Ornate cow tick surveillance
This survey monitors the distribution of a rarer tick species found in the UK called Dermacentor reticulatus (ornate cow ticks).
Applies to England
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Topic: health impacts
Vector-borne disease: ticks
Part of: tick surveys
Key resources for ornate cow ticks:
- Ornate cow tick surveillance
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About the survey
Every year in late winter, a survey is carried out in known endemic regions of England and Wales to confirm continued activity of ornate cow ticks. Vets from the local areas are also contacted and encouraged to submit records of unusual ticks to our Tick Surveillance Scheme as part of our enhanced monitoring.
How we collect the data
Ticks are collected from the vegetation every February or March in Wales, Devon or Essex. We collect ticks by using a cotton cloth, brushing it over vegetation and collecting any ticks that latch on. We repeat our survey over several transects, to produce estimates of the density of ticks. Ticks are then screened for pathogens using molecular methods, to estimate the prevalence of pathogens.
What the data currently shows
This species continues to be found active in known endemic locations and several new potential sites of activity have recently been detected.
Figure 1: Active sites of ornate cow ticks in the UK
How to take part
If you have found a tick that looks like an ornate cow tick, you can send it to us via our Tick Surveillance Scheme. If your organisation is interested in working with us on our survey, contact tick@ukhsa.gov.uk to find out more.