Over 2,000 ticks discovered over a period of 10 years in Alaska discovered a pattern New species of ticks are being introduced to Alaska usually through dogs travelling from south. They’re adding to the few tick species that are native to the state. They typically occur on smaller mammals such as rabbits.
The findings are described in a recent bulletin issued by the Alaska Division of Public Health’s epidemiology department. Although a variety of non-native tick species which can transmit diseases have been introduced into Alaska however none of them have established permanent populations within the state, according to the bulletin. The numbers indicate that “ongoing monitoring of ticks is crucial for monitoring the changing scenario,” said the bulletin that was written by Micah Hahn, an associate professor of environmental health at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
The majority of the data comes from a programme called Submit-A-Tick A joint initiative from the Alaska Department for Environmental Conservation’s Office of the State Veterinarian and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the University of Alaska. Through this program users can submit ticks that they spot to the office of the state veterinarian.
Hahn is a researcher at the UAA’s Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies and is now one of Alaska’s most renowned tick experts who led a project within the Anchorage region along with Kenai Peninsula parks that used drag cloths, and at certain locations, live-trapping of small mammals to identify ticks that live in wild. This data was in addition to the records of ticks collected between 2010 and 2022 by people and veterinarians.
Pets are the most frequently encountered place to find ticks in Alaska and then and then wild animal species, as the news release stated.
The imported ticks were mostly comprised of the brown tick which has its scientific designation Rhipicephalus sanguineus that is the most prevalent tick on the planet, as well as it is the American dog tick which has it’s scientific title Dermacentor variabilis, is also prevalent. Nearly half of the ticks that were not native to the country tracked by Submit-A-Tick Submit-A-Tick program were detected on hosts – domestic animals, or even humans who had visited out of Alaska during the preceding two weeks. The sources of the introductions were not known, however.
The most significant issue is the black-legged tick in the western region that is known as Ixodes Pacificus, well-known to carry Lyme illness. Some specimens have been discovered via the Submit-A-Tick program in addition, there is evidence that Alaska climate is increasingly welcoming to it. The most recent UAA research co-authored by Hahn discovered the Southeast Alaska and parts of Southcentral Alaska already have conditions that could support the development for this species of tick and more regions in the state are predicted to be suitable in the near future.
The year with the most tick reports was in the year 2004 which saw a lot of media attention about Submit-A-Tick. Submit-A-Tick Program, Hahn said. The record-breaking summer of that year could have had an impact on the reporting, she added.
“I believe that the increase in ticks submitted in 2019 was due to the publicity about the program that began in the same year. However, weather definitely has a part to play since when it’s warm outdoors, pets and people are more likely out and walk and come across ticks” she wrote in an email.
Of the six tick species believed to be native to Alaska five were discovered through the Submit-A-Tick program. These ticks are known to be infested by small mammals such as voles, rabbits, and squirrels and are considered to be of very low risk for humans. They can transmit diseases to the wild population. One is tularemia. It’s sometimes referred to as ” rabbit fever,” which can be contracted by pets as well as cats – – and, occasionally, by people who come into contact with rabbits infested or other mammals. Recently, signs of tularemia exposure have been seen in the polar bears as well as various other Arctic animals.
In addition, Hahn and her colleagues conducted a survey in 2021 of vet clinics to determine the knowledge of staff members as well as pet owners were aware of ticks. They found that the majority of respondents were aware of the Submit-A-Tick program however there were certain lapses in knowledge or tick-safety procedures according to the study.
“Ticks are a recurring issue in Alaska and for people who were born here, or vets who’ve worked in Alaska for many years there’s a good chance that it’s not something they’ve thought of or faced. With the changing conditions in Alaska It is crucial that vets and pet owners to be up to date with the most current information,” Hahn said by email.
In the longer run the number of ticks reported in Alaska have increased significantly according to research conducted by Hahn. From 1909 until 2019 there were 1,190 tick reports in Alaska comprising 4,588 ticks in 15 species, according to a study by Hahn and published in the year 2020. The majority of those ticks came from the six species that have been historically seen throughout Alaska: Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes angustus, Ixodes auritulus, Ixodes howelli, Ixodes signatus, and Ixodes uriae. However, the majority of the ticks’ records were gathered during the final 10 years of this time frame the researchers discovered.
However, the only tick that is visible in Alaska is a particular kind of tick that’s of particular concern to many such as that moose-invading winter tick. The tick, known under the name Dermacentor albipictus become infamous throughout New England and parts of Canada for the harm it causes to the moose.
They’ve been in existence for a long time just across the eastern border of Alaska. The climate change has influenced the spread of winter ticks from west and north.
Infested moose who scratch their hair off as they appear completely white a widely called ghost moose. Blood-sucking ticks during winter harm the health and wellbeing of animals like moose by creating physical stress and limiting their ability to hunt in search of food. For calves of moose, infestations can be fatal.
In Maine For instance the winter tick outbreaks that are growing as the climate increases – are currently the main reason for moose calves dying according to the department’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. A study conducted by the department of collared animals showed that more than 90% of calves of moose were dead by the spring of 2022 due to being plagued by ticks. In a study in 2019, study identified calf deaths caused by ticks as a reason for the decline in moose populations throughout the northern part of New Hampshire and western Maine.
Winter ticks were first found on the Canadian Yukon Territory in the early 1990s. They were found on animals in the two Yukon herds of elk as well as on moose and deer. Winter ticks have also been found on moose and caribou in the Canadian Northwest Territories.
This article was originally published in Alaska Beacon and is republished here with permission.
