Temporal Detection Limits of Remnant Larval Bloodmeals in Nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Say, Ixodida: Ixodidae) Using Two Next-Generation Sequencing DNA Barcoding Assays.

Using next-generation sequencing DNA barcoding, we aimed to determine: 1) if the larval bloodmeal can be detected in Ixodes scapularis nymphs and 2) the post-moult temporal window for detection of the larval bloodmeal. Subsets of 30 nymphs fed on a domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, Lagomorphia: Leporidae) as larvae were reared and frozen at 11 time points post-moult, up to 150 d. Vertebrate DNA was amplified using novel universal (UP) and species-specific primers (SSP) and sequenced for comparison against cytochrome c oxidase subunit I barcodes to infer host identification.

Assessing the Repeatability of Tick Dragging as a Method for Ixodes scapularis Surveillance.

Tick dragging is an important tool used by public health for Ixodes scapularis surveillance to identify Lyme disease risk areas in Ontario, Canada. Concerns have been raised on the repeatability of tick dragging due to fluctuations that occur in the tick population in response to micro- and macroclimatic variations. Our objective was to assess the repeatability of tick dragging over a short timescale by examining three outcome measures: presence/absence of ticks, tick abundance, and likelihood of tick establishment based on an indicator developed by Clow et al.