cats from tick bites, check the article “Tick-borne Diseases Can Affect Humans, Wildlife and Pets” published in the August edition of the Outdoor Illinois Journal [here].
Routes of exposure: humans can become infected accidentally through the skin while handling infected animals, if bitten by infected vectors, consuming contaminated food or water, or by inhaling dust or aerosols contaminated with F. tularensis bacteria.
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Tularemia is a zoonotic disease that has recently re-emerged in parts of Illinois. Here’s an overview of this bacterial disease, along with tips on how to empower yourself to safely enjoy your outdoor adventures and protect your dogs and cats.
Read the whole story in the Outdoor Illinois Journal here.
“Once uncommon in the Midwest, deer ticks, American dog ticks, lone star ticks, and others are now found across Illinois, and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis are on the rise. Cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy, have also increased. Those who spend a lot of time outdoors, either for work or recreation, have a higher risk of being bitten.”
Lyme disease tick at different stages. Photo credit: Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory – INHS
URBANA, Ill. — “A call, email, or visit to the local University of Illinois Extension office can help provide some peace of mind. New research from a multi-department team of university scientists explored the role Illinois Extension has in educating communities about ticks and preventing risky encounters.”
Read the whole story by Illinois Extension | UIUC here.
Ph.D. candidate Sulagna Chakraborty, center, led a study of farmer awareness of ticks and tick-borne diseases with U. of I. pathobiology professor Rebecca Smith, left, and Illinois Natural History Survey wildlife veterinary epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla. Photo by Fred Zwicky
CHAMPAIGN, lL. – Tick-borne illnesses like ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are on the rise in Illinois, and outdoor workers like farmers are at higher risk than those who spend more time indoors. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ph.D. candidate Sulagna Chakraborty and her colleagues at Illinois led a new study on the subject that surveyed 50 Illinois farmers to learn about their awareness of the problem and engagement in tick-prevention efforts. Chakraborty spoke to News Bureaulife sciences editor Diana Yates about what they found.
Read the whole story by the University of Illinois News Bureau here.
First-ever survey of tick-management programs shows clear public health gap. Entomological Society of America
“Ticks are responsible for the majority of our vector-borne illnesses in the U.S., and our programming does not adequately meet the need in its current form, for both surveillance and control,” says Emily M. Mader, MPH MPP, lead author on the study and program manager at the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases, housed at Cornell University. American Association for the Advancement of Science – June 17, 2020
While the prevalence of Lyme disease and other illnesses spread by ticks has steadily increased in the United States over the past 20 years, a new study of the state of American tick surveillance and control reveals an inconsistent and often under-supported patchwork of programs across the country. Such programs are critical in managing the public-health threat posed by ticks such as the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), shown here in multiple life stages suspended in a vial.
CHAMPAIGN, IL – A paper titled A Survey of Tick Surveillance and Control Practices in the United States “showed that less than half of public health and vector-control agencies engage in active tick surveillance, and only 12 percent directly conduct or otherwise support tick-control efforts. These and other findings from the survey, conducted by university researchers at the CDC’s five Vector-Borne Disease Regional Centers of Excellence, are published today in the Journal of Medical Entomology“
Read the whole story at the Entomology Todaywebsite.
INHS Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiologist Nohra Mateus-Pinilla and her research on lyme diseasevectors were featured in an article in the Danville Commercial News and also discussed in a segment on Chicago Tonight about Science in Illinois. Deer ticks have been spreading and are now found in 26 Illinois counties.
CHAMPAIGN, IL – Mateus-Pinilla’s study at Allerton park showed high numbers of infected individuals in prairie habitats, rather than the typical forest habitat. Based on the study, it appears that Lyme disease and deer ticks may be more adaptable than previously known. With regards to the lack of studies on ticks and lyme disease, Mateus-Pinilla said, “There are a lot of unknowns. It seems like we have very little work on the ground being done.”
The Lyme disease tick, seen here in its larval, nymph and adult forms, is advancing across “the prairie state.” Photo by Illinois Natural History Survey.
CHAMPAIGN, lL. – A new study offers a detailed look at the status of Lyme disease in Central Illinois and suggests that deer ticks and the Lyme disease bacteria they host are more adaptable to new habitats than previously appreciated.
Read the whole story by the University of Illinois News Bureauhere.
