Overview
- Nearly a decade of surveillance screened more than 2,000 nymphal blacklegged ticks from Dutchess County, New York, for 16 pathogens.
- Roughly 10% of nymphs carried at least two pathogens, with Lyme bacterium and Babesia microti co-infections nearing 11% by the study’s end and occurring more often than chance.
- More than 38% of nymphs carried at least one pathogen, putting the risk of exposure from a single nymphal bite close to 40%.
- Babesia microti was the most prevalent pathogen (>21%) and rose in the final years, while Borrelia burgdorferi was found in 19.3% and increased on average 5.7% per year.
- Lower-level detections included Anaplasma (~5.8%) and Borrelia miyamotoi (~2%), Rickettsia in a handful of ticks, one Powassan virus, and no Bartonella; patterns matched ticks submitted by the public.