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Aug. 29, 2018 UA Cooperative Extension Experts Available to Talk About Ticks |
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TUCSON, Ariz. — Two University of Arizona Cooperative Extension experts are available for comment on recent reports of tick epidemics in the U.S. and Mexico. The brown dog tick has been found throughout the U.S. and Mexico, and is driving an epidemic of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in northwest Mexico. Concerns in the U.S. center around the border states of California and Arizona. At the same time, the Asian longhorned tick is spreading throughout the East Coast. "The Asian longhorned tick is spreading rapidly in eastern states. This tick species is remarkably adaptable — females can reproduce without males, laying thousands of eggs at a time. They utilize an extremely broad host range including mammals and birds, and serve as effective vectors of numerous disease causing pathogens. It really has almost all of the worst-case characteristics a tick could have," said Dawn Gouge, an entomologist with UA Cooperative Extension. UA Cooperative Extension recently released two educational publications that are free to download:
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| Researcher contacts: Brown dog tick: Kathleen Walker UA Cooperative Extension 520-626-2088 (office), 520-405-9401 (cell) krwalker@cals.arizona.edu Asian longhorned tick: Shujuan (Lucy) Li Dawn Gouge Media contact: |
| Established in 1885, the University of Arizona, the state's super land-grant university with two medical schools, produces graduates who are real-world ready through its 100% Engagement initiative. Recognized as a global leader and ranked 16th for the employability of its graduates, the UA is also a leader in research, bringing more than $622 million in research investment each year, and ranking 21st among all public universities. The UA is advancing the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships, and is a member of the Association of American Universities, the 62 leading public and private research universities. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $8.3 billion annually. |
