The Department of Conservation and A.T. Still University researchers are asking Missourians to save ticks they find and send them, by mail, to the University for scientific research to learn more about ticks and pathogens they may carry.
The Conservation Department and University have partnered for a two-year research study to determine the presence of tick species throughout Missouri as well as the pathogens they may harbor. The study begins in April and concludes in September 2022.
During that time, MDC and the University are asking Missourians mail ticks to A.T. Still University where they will be identified by species and life stage, and tested for four species of bacterial pathogens.
“We need the help of many Missourians around the state,” said Matt Combes, ecological health unit science supervisor. “Participation by many citizen scientists is vital in helping us collect enough data at a scale unattainable by MDC and University scientists alone.”
Ticks climb on and cling to clothes and skin in search of a blood meal from a human or animal. Some tick species and the bacterial pathogens they carry can also cause illnesses in people. The ticks people send to the University will be used for the new research study to better understand statewide distribution of tick species and the human pathogens they carry.
To help the research efforts, people are asked to place each live tick in a plastic zip-top bag with a piece of damp paper towel or moist cotton ball. Fold the bag and place it inside another plastic zip-top bag with a completed sample-submission form.
Print the sample-submission form from the University website.
Place the bag and completed sample-submission form in an envelope and mail it to:
A.T. Still University
ATTENTION: Deb Hudman
Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology
800 W. Jefferson St.
Kirksville MO 63501
University Senior Research Associate Deb Hudman noted the research is not intended to provide clinical diagnosis of an illness someone may have, and study information should not be interpreted as a substitute for medical testing or consultation with a physician
“The resulting research data will be used to determine, at the county level, what tick species and bacterial pathogens are present for the state of Missouri. This much-needed data will be shared with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services,” Hudman said. “This data will also help guide outreach and education efforts about ticks in Missouri to help increase knowledge of tick-borne illnesses and precautions people should take when working or recreating in the outdoors.”
Hudman also said distribution maps will be provided and updated weekly on the University website, so people can actively follow the progress of the study over the next two years.
Combes said there is a pressing need to increase tick surveillance in Missouri, develop statewide distribution maps of tick species and tick-borne pathogens, and educate the public on reducing the risk of contracting a tick-borne illness. In addition, this research study could also help determine previously unknown or invasive tick species that are present in Missouri.
“There are tick-borne human pathogens in the state of Missouri, and yet there is no comprehensive map of where tick species occur, or of the human pathogens those ticks are carrying,” Combes said. “According to the CDC, Missouri is considered a gap state for knowledge of tick-borne diseases. Many people—in Missouri and nationwide—lack a good understanding of tick-borne illnesses common to their area.”
Missouri is home to three common species of ticks that bite humans: Lone Star tick, American dog tick, and deer tick. Adult ticks are about a quarter-inch long and grow to nearly double that when engorged with blood. Learn more about ticks from the MDC online Field Guide.