Ticks have a 2 year life cycle going from egg, to 6-legged larva, to 8-legged nymph, to adult, requiring a blood meal at each stage. The blood meal can come from birds, any animal or humans. [1] Because Lyme Disease was first identified in Lyme Connecticut there is a great deal more information available about East Coast tick-borne diseases. In fact, when you go to the CDC web site it's difficult to find any information specific to the West Coast. What I'm finding is that California has a completely different profile of Lyme, Lyme-like illnesses and tick-borne diseases.
All total, there are about 50 species of ticks throughout California however only 8 species are known to transmit illness to humans. On the West Coast of the United States the primary vector for Lyme Disease is the Ixodes "hard" bodied tick known as Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged tick). In January of 2015 the Entomological Society of America published a paper stating that the Western black-legged tick is now established in 55 out of 58 Counties in California.[2] That means California is now a prime breeding ground for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
Other hard-bodied West Coast ticks include the Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain Wood Tick), Dermacentor Occidentalis (Pacific Coast Tick), the Dermacentor variabilis (American Dog Tick), and the Rhipicephalus sanguine (Brown Dog Tick). Adult hard ticks are found on wild grasses and low plants waiting to attach to a passing host. [3] (See distribution of Hard Ticks below)
California is also home to 3 other species of ticks known as Argasid "soft" ticks which transmit disease to humans. The soft ticks include Ornithodoros hermsi, Ornithodoros parkeri, and Ornithodoros coriaceus. Soft ticks are typically found in wild rodent nests or in dwellings like barns or cabins and are the primary vector for Tick-borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF). [3] (See distribution of Soft Ticks below)
TBRF is endemic to the Western United States and can be found throughout the Rocky Mountains, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas. Since the CDC started tracking TBRF in 1990 only 13 Counties have accounted for 50% of all cases in the U.S. You can see in the following map the substantial number of cases reported in California. [5]
The most disturbing thing about these California strains of Lyme Bacteria is some appear to be able to survive standard antibiotic treatment. In a recent Stanford School of Medicine study researchers discovered approximately 10% of California species of B. burgdorferi are capable of persisting after exposure to Doxycycline, which is the standard antibiotic prescribed for acute Lyme disease.[7]
In September 2015 Mark Eschoo, et al, published a survey of Ixodes pacificus ticks in California that revealed a set of microorganisms that was much more diverse than anyone had expected. In this study it was discovered that Ixodes ticks carry on average: 0.3% Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 1.4% B.burgdorferi, 2% B.miyamotoi, 2.1% Spiroplasrna ixodetis, 3% Babesia odocoilei, and 4.1% Rickettsia. Most surprisingly a new species of Anaplasmataceae named "Candidates Cryptoplasma Californianse" was found in 4.9% of ticks on average, and in up to 21% of ticks in Mendocino County. [8] Bear in mind, of these 7 infectious bacteria, the only one that would turn up on a standard test for "Lyme" is B.burgdorferi. Seriously, what doctor in California is going to suspect a Candidates Cryptoplasma Californianse infection, let alone the fact that there is no test for it.
In general, the further North you go in California the higher the incidence of tick-borne diseases. The disease risk in California is based on reported cases and tick studies. Roughly 20% of Lyme diseases cases occur in Southern California, 25% in the Northeast California and 55% in the Northwest counties. [9]
In one study ticks were collected from 12 recreational areas in the San Francisco Bay area. In all 12 parks ticks were found to carry Borrelia bacteria ranging from 2.5% to 7.5% prevalence. What was surprising is that B.miyamotoi was detected in 7/12 sites. B.miyamotoi is a fairly new species of bacteria that is closely related to the spirochetes that cause relapsing fever. There is currently no standardized test for B.miyamotoi. There are over 1 million people living in the San Francisco Bay area. It baffles my mind to think of how many kids have been infected with B.miyamotoi and will test negative for "Lyme" every time they are tested. [10]
Another striking difference between the East Coast and West Coast Lyme is the reservoir host for Lyme Disease. On the East Coast the White footed mouse is the primary host for the Borrelia bacterium. On the West Coast the Western Gray Squirrel is the primary host for Borrelia. One survey of 222 western gray squirrels showed 30% were infected with B.burgdorferi bacteria. Where the white footed mouse may not live through the freezing winters of the Northeast the western gray squirrel lives on average for 6 years in California. [12] Other reservoirs for Lyme in California include the Dusky-footed Wood Rat, Kangaroo Rat, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Golden-crowned Sparrows.
