Integrated pest management in controlling ticks and tick-associated diseases

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of Lyme disease and the emergence of other tick-associated human diseases in the United States have become a major public health concern. A wide variety of personal protection measures and tick control strategies have been used or investigated to reduce contact between ticks and humans, reduce tick abundance, or lower the prevalence of tick-borne agents in the ticks. These methods have generally been applied or evaluated as single interventions and other than some early computer model simulations, studies applying integrated tick management approaches are few. In this paper, we review surveyed human behaviors and risks for exposure to ticks, concepts pertinent to integrated pest management for ticks, simulation models, various tick control strategies, integrated tick management studies, and highlight what is needed going forward. Increased education and communication between physicians and veterinarians is essential to address tick-associated diseases in a 'one health' approach and unify the animal and human branches of medicine to identify, treat, and implement preventive measures. Novel simulation models using more recent empirical data on tick population dynamics, hosts, efficacy of various combinations of interventions, human exposure elements, and utilization of personal and environmental measures will help us better understand the interactions of integrated strategies for tick population management. Many questions remain related to the ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens, observed and modeled efficacy of various integrated interventions, human behavior and exposure to tick bite and disease risk, comparative cost of interventions, and the acceptance and use of prevention and tick control tools.