Spatially Scalable Integrated Tick Vector/Rodent Reservoir Management to Reduce Human Risk of Exposure to Ixodes scapularis Ticks Infected with Lyme Disease Spirochetes

项目总结 有效的壁虱控制是防治莱姆病的重要公共卫生措施 疾病。人们普遍认为，大多数莱姆病病例是 从生活在软体地貌中的扁虱获得，从而放置 主要在地方一级负责疾病预防，特别是在 个人户主。尽管几项研究记录了有效的 围口期壁虱控制措施，人类接触壁虱的情况越来越多 常见的莱姆病病例并未减少。该项目旨在 通过1)评估，弥合蚊虫控制研究和人类行为之间的差距 适用于以下两种情况的综合蚊虫管理(ITM)策略的有效性 个人或邻近的住宅物业，以及2)识别人类的模式 导致相遇的橄榄岩地貌内外的活动 带有受感染的扁虱。我们的ITM方法将集成适时的 喷洒杀死扁虱的化学物质(以减少寻找宿主的扁虱) 以啮齿动物为目标的诱饵盒(以减少携带莱姆的扁虱的流行- 引起细菌)。这一方法将在 莱姆-位于康涅狄格州西部和罗德岛州南部的地方性城镇。 Tick丰度将在处理和未处理的属性之间进行比较，使用 标准的扁虱采集方法。人类与扁虱的相遇将被记录下来 比较了使用一种新的众包报告系统(TickSpotters)。学习 参与者将被要求记录他们户外活动的地点 在易于使用的数字期刊中全天候阅读。这样做的预期结果 该项目是减少受感染的黑腿扁虱的数量和 人类扁虱在接受集成扁虱管理的住宅中相遇 干预，以及对人们在哪里遇到扁虱的更好的理解 无论是在人类居住地周围还是在公共户外环境中。

PROJECT SUMMARY Effective tick control is an important public health measure for combating Lyme disease. It is generally believed that the majority of Lyme disease cases are acquired from ticks living in the peridomestic landscape, thereby placing responsibility for disease prevention mostly at the local level, and especially on individual householders. Despite several studies documenting effective peridomestic tick control measures, human exposures to ticks are increasingly common and cases of Lyme disease have not been reduced. This project aims to bridge the gap between tick control research and human behavior by 1) assessing the effectiveness of an integrated tick management (ITM) strategy applied to either individual or contiguous residential properties, and 2) identifying patterns of human activity within and outside of the peridomestic landscape that lead to encounters with infected ticks. Our ITM approach will integrate the application of well-timed sprays of tick-killing chemicals (to reduce host-seeking ticks) with installation of rodent-targeted bait boxes (to reduce the prevalence of ticks carrying Lyme- causing germs). This approach will be evaluated simultaneously at properties in Lyme-endemic towns located in western Connecticut and southern Rhode Island. Tick abundance will be compared between treated and untreated properties using standard tick collecting methods. Human tick encounters will be recorded and compared using a novel crowd-sourced reporting system (TickSpotters). Study participants will be asked to document the location of their outdoor activity throughout the day in easy-to-use digital journals. Expected outcomes of this project are a reduction in the number of infected blacklegged ticks and human tick encounters at residences receiving an integrated tick management intervention, and an improved understanding of where people encounter ticks both around human habitations and in public outdoor settings.