More Rodents Cause More Tick Bourne Illnesses
Increases in the rodent population of an area cause an increase in that same area’s nymphal tick population. Infected ticks with tick-borne microorganisms are dependent on rodent density.
In other words, preventing a rodent infestation may also prevent a visit to the infectious disease doctor for you!
How so?
Rodents are often a host to tick larvae; the rodents expose ticks to a slew of pathogens during this process.
Where did we learn this information?
On 1/20/2020, a study was published in the journal of Parasites & Vectors: “Effect of rodent density on tick and tick-borne pathogen populations: consequences for infectious disease risk.” This study elaborated on how scientists used separate plots of 2500 m squares to host varying densities of rodent populations, and then measure tick population densities for each square; this was done for the course of two years. The scientists used a linear model to measure the association between rodents, ticks, and pathogens. The research concluded that the plots with an increased rodent population also contained an increase in pathogen riddled ticks.
Commonly Known Diseases that can be Transmitted by Ticks:
- Lyme Disease. Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is a potentially serious bacterial infection affecting both humans and animals.
- Anaplasmosis
- Babesiosis
- Ehrlichiosis
- Powassan Virus Disease.
- Borrelia miyamotoi Disease
- Borrelia mayonii Disease
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
Call your local pest control company today to prevent rodent infestations and preserve your health!
SOURCES:
Krawczyk, A.I., van Duijvendijk, G.L.A., Swart, A. et al. Effect of rodent density on tick and tick-borne pathogen populations: consequences for infectious disease risk. Parasites Vectors 13, 34 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-3902-0