Birds are an under appreciated distributer of Borrelia throughout the World. "Birds have played a major role during tick evolution, which explains why they are by far the most important hosts supporting the ecological networks of ticks and several TBP (Tick Borne Pathogens)." [13] In Northern California, wild birds have been shown to be a significant reservoir for B. bissetti. [14] Over two Spring seasons (2013-2014) researchers from the Migratory Bird Center at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute examined 3,800 migratory birds. What they found "suggests that anywhere from 4 to 39 million exotic Neotropical ticks are transported to the United States annually on migratory songbirds, with uncertain consequences for human and animal health..." [15]
1. Life cycle of Hard Ticks that Spread Disease. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/life_cycle_and_hosts.html
2. County-Scale Distribution of Ixodes scapulars and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Iodide) in the Continental United States. https://jme.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/01/15/jme.tjv2372.
3. Images 1, 3, 4: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/discond/Documents/TBDPhysicianTutorial.PDF
4. Large scale spatial risk and comparative prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi sunsu lato in Ixodes pacificus. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25333277
5. Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725823/
Diseases Transmitted by West Coast Hard Bodied Ticks:
-Anaplasma (phagocytophilum, Candidates Cryptoplasma Californianse)
-Borrelia (burgdorferi, bissettii, plus miyamotoi a relapsing fever group)
-Borrelia (burgdorferi, bissettii, plus miyamotoi a relapsing fever group)
-Babesia (duncani, odocoilei)
-Ehrlichia (chaffeensis)
-Mycoplasma (Spiroplasrna ixodetis)
-Rickettsia (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever),
-Mycoplasma (Spiroplasrna ixodetis)
-Rickettsia (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever),
-Tularemia (Francisella tularensis)
-Tick Paralysis (toxin)
*Note: Tick transmission of Bartonella is highly suspected.
In a 13 year study Borrelia miyamotoi was discovered in 24 out of 48 counties that were surveyed for ticks. Borrelia miyamotoi was found to be the only relapsing fever group spirochete transmitted by hard bodied ticks. It was also discovered that B. miyamotoi spirochetes can be transferred from mother tick to egg, and do not require a vertebrate reservoir. This is why there is such a high rate of B. miyamotoi found in nymphal ticks. The authors propose that ticks in California were likely also infected with B. miyamotoi 20-30 years ago but tested negative due to insensitive serology. [4]
-Tick Paralysis (toxin)
*Note: Tick transmission of Bartonella is highly suspected.
