New Reason to Hate Ticks?
Written by UMass Amherst senior biology major, Cayla McGonigle
Tick season is back! Has Lyme disease been on your mind lately? Well, there may be another tick-borne illness to think about. A group of NEWVEC researchers from Massachusetts and Maine recently published their findings about a spotted fever group rickettsia in rabbit ticks (Haemaphysalis leporispalustris). It is unclear whether or not this poses risk to humans since rabbit ticks seldom bite people.
Most people have heard of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and this new genotype is part of the same bacteria group that causes RMSF. Between 2020 and 2024 the team, led by Dr. Guang Xu, screened 296 rabbit ticks collected by Dr. Allison Gardner in Maine. From that group, 18 ticks tested positive for Rickettsia. The big discovery was that this is a new Rickettsia genotype (Rickettsia sp. ME2023). This bacteria shows up in all life stages of ticks—larva, nymph, and adult. This means that it is possibly being passed down through generations (also known as transovarial transmission).
Should we be worried? Investigators think Ricksettsia sp. ME2023 has the potential to cause illness but since rabbit ticks don’t bite people that risk appears to be low. Ticks are full of surprises and research like this is important for staying ahead of public health risks. The best thing you can do to protect yourself from ticks is wear permethrin treated clothing, repellents, long pants and long sleeves, and routinely check yourself for ticks.
