BACKGROUND: Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector borne disease in the U.S. and is emerging in Michigan. The bacterium causing Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans or pets through the bite of an infected tick. A One Health approach to determine the risk of Lyme disease is essential, specifically in a state where the disease is emerging. One Health is the integrative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals, and the environment. In the spring of 2015, a veterinarian from an island on Lake Michigan began to collect blacklegged ticks and diagnosing locally-acquired Lyme disease in dogs. In previous years the vector of Lyme disease, Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged ticks), had not been found on the island. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was invited to the island to conduct an environmental investigation and provide health education to local residents, showcasing an example of One Health utilization in assessing expansion and risk of Lyme disease.
METHODS: To determine the tick population on the island, tick drags were conducted in three locations. Tick dragging is a method for collecting ticks. The method involves dragging a 1-square-meter strip of white cloth mounted on a dowel tied to rope through terrain that may harbor ticks. The collected ticks were tested at Michigan State University by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS: In total, 24 I. scapularis ticks were collected on the day of the island visit and two were positive (8.3 percent) for B. burgdorferi. Adult and nymph stages were found during collection. Health education was presented at a town meeting and included information about Lyme disease, the vector for the disease, and methods on how to prevent tick-borne disease in humans and pets. “Ticks and your health” brochures and tick identification cards were provided to the residents.
CONCLUSIONS: The intersection of people, animals, and the environment is well represented in this response to public concern of Lyme disease. Animal health surveillance for Lyme disease prompted environmental surveillance for ticks, which confirmed the environmental risk for Lyme disease on the island, and led to proactive health education. By partnering with human healthcare providers, environmental scientists, ecologists, and veterinarians, the One Health approach allowed for a comprehensive response of the emergence of Lyme disease on the island.