Infected Deer Ticks Moving Into New York City Parks
Infected deer ticks are moving into New York City parks, highlighting a growing urban risk for Lyme disease.
There has been an “unprecedented increase in locally acquired cases in New York City,” writes VanAcker in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. In response, VanAcker and colleagues launched a study to determine tick densities and B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in nymphal deer ticks (I. scapularis) in New York City’s public parks.
The investigators also examined the effect of landscape composition and configuration on tick populations and infection rates.
They collected 560 ticks from 24 parks across all 5 boroughs: Staten Island (13), Manhattan (2), Brooklyn (2), Bronx (3), and Queens (4).
“At least 1 I. scapularis nymph was found at 17 of 24 parks surveyed throughout NYC,” the authors explain.
Meanwhile, 10 of the 17 parks had more than 6 nymphs and were considered to have established deer tick populations. All of these parks were on Staten Island, with the exception of Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx.
At each park, between 8% and 40% of the ticks tested positive for B. burgdorferi. The average nymphal infection prevalence was 26.6%.
Interestingly, parks without established tick populations also had fewer deer. This finding “indicates a strong link between deer and presence of I. scapularis ticks in NYC parks,” the authors write.
“We found forested parks with vegetated buffers and increased connectivity had higher nymph densities,” VanAcker writes, “and the degree of park connectivity strongly determined B. burgdorferi nymphal infection prevalence.”
According to the authors, this study challenges the belief that tick-borne diseases are mainly a risk for people living in suburban or rural settings.
Why Are Ticks Moving Into New York City?
VanAcker and colleagues suggest two possible explanations:
- “Green space design affects vector and host communities in areas of emerging urban tick-borne disease.”
- “Locally dispersing or migrating passerine birds play a role in moving immature ticks longer distances.”
These findings reinforce the importance of Lyme disease prevention even in urban parks and support the need for awareness of Lyme disease symptoms in city residents.
Related Articles:
B. burgdorferi, the pathogen that causes Lyme disease, is widespread in New York City metro area
Infected ticks prevalent in urban areas in the United Kingdom (UK)
Urban ticks carry B. burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi
References:
- Daskalakis DC. Department of Health and Mental Health. Advisory #14: tick-borne disease advisory. New York City, NY, 2017. [cited 2019 Jan 15].
- VanAcker MC, Little EAH, Molaei G, Bajwa WI, Diuk-Wasser MA. Enhancement of Risk for Lyme Disease by Landscape Connectivity, New York, New York, USA. Emerg Infect Dis. 2019;25(6):1136-1143.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
I deal with ticks from time to time while doing pest control in Marysville. It seems they are becoming more prevalent in the area over the past few seasons. I’m going to look into learning more about lyme disease so I can educate my clients who are potentially at higher risk.