Date of Award
Summer 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
First Advisor
Melissa Nolan
Abstract
Once considered a nuisance with little medical importance, the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum, Acari:Ixodidae) has emerged as a formidable vector driving a new era of public health threats across the United States of America. This dissertation traces the rise of the lone star tick from obscurity to infamy, exploring its expanding geographic range, unique immunologic impacts on humans, and role in the transmission of emerging tickborne viruses. Through a series of integrated studies, this work characterizes the epidemiology, immunology, and ecological context of tick-borne diseases in the southeastern U.S., with a particular focus on α-Gal syndrome (AGS), a novel allergic condition linked to tick bites and two tickborne viruses.
The first study examines spatial and demographic patterns of α-Gal sensitization using cross-sectional data from a statewide cohort, identifying regional clustering and non-linear age associations. The second study explores immune dysregulation in α-Gal through detailed cytokine profiling, revealing distinct inflammatory signatures among sensitized individuals. Finally, field surveillance and molecular testing of ticks collected across South Carolina highlight the lone star tick’s widespread distribution and its potential to harbor multiple pathogens, including Heartland and Bourbon viruses.
Together, these findings underscore the lone star tick’s rise as a vector of medical and scientific consequence, with implications for allergy, virology, and climate-sensitive disease emergence. As land use, biodiversity, and human behavior continue to shift, understanding the multifaceted risk posed by A. americanum is vital to anticipating and mitigating the next generation of vector-borne threats in the U.S. South—and beyond.
Rights
© 2025, Emily Ellen Owens Pickle
Recommended Citation
Owens Pickle, E. E.(2025). Aggressive, Adaptive, and Underestimated: From Allergy to Arboviruses, the Rise of the Lone Star Tick. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8550