Monitoring tick populations in Kentucky: Passive surveillance program

Most vector-borne diseases in the United States are caused by ticks. In 2024, 154 cases of Ehrlichiosis, 157 cases of Lyme disease, and 68 cases of Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis cases were reported in Kentucky. Vector and pathogen surveillance to determine their distribution can help prevent vector-borne diseases.
We developed a passive tick surveillance program, in which tick samples are submitted by citizens.
We processed 500 ticks from 80 counties. The lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, was the most abundant and widespread species, followed by the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, and the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, which is particularly abundant in the eastern half of the state. Pathogen detection revealed the presence of Ehrlichia chaffeenssis in Hopkins, Owen, Rockcastle, Ballard and Woodford counties. The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, was detected in Campbell, Kenton, Harrison, Fayette, Trimble and Oldham counties and Rickettsia rickettsii, causative agent of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, in Fayette and Grant counties. Ixodes scapularis is present during most of the year, followed by D. variabilis that is found between March and October and A. americanum, collected between March and September. Most of the ticks were collected on private property. Interestingly, A. americanum and D. variabilis were collected mainly from humans and more Ixodes scapularis ticks were found on pets compared to humans.
Ticks have a widespread distribution in Kentucky. A passive surveillance program in which citizens are involved is fundamental for raising awareness and preventing vector-borne diseases.