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DURHAM – While the winter in New England seems to be warming, that autumn is lingering longer and that spring is blooming earlier, regions like northern New Hampshire and 39; Western Maine are experiencing an unusual increase in winter ticks that endanger the moose population. Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have discovered that the proliferation of infestations of this parasite, which attaches to moose in the fall and feeds all over the world. winter is the leading cause of an unprecedented mortality rate of 70% of calves over a three year period. period.
"The iconic moose is fast becoming the new child of climate change in parts of the Northeast," said Pete Pekins, professor of wildlife ecology. "Normally anything that exceeds a 50% mortality rate would affect us, but at 70% we are facing a real problem in the moose population."
In the study published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology, researchers described the fitness and parasite testing of 179 radio-tagged moose calves (9 to 10 months old) in January, on a weekly basis. period of three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016. monitoring new calves for four months each winter and found that 125 calves had died in total during the three-year period. A strong winter tick infestation was found on each calf (47 371 on average per moose), causing wasting and severe metabolic imbalance due to blood loss, the leading cause of death.
Most adult moose survived but were still severely compromised. They were lean and anemic to have lost so much blood. Ticks seem to harm reproductive health, so there is less reproduction.
The researchers said that winter tick epidemics generally lasted one to two years. However, five of the last 10 years have shown a rare frequency of tick infestations that reflects the influence of climate change. They point out that, for the time being, these problems are appearing mainly in southern moose populations, but that as climate change evolves, they predict that this issue will become more important. 39, will extend further north.
"We are sitting on a barrel of powder," said Pekins. "The changing environmental conditions associated with climate change are increasing and are favorable for winter ticks, especially the later winters that extend the fall quest period for ticks."
Fall is considered a quest season for winter ticks. They climb in the vegetation and seek to attach themselves to a host. Once attached, they go through three stages of active life (larvae, nymphs and adults) by taking a blood meal and feeding on the same animal. Ticks feed and remain on a host during their subsequent moults until the spring, when adult females break off and fall to the ground. Their favorite hosts are moose and other mammals, including deer, elk, caribou and, occasionally, horses and livestock. Winter ticks rarely bite and feed on humans.
Co-authors are Henry Jones and Daniel Ellingwood, both of UNH, Lee Kantar and Matthew O. Neal of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Inga Sidor of the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at UNH and Anne Lichtenwalner of the University of Maine. Health laboratory.
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