Dermacentor variabilis

style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;"\|Dermacentor variabilis
style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;" \| Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia;
Phylum:	Arthropoda;
Class:	Arachnida;
Subclass:	Acari;
Superorder:	Parasitiformes;
Order:	Ixodida;
Family:	Ixodidae;
Genus:	Dermacentor;
Species:	D. variabilis;
Binomial name
	Dermacentor variabilis; (Say, 1821)
	Normal range in red; other reports in blue; Normal range in red; other reports in blue

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Dermacentor variabilis, also known as the American dog tick or Wood tick, is a species of tick that is known to carry bacteria responsible for several diseases in humans, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia (Francisella tularensis). It is one of the most well-known hard ticks. Diseases are spread when it sucks blood from the host, which could take several days for the host to experience some symptoms.

Dermacentor variabilis Transmitted Diseases

Primary organisms as well as corresponding diseases transmitted by Dermacentor variabilis include:

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of [Ehrlichiosis|HGE]] (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis), and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the causative agent of HME (human monocytic ehrlichiosis).^[1]
tick paralysis by elaboration of a neurotoxin that induces rapidly progressive flaccid quadriparesis similar to Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Rickettsia Ricketsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
F. tularensis, the causative agent of Tularemia.
D. variabilis may be exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease,^[1] these ticks are not competent vectors for the transmission of this disease.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Geographic Distribution

Areas along the Pacific, West coast
East of the Rocky Mountains until the Eastern coast

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Kevin Holden, John T. Boothby, Sulekha Anand & Robert F. Massung (2003). "Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from a Coastal Region of California". J. Med. Entomol. 40 (4): 534–9. doi:10.1603/0022-2585-40.4.534. PMID 14680123.
↑ Joseph Piesman & Christine M. Happ (1997). "Ability of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi to infect rodents and three species of human-biting ticks (blacklegged tick, American dog tick, lone star tick) (Acari:Ixodidae)". J. Med. Entomol. 34 (4): 451–6. doi:10.1093/jmedent/34.4.451. PMID 9220680.
↑ F. H. Sanders & J. H. Oliver (1995). "Evaluation of Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) from Georgia as vectors of a Florida strain of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi". J. Med. Entomol. 32 (4): 402–426. doi:10.1093/jmedent/32.4.402. PMID 7650697.
↑ Stanley W. Mukolwe, A. Alan Kocan, Robert W. Barker, Katherine M. Kocan & George L. Murphy (1992). "Attempted transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) (JDI strain) by Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum". J. Med. Entomol. 29 (4): 673–7. doi:10.1093/jmedent/29.4.673. PMID 1495078.
↑ Piesman J, Sinsky RJ (September 1988). "Ability to Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) to acquire, maintain, and transmit Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi)". J. Med. Entomol. 25 (5): 336–9. doi:10.1093/jmedent/25.5.336. PMID 3193425.

External links

Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet
Illinois photographs
Iowa tick images
Dealing with dog ticks
American dog tick on the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Featured Creatures website

Gallery

Common name: American dog tick
Scientific name: Dermacentor variabilis
Reservoir: small rodents (larvae and nymphs); dogs and mammals (adult ticks)
Geographic distribution: Rocky Mountains, Pacific Coast
Disease transmitted: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia

American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
Adapted from CDC
Approximate distribution of the American Dog tick
Adapted from CDC

[Holden-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Kevin Holden, John T. Boothby, Sulekha Anand & Robert F. Massung (2003). "Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from a Coastal Region of California". J. Med. Entomol. 40 (4): 534–9. doi:10.1603/0022-2585-40.4.534. PMID 14680123.

[2] Joseph Piesman & Christine M. Happ (1997). "Ability of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi to infect rodents and three species of human-biting ticks (blacklegged tick, American dog tick, lone star tick) (Acari:Ixodidae)". J. Med. Entomol. 34 (4): 451–6. doi:10.1093/jmedent/34.4.451. PMID 9220680.

[3] F. H. Sanders & J. H. Oliver (1995). "Evaluation of Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, and Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae) from Georgia as vectors of a Florida strain of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi". J. Med. Entomol. 32 (4): 402–426. doi:10.1093/jmedent/32.4.402. PMID 7650697.

[4] Stanley W. Mukolwe, A. Alan Kocan, Robert W. Barker, Katherine M. Kocan & George L. Murphy (1992). "Attempted transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) (JDI strain) by Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum". J. Med. Entomol. 29 (4): 673–7. doi:10.1093/jmedent/29.4.673. PMID 1495078.

[5] Piesman J, Sinsky RJ (September 1988). "Ability to Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, and Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) to acquire, maintain, and transmit Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi)". J. Med. Entomol. 25 (5): 336–9. doi:10.1093/jmedent/25.5.336. PMID 3193425.

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