The presence of teens practicing on the sports fields of Fairfield Hills wearing shorts as late February temps surpass the 50-degree mark used to put a smile on the face of Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert.

But as she walked around the Municipal Center chatting with The Newtown Bee this week, Ms Culbert harbored a look of concern in her eyes.

“I hope they do a tick check when they get done,” the local official said.

With the lack of any sustained periods of freezing temperatures going back to last fall, Ms Culbert said tick activity has never really taken a break. And the premature appearance of folks playing, hiking, gardening, and enjoying other outdoor activities in lighter clothing and shorts is nothing short of an invitation to the bloodthirsty insects that dinner is served.

The health director’s worries have been compounded in recent days as she has reviewed the first year’s data from a new federally funded statewide surveillance program for ticks and associated tickborne diseases that was distributed on February 20 through the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).

Scientists with the Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases at the CAES saw more than 2,500 ticks collected throughout spring, summer, and fall 2019 from 40 different publicly accessible locations in all eight Connecticut counties.

These ticks were screened for five different human disease-causing pathogens: Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis), Babesia microti (babesiosis), Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Borrelia miyamotoi (hard tick relapsing fever), and Powassan virus (Powassan encephalitis).

Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged or deer tick) were the most commonly collected species (2,068), followed by Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick / 437). Two newly identified emerging species, Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick / 3) and Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick / 2) were identified in both Fairfield and New London counties.

This represented the first record of Asian longhorned tick in New London County. But statewide, Fairfield County had the highest average adult blacklegged tick density (61 sampled per acre), with Tolland County amassing the highest average nymphal tick density (51 sampled per acre).

'Not Surprised'

This was disturbing news for the Newtown health director.

“I am not happy but I’m not surprised to learn of the emergence of the lone star and the Asian longhorned ticks,” Ms Culbert said. “Habitat and the movement of host animals most likely help support the movement of ticks.”

All adult female and nymphal blacklegged ticks were tested at CAES for the presence of the five different disease-causing pathogens. Fairfield County reported the highest infection rates for all pathogens in adult females — and Litchfield County the highest in nymphal blacklegged ticks. With Newtown straddling these two counties, residents need to be particularly mindful of doing a thorough tick check whenever they have been outside, especially on wooded property.

Nearly half the adults tested (46 percent) were positive for Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease); 13 percent were positive for Babesia microti (babesiosis); nine percent for Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis); two percent for Borrelia miyamotoi (hard tick relapsing fever); and one percent for Powassan virus (Powassan encephalitis).

Survey results demonstrate that lone star and Asian longhorned ticks are emerging in Connecticut. According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, there were three confirmed human cases of hard tick relapsing fever and five human cases of Powassan encephalitis in 2019. Lyme disease affected 1,221, babesiosis 330, and anaplasmosis 297, and all three continue to be the major tick-borne diseases of concern for Connecticut residents.

The survey was funded by a one-year grant issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the Connecticut Department of Public Health and has potential to continue into a multi-year effort to document tick and pathogen abundances statewide to inform the public so that appropriate precautions are taken when spending time outdoors.

“It is important that the CAES has been able to receive the federal funding to support their work,” Ms Culbert said, “which in turn helps generate the data and research which expands our opportunities for improved prevention as well as identification and treatment of tickborne disease.

Scientists at CAES remind Connecticut citizens to perform regular checks for all stages of blacklegged ticks when they are active in spring through fall and on warm days in the winter, as tick bite prevention is the best strategy to combat tickborne diseases. The Bee has learned that as of February 25, Newtown residents have brought in 10 ticks that they pulled off themselves or their children, and two have come back positive for at least one type of tickborne disease.

Newtown residents can contact the Health District at 203-270-4291, newtown-ct.gov/health-district, or instagram.com/newtownhealthdistrict.