Researchers discover novel bacteria linked to deadly fever in New England ticks
The researchers discovered the novel bacteria while testing ticks collected from the backyard of a Maine home for pathogens, UMass Amherst said in a press release. Though rabbit ticks can be found across North and South America, the scientists were surprised to encounter them at all, as they are uncommon in New England.
UMass Amherst microbiology Professor Guang Xu tested the ticks for bacteria that can cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever — which has a death rate of 20 to 30% when untreated — and discovered they were infected, the university said. The professor then sequenced the bacteria's DNA and found that, though it was unlike any other strain previously identified, it was similar to one identified in California a few years ago that has caused severe cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The University of Maine soon sent Xu more ticks to test. He ultimately found that just over 6% of the nearly 300 rabbit ticks that were collected from nine Maine counties tested positive for the new bacteria, UMass Amherst said.
'This wasn't a needle in a haystack. It looks like lots of the rabbit ticks there have this pathogen,' UMass Amherst microbiology Professor Stephen Rich said in the release.
Cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever have climbed in recent years, from 495 in 2002 to a peak of 6,248 in 2017, though most of these cases occurred in the South and Midwest, according to UMass Amherst. Dog ticks are the usual vector for bacteria that can cause the infection, but despite the fact that the bacteria has yet to be found in New England dog ticks, the region has still had a few cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
'It was a mystery. Why are there some cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in New England?' Xu said in the release. 'This finding may solve part of the puzzle. Maybe the rabbit ticks are the vector.'
Rabbit ticks typically don't feed on humans, but there are other ticks common in New England that feed on both rabbits and humans, Rich explained in the release. The researchers posit that the rabbit ticks may be infecting the rabbits, who then pass the bacteria on when a different tick feeds on them, and that that tick could then infect a human when it feeds on them.
Rich plans to collaborate with rabbit hunters in Massachusetts to collect more rabbit ticks from the region, UMass Amherst said. The hope is that this will advance scientists' understanding of the bacteria's impact on public health.
'While these rabbit ticks don't feed on people very often, there's a possibility that they could spill over into systems where people could get exposed. We're interested in figuring out the nature of this environmental risk,' Rich said in the release.
MassLive journalist is a finalist for prestigious 2025 Livingston Award
1 person dead after fall from Purgatory Chasm in Sutton
Petition from Worcester resident calls on city to do more to clean up park
Mass. waterfront restaurant voted the best in the country
Boston Greek restaurant included on Condé Nast Traveler's 2025 Hot List
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Hayley McNeff, champion bodybuilder and life coach, dead at 37
Hayley McNeff, a nationally ranked bodybuilder, nutritionist and life coach, has died, according to an obituary published Tuesday. She was 37. McNeff's death was reported by which described her death as "unexpected but peaceful." She was a Massachusetts native who graduated from UMass Amherst and became a champion bodybuilder. McNeff's family released a statement to People Magazine Thursday as word of her death became public. "Hayley was like a beam of light in this world. She had boundless energy and was very determined to achieve whatever she set out to do," her father Dave told the magazine. "She set her sights on bodybuilding and fitness and achieved the highest success that sector offered. She loved us and we love Hayley very much, we miss her madly." noted that McNeff won the overall category in the 2009 East Coast Classic and was featured in the "Raising the Bar" series. She later pursued a degree in psychology. "Hayley was known for her quick wit and constant sense of humor, she had a gift for making those around her laugh and feel welcomed," her obituary said. "Her energy and determination was a constant in her life and she always accomplished what she set out to achieve. "She treasured her friendships and nurtured strong, lasting relationships with those who knew her best. Hayley will be deeply missed by her parents, siblings, extended family, and friends." McNeff's death is the latest bodybuilder to have died over the last year. Bodybuilding legend Ronnie Coleman has also experienced health issues this year.
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Yahoo
Ongoing meteor shower could produce exploding fireballs of color and light this week
While they are already glittering across the evening sky, the most popular meteor shower is about to reach its peak, with a chance of large fireballs exploding against the black backdrop of night. The Perseid meteor shower has already streaked across the sky since July 17 and will continue until Aug. 23, but they should reach peak speed and volume between Aug. 12 and 13, according to NASA. The best time to check out the Perseids is during the pre-dawn hours, but astronomers suggest viewing them as early as 10 p.m. As the Perseids appear, they typically leave behind long 'wakes,' or brief glows of light and color behind them, the space agency stated. The meteor shower typically has around 25 meteors fly through the sky per hour, but as many as 50 to 100 can be seen 'Perseids are also known for their fireballs,' NASA stated on its website. 'Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material.' For these reasons, NASA said that astronomers consider the Perseids as the best and most popular meteor showers of the year. So, where in the night sky can stargazers spot the Perseids? The shower's radiant point, or the placement of where a celestial object is in the night sky, is in the direction of the constellation Perseus, NASA stated. More news about the night sky A fake solar eclipse? European satellites photograph 'eclipse-making' mission Strawberries on the brain? This full moon could be the treat for you Here are 10 NASA missions that could be grounded under Trump's 2026 budget Selfie on Mars? Here's how NASA caught a new glimpse of the Martian surface New research says our universe only has a quinvigintillion years left, so make 'em good ones Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Yahoo
A rare ‘Black Moon' will appear in the sky this month. Here's when
While there is the expression 'Once in a blue moon,' once in a while, there is a Black Moon too. Later in August, a rare Black Moon will be seen — or rather, hidden — in the night sky. A Black Moon is the moniker for a third new moon out of four in an astronomical season, instead of the usual three, as Time and Date described. The western half of the Western Hemisphere is expected to 'see' the Black Moon starting before 12 a.m. on Aug. 22, according to Time and Date. For the rest of the world, the Black Moon will occur after 12 a.m. on Aug. 23, including for the central and eastern United States. Black Moons happen once every 33 months, with the next one expected on Aug. 20, 2028, when it is also expected to be a supermoon, Time and Date stated. The previous Black Moon was on April 30, 2022. In the lunar cycle, new moons take place roughly every month, according to NASA. As people likely know, the moon is invisible in the night sky when it reaches its new moon phase. The illuminated side of the moon faces the sun while the night side faces Earth. Given that a new moon means the night sky is free from the moon's illumination, the night of a Black Moon is a perfect time for stargazing and using a telescope to view the planets and stars in the sky. More news about the night sky Ongoing meteor shower could produce exploding fireballs of color and light this week A fake solar eclipse? European satellites photograph 'eclipse-making' mission Strawberries on the brain? This full moon could be the treat for you Here are 10 NASA missions that could be grounded under Trump's 2026 budget Selfie on Mars? Here's how NASA caught a new glimpse of the Martian surface Read the original article on MassLive. Solve the daily Crossword
