Earlier this year, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab released a first-of-its-kind study that found Lyme disease present in 40% of approximately 2,000 deer ticks it tested. This number alone shows the severity of the public health problem presented by tick-borne diseases.
However, equally compelling is the data the study collected about where and how people found the ticks that were submitted. While some people assume you’re only at risk for tick bites when hiking in the woods or camping, the overwhelming majority of ticks in this study were actually found while people were engaged in common, everyday activities.
Although this study took place in a tick-endemic state (Maine), tick endemicity is expanding and tick-borne diseases are spreading across the country. This recent data serves as a reminder to the public that ticks are more commonplace than you think.
Read on to learn about the most common ways people encountered ticks in the 2019 study, plus what the data means for tick and Lyme disease prevention.
How People Come in Contact with Ticks
1. Gardening and yard work
By far the most common activities that led people to find ticks on or near them were gardening and yard work: a total of 727 ticks were found this way, to be exact. Of the 727, which made up 38.2% of the total ticks tested, 529 were adults and 198 were nymphs – the young, very small ticks most likely to spread disease.
This means that standard tick and Lyme disease prevention advice – such as checking for ticks and showering promptly after outdoor activity – should be daily habits, especially for those living in tick endemic regions.
2. Walking
The second-most common activity for tick encounters in the study was walking, which accounted for 375 ticks – 267 adults and 108 nymphs. This category is distinct from hiking (see below), suggesting once again that the risk of ticks tends to be much closer to home than many people realize.
3. Hiking
184 total ticks were found by people who were hiking. That’s 129 adults and 55 nymphs, at 9.7% of the total ticks tested. Though only the third-largest category in this study, hiking is a well-known risk factor for ticks since it often puts people in or near wooded areas, where ticks live and hunt for hosts.
4. Playing outside
145 ticks were found on people playing outside. Of those, 96 were adults and 49 were nymphs. These numbers underscore the importance of tick and Lyme disease prevention for children.
5. Camping
56 of the ticks were reportedly found on people camping. Like hiking, this is another well-known tick risk factor and should serve as a reminder to always be mindful of ticks while camping and backpacking by staying on trails and away from bushes or tall grass (where ticks often wait for passersby to grab onto), and by checking for ticks regularly throughout the day.
6. Playing sports
Playing sports accounted for 49 total ticks – 29 adults and 20 nymphs, or 2.6% of the total ticks tested.
7. Trapping, Logging, and Agriculture
Of the occupational risk factors, trapping and logging accounted for 30 and 22 ticks respectively, while agriculture accounted for 19 ticks.
This study focused on the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, but note that these occupations can be risk factors for other zoonotic diseases as well. One major example is tularemia, which – though it can be spread by ticks – is also spread by dead or live infected animals such as rabbits. This puts hunters and trappers at risk.
8. Cycling
It seems unlikely that a tick would be able to hitch a ride on someone speeding by on a bike, but 16 ticks were indeed found on people after they had been cycling. If you ride a bicycle in areas near tick habitats (such as near or on nature trails, tall grasses, or wooded areas), be mindful before and after hopping on your bike, and use the same precautions after cycling as you would after any other outdoor activity.
9. Fishing
7 ticks were found by people who were fishing.
A Brief Overview of Tick Habitats
Ticks need large animal hosts such as humans and deer to survive, but they generally wait for hosts to come to them through a process called “questing.” This is when ticks wait on the end of a blade of grass or leaf with their forelegs raised, then latch onto a passing host. If your arm, leg, other body part or even piece of clothing brushes against the tick, it has a chance to hitch a ride, attach to your skin, and transmit pathogens.
This is why it’s so crucial to use caution in or avoid the following areas:
- Wooded areas
- Tall grasses
- Stone walls or other structures that can retain moisture
- Shrubs
- Fallen and low-hanging branches
- Logs
- Leaf, wood, debris, or litter piles (clear these from your yard whenever possible)
And remember:
Ticks can be active year-round
Though ticks are most active during the summer, followed by spring and fall, they can be active any time of year. Plus, warming global temperatures are extending periods of tick activity.
Ticks can live in people’s homes
The 2019 study featured in this blog focused on deer ticks, which tend to stay in wooded areas with higher elevation. However, some species – like the American dog tick – can and do settle indoors, i.e., in people’s homes. Ticks can also be brought indoors by pets.
Soft ticks differ from hard ticks
Lyme disease in the U.S. is spread by ticks from the family Ixodidae, also known as “hard ticks” because of a hard “shield” behind their mouthparts. However, the U.S. is also home to “soft ticks,” which do not have this hard shield.
Soft ticks feed much more quickly than hard ticks, meaning they can transmit disease within as few as 15 minutes. Since they feed so quickly, moreover, they are more difficult to catch. You may not know you were ever bitten (or infected) by a soft tick.
In the U.S., Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever is mostly spread by soft ticks.
Early Detection is Key
Tick and Lyme disease prevention is only half the battle when it comes to fighting disease. If you find a tick on you, it’s crucial that you pay close attention to any symptoms of tick-borne disease you may be experiencing and seek medical attention as soon as possible. Early detection through accurate diagnostic testing is key to fighting Lyme disease.
And remember, as the study found, ticks that carry Lyme disease pathogens also carry other pathogens such as anaplasma, babesia and borrelia miyamotoi. (The University of Maine tick lab will be adding B. miyamotoi testing beginning this year.)
Learn more about the tick-borne disease tests offered by IGeneX today.
