Analysis of Common Tick Species Collected from the Chattanooga-Hamilton Region of Tennessee and the Correlation to Reported Cases of Tick-Borne Diseases

Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes scapularis, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus are three-host ticks commonly found in the Chattanooga-Hamilton region of Tennessee. The first three species are medically important because they are known to transmit Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease, respectively. Rhipicephalus is not known to vector any pathogens infecting humans; therefore, not clinically significant. The focus of this study was to correlate the population of A. americanum, D. variabilis, and I. scapularis in the Chattanooga region to reported cases of tick -borne diseases. There was a direct relationship between the frequency of D. variabilis and the reported cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. However, I. scapularis was not as prevalent as A. americanum but there were still more cases of Lyme disease than ofEhrlichiosis. The results suggest that other factors are involved in the occurrence of tick-borne diseases in a specific area besides species frequency