New study identifies bird species that could spread ticks and Lyme disease
New study identifies bird species that could spread ticks and Lyme disease Global synthesis reveals bird traits that promote Lyme and flags high-risk species True thrushes, like the American robin, have been flagged as likely Lyme hosts. February 4, 2021 Birds play an underrecognized role in spreading tickborne disease. They can spread such disease because of their capacity for long-distance travel and tendency to split their time in different parts of the world -- patterns that are shifting owing to climate change. Knowing which bird species can infect ticks with pathogens can help scientists predict where tickborne diseases might emerge and pose a health risk to people. A U.S. National Science Foundation-funded study published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography used machine learning to identify bird species with the potential to transmit the Lyme disease bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi as ticks feed on the birds. Senior author Barbara Han, a disease ecologist a...