Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The North American Moose (mooz in Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe language, Alces alces), a culturally significant subsistence species for the Anishinaabe people, faces population decline due to calf predation, pathogen transmission, and parasitism by the winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus), all exacerbated by climate change. This study explores the impact of winter tick infestations on moose health, with a focus on natural mineral seeps as potential transmission hotspots in moose habitats within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Gichi Onigaming), on Isle Royale National Park (Minong), and within the 1854 Ceded Territory (greater northeastern Minnesota) - ancestral and present homelands of the Anishinaabe people. We investigate the effects of decreasing snow depth on winter tick survival and assess the potential of D. albipictus to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Through larval tick surveys and pathogen testing, we found winter tick populations concentrated around mineral licks and associated game trails in certain years, with snow depth playing a variable role in tick abundance, alongside other biotic factors. Pathogen screening revealed that D. albipictus is not a competent vector for common zoonotic pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. These findings illustrate the importance of targeted habitat management and monitoring programs to protect moose populations from the growing threat of winter tick infestations. Advisor: Tom Weissling
Source: Lincoln (University of Nebraska)
Author: Woerheide, Krishna S.
Institution: University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6990819674
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