Seasonality of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) Activity and Prevalence of Infection with Tick-Borne Disease Agents in North Central Oklahoma.

is the most common tick infesting both animals and humans in the southern United States and transmits a variety of zoonotic agents. The rise in tick-borne diseases (TBD) globally imparts a need for more active surveillance of tick populations to accurately quantify prevalence and risk of tick-borne infectious organisms. To better understand TBD risk in north central Oklahoma, this study aimed to describe the current seasonal activity of in this region and investigate the seasonality of tick-borne infectious agents. Tick collections were performed twice a month for a duration of 2 years at a field site in Payne County, Oklahoma. Total nucleic acid was extracted from a subset of adult and tested for spp., spp., and spp. using established PCR protocols. Peak activity times for each life stage were observed, with adults primarily active 1 month earlier than historical seasonal trends describe, and male active earlier in the year than female . spp., , , and were found in 26.4%, 6.1%, 2.5%, and 1.1% of adult , respectively. No seasonal trend in spotted fever group spp. (SFGR) was observed in peak activity months. This study found an apparently shifting phenology for adults in Oklahoma. While these results did not show a trend in SFGR, further investigation is needed to better understand the potential seasonality of infection prevalence within across the expanding range of this vector, especially considering the extended activity of males in winter months.