NEWVEC Newsletter

EDITION 07: November 2025

What's new at NEWVEC?

A community update for those interested in vector-borne diseases in New England.

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Read the latest NEWVEC publication published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

The recently published “A CRISPR/LbCas12a system for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto detection in blacklegged ticks” details the study of a new assay for detecting PCR-amplified Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in blacklegged ticks.

Two of the authors—Samantha Bedore (left) and Maya Suarez (right)—are undergraduates at Vermont State University. First author and NEWVEC co-PI Bill Landesman conducts research on the role of invasive plant species in maintaining blacklegged tick populations.

Learn more about Bill and his team at Vermont State University (VTSU) here: www.landesmanlab.com.

Publications

What are ticks up to this month?

How many ticks do you think are in the photo (right)? That's 145 female blacklegged ticks, to be precise! And with a typical Lyme disease infection rate of about 50%, 73 of them are likely carrying the Lyme disease germ. Some could also be carrying babesia and anaplasma. One or two could even be carrying the Powassan virus. These were collected by TickEncounter in only 1.5 hrs, along with 135 males (not pictured). Good thing they’re sealed in a vial.

Depending on your location, it’s possible you could encounter a tick in November that’s not a blacklegged (deer) tick, but it’s not very likely. October and November is peak season for these ticks that can give you Lyme disease. Remember, adult blacklegged ticks start their active season usually after the first week of October and it only gets more intense from there, possibly lasting all the way through Thanksgiving. Click the image to see what TickEncounter Resource center has been dealing with.

November ticks you may encounter graphic.

Keep tucking in shirts and pant legs, and check for ticks regularly. Remember, tick bites are preventable. Use repellents that contain at least 20–30% DEET, 20% picaridin, or acaricides that contain at least .5% permethrin. Learn how HERE or download and print this flyer for your home or work space.

Have you found any ticks this year?

Community

NEWVEC, NEVBD, and VectorED have put together the first installment of the Vector-Borne Disease Research & Evaluation Seminar Series. These seminars feature advanced trainees supported through the regional vector-borne disease centers in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. Seminars will feature works-in-progress and recently completed projects conducted by graduate and postdoctoral associates supported through these CDC-funded programs.

Our second seminar is scheduled for November 12, 2025 from 10:00 am–11:00 am ET. Register here.

Presenters:

Jonathan Karisa, PhD, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station presents: Mosquito xenosurveillance for better understanding the eco-epidemiology of eastern equine encephalitis virus
Troy Koser, PhD, Ohio State University presents: A preliminary tick surveillance report from the Rodent-Targeted Lyme Vaccine Project in Ohio

Calendar

Work-in-Progress (WIP)

Every two weeks this fall we have a different expert taking an hour to talk to us about their work. On November 19 at 11:00 Dr. Tom Mather, URI, will present, “Animal Model for Assessing Efficacy of Minimal Risk Natural Product Tick Repellents.”

These talks are online, free, and open to the public. Watch the recordings, or join our next call, at the link below.

Work-in-Progress Series

Wed, Oct 22

Recent Innovative Study on Artificial Tick Feeding Systems

Written by UMass undergraduate student Venus Seyis

To help increase awareness of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) and more rapidly diagnose patients in the United States, CDC released a new free online training module for healthcare providers (HCPs), epidemiologists, and public health officials. The training includes opportunities for free continuing education in seven professional categories—CME, CNE, CEU, AAPA, CECH, AAVSB/RACE, CPE, and CPH—providing educational credit for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, veterinarians, nurses, epidemiologists, public health professionals, educators, and health communicators.

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