As climate patterns shift, so do the populations of disease-carrying pests—bringing new challenges to animal and public health. Mississippi State Forest and Wildlife Research Center scientists are on a mission to track and understand tick populations, particularly those transmitting anaplasmosis, a bacterial disease that affects dogs, cattle, and humans. By creating a comprehensive database of tick hotspots, scientists aim to provide valuable insights into disease dynamics and mitigate risks.

Dr. Manuel Ruiz, an assistant professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture and FWRC scientist, explained the importance of understanding tick populations.

"We do not know much about the tick distributions in Mississippi. Ticks have a significant impact on industries and public health when infections are transmitted to livestock and humans. We want to better understand the disease dynamics," Ruiz said. "We know diseases such as anaplasmosis are a problem, but how big of a problem and where? That is what we hope to answer and track."

Tickborne diseases, such as anaplasmosis, affects the health of individuals and the cattle industry.

"Anaplasmosis in cattle, which is caused by the bacteria Anaplasma marginale, can cause major issues for ranchers," Ruiz said. "Anaplasmosis can cause fever, anemia, and weight loss in cattle, costing ranchers millions of dollars in losses annually."

The database of hot-spots is designed to help prevent the spread of disease, instead of relying on treatments alone.

"Regardless of having a treatment available, it is a big issue to treat the infected animals. Anaplasmosis can be so widespread in a population that treating every animal becomes very costly. You can treat this infection with antibiotics, but these antibiotics come with their own issues. After antibiotic treatment, there is a period in which you cannot consume the meat or milk from those animals," Ruiz explained. "This affects the bottom line of ranchers and might affect prices for the consumer. People who are not directly involved with the cattle industry have a stake in controlling this disease. It is not only a matter of animal and public health, but also food security."

Jai Frontera, a research technician on the project, plans to use two methods to trap ticks in the field.

"One method we will use for tick collection is dragging a white flag throughout the field. This will allow us to collect data on any ticks attached to the material," Frontera said. "The second method we will use is taking a cooler with small holes and filling it with carbon dioxide, which attracts ticks. We will line the trap with tape, which will capture the ticks as they crawl across."

The database will include mapping coordinates through field sampling. From this information, new maps and models of tick distribution will be created.

"We will conduct our field sampling by choosing 50 to 100 sites across Mississippi, focusing on areas with gaps in tick distribution data and areas that represent different land uses and natural habitats," Frontera said. "After trapping ticks, we will test them for the presence of the anaplasma bacteria. This will help us build updated maps, not only of tick distribution but of the pathogen presence to support better disease management practices."

Dr. Fernando Arce, a postdoctoral research associate on the project, is leading the data organization and quantitative data analyses to create maps of tick distribution and risk of infection.

"For the data aspect of this research, we are compiling tick data from small scope local datasets and scientific journals on PubMed and compiling them into one large database," Arce said. "This process becomes difficult because different data types require different analyses in order to produce meaningful results."

Frontera hopes this research will not only better aid in the tracking of anaplasmosis but also act as a tool for the public.

"A product that we will get from this research is creating tools for the public. Tick identification is difficult for the untrained, especially in Mississippi where there are about 19 different species of ticks. Once we have the tick distributions mapped, the public will also be able to use this data as an aid in identifying and understanding the tick populations in their area. With this, we can potentially slow the spread of anaplasmosis," Frontera said. "While our focus is anaplasmosis, the data from our research can help us understand how other tick-related diseases, like Lyme disease, may behave in the landscape. Knowing where tick populations are high is valuable information for understanding the risk of tickborne diseases across the state, the region, and the country."

This research is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Geospatial and Environmental Epidemiology Research Unit, the U.S. Forest Service International Programs, and MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center.