The Prevalence of Babesia sp., Rickettsia sp., and Ehrlichia sp. in the Upper Midwestern United States

Rickettsia spp, Babesia spp, and Ehrlichia spp. are all responsible for emerging tick-borne diseases within the United States. The intention of this study was to complete a survey of American dog ticks and rodent hosts for the presence of all three parasites in order to determine which animals acted as hosts for each parasite in the midwestern United States, and how common each parasite was within each host. American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), whitefooted mouse (Peromyscous leucopus), deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), masked shrew (Sorex cinereus), and northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) samples were collected at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC) located in Wisconsin and Michigan in the summer of 2012. The samples were surveyed for all three parasites primarily using PCR and gel electrophoresis. All three parasites were discovered in the dog ticks, and the rodent hosts contained a variation of parasites. Babesia spp. was the most common of the three parasites. Given that all three of these parasites were discovered in dog ticks, it is suggested that patients in this region should be screened for all three diseases plus Lyme Disease following a tick bite and subsequent signs of illness.