Tick-borne Relapsing Fever Transmitted by soft ticks in California:
-Borrelia hermsii,
-Borrelia parkeri,
-Borrelia turicatae. In a 13 year study Borrelia miyamotoi was discovered in 24 out of 48 counties that were surveyed for ticks. Borrelia miyamotoi was found to be the only relapsing fever group spirochete transmitted by hard bodied ticks. It was also discovered that B. miyamotoi spirochetes can be transferred from mother tick to egg, and do not require a vertebrate reservoir. This is why there is such a high rate of B. miyamotoi found in nymphal ticks. The authors propose that ticks in California were likely also infected with B. miyamotoi 20-30 years ago but tested negative due to insensitive serology. [4]
California is also home to 3 other species of ticks known as Argasid "soft" ticks which transmit disease to humans. The soft ticks include Ornithodoros hermsi, Ornithodoros parkeri, and Ornithodoros coriaceus. Soft ticks are typically found in wild rodent nests or in dwellings like barns or cabins and are the primary vector for Tick-borne Relapsing Fever (TBRF). [3] (See distribution of Soft Ticks below)
TBRF is endemic to the Western United States and can be found throughout the Rocky Mountains, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas. Since the CDC started tracking TBRF in 1990 only 13 Counties have accounted for 50% of all cases in the U.S. You can see in the following map the substantial number of cases reported in California. [5]
Currently The Borrelia Genome Database has mapped 42 Borrelia Strains. They include 10 Borrelia burgdorferi (divided into 32 sub-species), and 7 Relapsing-fever Borrelia species (with B.hermsii divided into 4 sub-species). Borrelia vary geographically with up to 100 species in the US and 300 species worldwide. According to the BorreliaBase, the Borrelia Burgdorferi species that are specific to California are: CA382, CA-11-2A, DN127, and CA8; They have also mapped the genomes of Borrelia Bissetti (DN127), and Borrelia parkeri (HR1) which are endemic to California. [6]
The most disturbing thing about these California strains of Lyme Bacteria is some appear to be able to survive standard antibiotic treatment. In a recent Stanford School of Medicine study researchers discovered approximately 10% of California species of B. burgdorferi are capable of persisting after exposure to Doxycycline, which is the standard antibiotic prescribed for acute Lyme disease.[7]
In September 2015 Mark Eschoo, et al, published a survey of Ixodes pacificus ticks in California that revealed a set of microorganisms that was much more diverse than anyone had expected. In this study it was discovered that Ixodes ticks carry on average: 0.3% Anaplasma phagocytophilum, 1.4% B.burgdorferi, 2% B.miyamotoi, 2.1% Spiroplasrna ixodetis, 3% Babesia odocoilei, and 4.1% Rickettsia. Most surprisingly a new species of Anaplasmataceae named "Candidates Cryptoplasma Californianse" was found in 4.9% of ticks on average, and in up to 21% of ticks in Mendocino County. [8] Bear in mind, of these 7 infectious bacteria, the only one that would turn up on a standard test for "Lyme" is B.burgdorferi. Seriously, what doctor in California is going to suspect a Candidates Cryptoplasma Californianse infection, let alone the fact that there is no test for it.
In general, the further North you go in California the higher the incidence of tick-borne diseases. The disease risk in California is based on reported cases and tick studies. Roughly 20% of Lyme diseases cases occur in Southern California, 25% in the Northeast California and 55% in the Northwest counties. [9]
Because Lyme disease reporting is subject to numerous problems the true incidence is difficult to know. One thing we can do is look at the Veterinarian reports. The following map shows the reported number of Vector-Borne Diseases in Canines by State. You can see here that in California nearly 8,000 cases of Lyme, 3,300 cases of Anaplasma and 1,600 cases of Ehrlichia were reported by Veterinarian. If you want to see the prevelance of Canine diseases in your county type your Zip code into the search box in this link: (Which Canine Vector Borne Diseases Are In My County)
In one study ticks were collected from 12 recreational areas in the San Francisco Bay area. In all 12 parks ticks were found to carry Borrelia bacteria ranging from 2.5% to 7.5% prevalence. What was surprising is that B.miyamotoi was detected in 7/12 sites. B.miyamotoi is a fairly new species of bacteria that is closely related to the spirochetes that cause relapsing fever. There is currently no standardized test for B.miyamotoi. There are over 1 million people living in the San Francisco Bay area. It baffles my mind to think of how many kids have been infected with B.miyamotoi and will test negative for "Lyme" every time they are tested. [10]
The most recent West Coast tick study discovered a new riskettsiosis called "Rickettsia philipii" causing a relapsing fever named Pacific Coast Tick Fever (PCTF) which is transmitted to humans by the Pacific Coast Tick, Dermacentor occidentals. The study reviews 13 case histories all reported within California. The most common symptom with PCTF is eschar (necrotic sore), fever and headache, with 1/2 of the patients being pediatric and 1/3 requiring hospitalization. A study of 6,500 ticks found an average of 4.2% of D. occidentalis ticks in 15 out of 37 counties were positive for PCTF. [16]
In addition to bacteria ticks are known to carry a wide variety of Viruses. Since the advent of PCR testing in the early 1900's 27 diverse viral, bacterial and protozoan tick-borne diseases have been identified. Several studies have identified a virus identical or similar to Colorado Tick Fever (CTF) virus extending from westcentral (San Luis Obispo County) to northwestern (Mendocino County) California. [11]
Another striking difference between the East Coast and West Coast Lyme is the reservoir host for Lyme Disease. On the East Coast the White footed mouse is the primary host for the Borrelia bacterium. On the West Coast the Western Gray Squirrel is the primary host for Borrelia. One survey of 222 western gray squirrels showed 30% were infected with B.burgdorferi bacteria. Where the white footed mouse may not live through the freezing winters of the Northeast the western gray squirrel lives on average for 6 years in California. [12] Other reservoirs for Lyme in California include the Dusky-footed Wood Rat, Kangaroo Rat, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Golden-crowned Sparrows.
