First record of carios kelleyi (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) in New Jersey, United States and implications for public health

Abstract

The soft tick Carios kelleyi (Cooley and Kohls), a parasite of bats known to occur in at least 29 of the 48 conterminous U.S. states, is here reported from New Jersey for the first time, based on larvae collected from big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus. Although thought to be widespread in North America, the ecology of C. kelleyi is not well understood, despite reports of this species feeding on humans and its consequent potential as a disease vector. The association of C. kelleyi with bat species that regularly roost in human-made structures, such as attics and barns, and recent isolations from this tick of pathogens capable of infecting humans, companion animals, and livestock underscore the need for further studies of these bat ectoparasites.