Loading...
Risk of Tick-Borne Pathogen Exposure Among Outdoor Recreationists in UVM Natural Areas
O'Leary, Sarah
O'Leary, Sarah
Citations
Altmetric:
License
License
Abstract
Tick abundance, distribution, and tick-borne disease incidence are increasing across the northeastern U.S. due to anthropogenic changes such as climate change. Simultaneously, outdoor recreational use of natural areas continues to grow, placing more humans in high-risk areas to ticks and tick-borne pathogens. And yet, there is limited research on how landscape features within these environments, such as distance to trails, shape the likelihood of human-tick encounters and transmission potential. This study assessed tick-borne pathogen exposure risk among outdoor recreationists in UVM natural areas, focusing on how distance to trail, tick life stage, and seasonality influence exposure risk. Field surveys including dragging for ticks (n = 175 drags) were conducted using standardized tick sampling techniques across two UVM natural areas, Centennial Woods and Jericho Research Forest, between the summer and fall of 2025. Field‑collected tick density and life stage data were compiled into a geospatial dataset and integrated with spatial analyses to evaluate exposure risk in relation to trail networks. The results show that the most influential factors shaping tick abundance were site (JRF > Centennial) and distance to trail. The model indicated an increase in tick encounters at Jericho relative to Centennial, suggesting that outdoor recreationists may face higher exposure risk at Jericho. The model also showed that tick abundance decreases as distance to trail increases, meaning that trails are hotspots for ticks and outdoor recreationists are at risk. Tick life stage abundance differed significantly by season. The main findings of this study highlight the link between disease risk zones and human trail networks. This work can inform targeted land management strategies and enhance public health education initiatives to mitigate the risks associated with tick-borne pathogen exposure among outdoor recreationists in UVM natural areas.
Description
Date
2026-05-05
Student Status
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type of presentation
Files
Loading...
O'Leary_Thesis.pdf
Adobe PDF, 1.7 MB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
DOI
Advisor(s)
Department
Environmental Science