JACKSON, Wyo. — Ticks are expanding their ranges across the U.S. and raising the risk of diseases, including in Wyoming.
According to Mikenna Smith, entomologist with Teton County Weed and Pest (TCWP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) categorizes ticks in counties as “no reports,” “reported” or “established.” Smith says that “reported” in a county means there are individual ticks found but not enough to provide proof that there’s a population in the area.
Smith tells Buckrail that between animals and people moving around so much, it’s not unusual that ticks hitch a ride and small numbers can appear in areas that don’t have an established population. That being said, Smith says there have been some reports of the American dog tick in Wyoming, with evidence of established populations in both northern Colorado and southern Montana.
“I hypothesize strongly that the American dog tick is established in Wyoming.”
Mikenna Smith, TCWP entomologist
“I hypothesize strongly that the American dog tick is established in Wyoming,” Smith says.
One of the goals of Smith’s pioneering tick surveillance program with TCWP is to determine whether or not that’s true. The American dog tick is the main vector in the U.S. for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, an infection that, in rare cases, can lead to death.
Smith says she’s not quite convinced that the Lone Star tick is established yet in Wyoming, but she notes that there’s been a report of one in southeastern Wyoming and they’re being repeatedly seen in northeastern Colorado. The Lone Star tick is expanding quickly, and is a vector of alpha-gal syndrome that causes an allergy to red meat.
“It’s kind of a big question mark,” Smith says of this species’ status in Wyoming. “It’s moving northward and westward. There’s just no surveillance.”
Smith also says there’s a tick species called the Asian longhorned tick that’s invasive to the U.S. as a whole and currently established in 17 states, but not yet reported in Wyoming. According to Smith, tick range expansion is related to climate, as potentially warming areas are becoming more favorable to ticks.
The CDC says nearly half a million people will be diagnosed and treated for tick-borne diseases every year, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Powassan virus. As of 2022, the CDC writes that every year is considered “a big year” for tick-borne diseases.
