PhD Student Pennsylvania State University State College, Pennsylvania
In recent decades, there has been an upward trend in diagnosed cases of tick-borne disease. Lyme disease, caused by the pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, is vectored by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). Small mammals are key reservoirs of this pathogen and frequently used hosts by blacklegged ticks, but host species use is highly heterogeneous. Previously collected field data show a significant difference in tick attachment between two commonly found hosts, but leave questions regarding how this difference arises. The objective of this study is to determine how host characteristics and behavior influence tick attachment. White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) are found in similar habitats and share life history characteristics. Using wild-caught colonies of both animals, behavior trials track changes in host behavior from pre- to post-infestation with nymphal ticks. Tick attachment levels are recorded daily. Ethovision software records host activity and provides fine-scale frequency outputs of grooming, eating, drinking, and resting. Current preliminary results show that tick attachment differences among species reflect those found in the field, but these patterns are not consistent when comparing other host characteristics, such as sex. Additionally, patterns are emerging which may show that grooming duration varies between infested and non-infested animals only for a 24-hour window immediately following infestation in both species. As parasitology research continually develops novel methods of controlling ticks and tick-borne disease, it is vital to understand how host characteristics and behavior can drive host-parasite interactions, and this work aims to contribute to this growing body of knowledge.