“While the number seems low, ticks reach high numbers in April and May, potentially leading to human exposure to Heartland,” he says. Researchers found that one in every 2,000 ticks was infected with the Heartland virus. “Our findings contribute to the understanding of a pathogen that is poorly known and that could become a public health problem as people spend more time outdoors either recreationally or occupationally.” Lone star ticks are the most important tick species biting people in Georgia - and most of the southeastern United States, says Vazquez-Prokopec. The adult tick is barely a quarter of an inch in diameter - so small that you may not feel it on you or even notice if you’ve been bitten by one, according to the authors. The abundance, range, and distribution of the ticks has increased in the past two to three decades - large numbers of the ticks have been found as far north as Maine and as far west as central Texas and Oklahoma. The lone star tick is found throughout the eastern, southeastern and south central states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lone Star Ticks Have Been Found From Maine to Texas “This study confirms the presence of the virus in Georgia and, more importantly, that it is being transmitted by the lone star tick, the most abundant tick species that bites humans in the state,” says Dr. The study was published in the most April 2022 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases. ![]() The ticks infected with the virus were first identified in a recreational area in central Georgia, says one author of the study, Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, PhD, an associate professor in the department of environmental sciences at Emory University in Georgia. A tick infected with Heartland virus, a virus that can cause flu-like symptoms and even death in some older adults, has been found in at least six states, according to a new study from Emory University in Atlanta.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |