The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is leading the effort to track ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Ohio, a task that has become increasingly urgent due to a surge in medically important tick populations. Approximately 20 years ago, Ohio had only 1 medically significant tick species; today, there are 5, including the invasive Asian long-horned tick. This tick not only transmits disease to cattle but can also cause cattle mortality due to the high number of ticks feeding on a single animal.
Risa Pesapane, MS, PhD, assistant professor of Ecosystem and Wildlife Health at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine and within the School of Environment and Natural Resources and head of the Parasite and Pathogen Ecology (PPE) Lab, is working to identify tick species and tick-borne pathogens in Ohio. Her lab partners with state and federal agencies, nonprofit organizations ranging from wildlife and animal shelters to animal agricultural entities, zoos, and universities on collaborative research. The goal is to use their findings to predict health risks to humans and animals and to educate communities on effective prevention, surveillance, and intervention practices.
There is an urgent need to understand the distribution of ticks and risk of tick-borne disease in Ohio. The PPE Lab is addressing this by collaborating with agency and nonacademic partners to fill gaps in basic and applied knowledge. They also conduct hypothesis-driven studies to improve our understanding of the ecology and epidemiology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens and evaluate management options.
Fieldwork is a cornerstone of the lab’s activities, involving the collection of ticks and their hosts, including wildlife, livestock, and companion animals, to identify the feeding patterns and prevalence of pathogens. These data are crucial for evaluating potential health impacts to animals and people. Dr. Pesapane’s team is monitoring for parasites in Asian long-horned ticks, particularly Theileria orientalis (bovine theileriosis). Bovine theileriosis is a new threat that causes severe, sometimes fatal, health issues and has been reported in at least 4 counties in Ohio already. The cost of managing ticks and tick-borne disease can be extensive for livestock producers, potentially jeopardizing operations.
The PPE Lab collaborates with veterinary clinics, the public, and park systems across Ohio to collect tick specimens. This citizen science initiative allows anyone to submit ticks, enabling the lab to identify tick and pathogen diversity and distribution. All collection data are meticulously recorded and submitted to the Ohio Department of Health to revise maps of ticks and tick-borne pathogens for the state of Ohio. The PPE Lab also works closely with the Ohio Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources as well as local health agencies and veterinary practices.
The Ohio State University lab works to predict health risks to humans and animals while educating communities on effective intervention and prevention practices.
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 85, 10; 10.2460/ajvr.24.07.0201
Most recently, Dr. Pesapane and The Ohio State University’s Infectious Diseases Institute developed Buckeye Tick Test, a testing lab serving contracted partners and, soon, the public. The lab is the designated tick-testing laboratory for tick-borne pathogen surveillance for the state of Ohio. As part of its One Health approach, the lab tests ticks for pathogens that are important to animal health, not just human health. This initiative aims to expand the PPE Lab’s capabilities for research and impact on public health. Check out The Ohio State University’s Bite Site for more on ticks at kx.osu.edu/bite.
