First Report of the Bat Tick Carios kelleyi (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) From Vermont, United States

Cheryl Frank Sullivan; James L Occi; Julia R Brennan; Richard G Robbins; Margaret Skinner; Alyssa B Bennett; Bruce L Parker; Dina M Fonseca

doi:10.1093/jme/tjab232

First Report of the Bat Tick Carios kelleyi (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) From Vermont, United States

J Med Entomol. 2022 Mar 16;59(2):784-787. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjab232.

Authors

Cheryl Frank Sullivan¹, James L Occi², Julia R Brennan², Richard G Robbins^{3

4}, Margaret Skinner¹, Alyssa B Bennett⁵, Bruce L Parker¹, Dina M Fonseca²

Affiliations

¹ Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405-0105, USA.
² Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8536, USA.
³ Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, MSC, MRC 534, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746-2863, USA.
⁴ Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910-7500, USA.
⁵ Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Essex Junction, VT 05452, USA.

PMID: 35041004
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab232

Abstract

The soft tick Carios kelleyi (Cooley and Kohls, 1941) is an ectoparasite of bats that can harbor bacteria known to cause disease in humans, such as Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and relapsing fever Borrelia spp. Human-tick encounters may occur when bats occupy attics or similar dwellings with access points to human-inhabited areas. During May 2021, a partially engorged adult female C. kelleyi was collected from a Vermont home with an attic that was being used as a roost by big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). The source of the blood in the tick was the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris. Subsequently, eight C. kelleyi larvae were collected from a rescued E. fuscus adult. This is the first report of a soft tick species from Vermont and it is unknown how long C. kelleyi has been present in this state. Reports of C. kelleyi are on the rise across the northeastern United States but the implications for the health of humans, domestic animals, and bats in northern New England remain unclear. Bat management plans should consider the importance of bat exclusion in preventing tick encounters with members of the household and should include a tick monitoring component if bats are evicted.

Keywords: Carios kelleyi; Chiroptera; bat tick; soft tick; tick-borne disease.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Acari*
Animals
Argasidae*
Chiroptera* / parasitology
Dogs
Female
Ticks*
United States
Vermont