Graduate Exit Seminar - Benjamin Zeiger

Plan to join Benjamin Zeiger's graduate exit seminar on April 2, 2025, at 1:00 pm in Kottman Hall, Room 245 or via Zoom. Benjamin will present, "Phenology and Pathogen Risks of Tick and Tabanid Vectors in Ohio Agriculture"

Abstract: Tick ranges have been expanding throughout the United States over the past decade. Ohio is now home to at least five medically important tick species, capable of transmitting both human and animal pathogens, and posing threats to Ohio’s outdoor workers and livestock. Tabanid flies pose additional risk as nuisance pests and vectors of a potentially limitless list of pathogens. Surveillance for both of these vector groups is lacking in Ohio, particularly in agricultural settings, limiting the ability to make informed decisions about agricultural property management and occupational health. In addition to pathogen risk and presence, active surveillance gives a picture of vector species diversity and seasonal activity. To provide a baseline, five Ohio agriculture sites were actively surveyed for ticks, and two agriculture sites were selected for trapping of tabanid flies. Both ticks and tabanids were tested for expected pathogens, including Anaplasma marginale, which was detected in one of the cattle herds in 2021. Tick phenology charts were generated with density estimates for each species on each site, and a small sample of Ixodes scapularis ticks tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Nine tabanid species were identified across both trapping sites, making this the first formal study to catalogue Ohio tabanids in over 40 years, and the first ever to do so specifically for Ohio agricultural properties. None of the collected individuals tested positive for Anaplasma marginale. Tabanid activity was also assessed using a generalized linear model fitted with weather covariates. Consistent with the literature, activity was positively associated with average temperature, though no other predictors were significant.

Advisor: Dr. Risa Pesapane