Birds are an under appreciated distributer of Borrelia throughout the World. "Birds have played a major role during tick evolution, which explains why they are by far the most important hosts supporting the ecological networks of ticks and several TBP (Tick Borne Pathogens)." [13] In Northern California, wild birds have been shown to be a significant reservoir for B. bissetti. [14] Over two Spring seasons (2013-2014) researchers from the Migratory Bird Center at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute examined 3,800 migratory birds. What they found "suggests that anywhere from 4 to 39 million exotic Neotropical ticks are transported to the United States annually on migratory songbirds, with uncertain consequences for human and animal health..." [15]
Because ticks that carry Lyme disease are often referred to as "deer ticks," many people assume that the presence of deer is required. In fact, because birds play such a huge role in the spread of so many pathogens, perhaps we should call them "bird ticks."
References:
1. Life cycle of Hard Ticks that Spread Disease. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/life_cycle_and_hosts.html
2. County-Scale Distribution of Ixodes scapulars and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Iodide) in the Continental United States. https://jme.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/01/15/jme.tjv2372.
3. Images 1, 3, 4: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/discond/Documents/TBDPhysicianTutorial.PDF
4. Large scale spatial risk and comparative prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia burgdorferi sunsu lato in Ixodes pacificus. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25333277
5. Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3725823/
6. BorreliaBase: A Phylogeny-Centered Browser of Borrelia Genomes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24994456
7. Identification of new drug candidates against Borrelia burgdorferi using high-throughput screening. https://www.dovepress.com/articles.php?article_id=26319
8. Survey of Ixodes pacificus Ticks in California Reveals a Diversity of Microorganisms and a Novel and Widespread Anaplasmataceae Species http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135828
9. Spatial patterns of Lyme disease risk in California based on disease incidence data and modeling of vector-tick exposure. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17038692/
10. Disease Risk & Landscape Attributes of Tick-Borne Borrelia Pathogens in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0134812
11. Survey for evidence of Colorado tick fever virus outside of the known endemic area in California.
11. Survey for evidence of Colorado tick fever virus outside of the known endemic area in California.
Lane RS, et al, 1982: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7102919
12. Identifying the Reservoir Host’s of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in California" The Role of the Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus). http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2592199/
13. Flying Ticks: Anciently Evolved Associations that Constitute a Risk of Infectious Disease Spread. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26467109
14. Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Spirochetes in Wild Birds in Northwestern California: Associations with Ecological Factors, Bird Behavior and Tick Infestation. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118146
15. Avian Migrants Facilitate Invasions of Neotropical Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens Into The United States. http://aem.asm.org/content/early/2015/09/22/AEM.02656-15
16. The Eco-epidemiology of Pacific Coast Tick Fever in California
16. The Eco-epidemiology of Pacific Coast Tick Fever in California
Edited 5/1/15
Edited 10/5/16 Added PCTF
Edited 10/5/16 Added PCTF
*Further Reading:
Identification of Novel Zoonotic Activity of Bartonella spp.,
Lots of info and references, thank you. Had just found a nymph tick (vector department thought was D occidentalis) and wondering if get tick tested or just take better care of self. Is your daughter doing better now?
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