Ticks, tires, and tracking: How Northern Kentucky University is fighting vector-borne illness

This student story was published as part of the 2025 NASW Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program organized by the NASW Education Committee, providing science journalism experience for undergraduate and graduate students.

Story by Madison Sigler
Mentored and edited by Chris Curran

Roughly 89,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in the U.S. since 2023, a 69% increase since 2022, and 49 cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Concern over disease vectors has increased, prompting a call for stronger control measures. Northern Kentucky is a key region to study as a zone of expansion, meaning species not originating from the area are migrating there. Associate Professor Allison Parker is working alongside the Northern Kentucky Health Department to look at how ecosystems impact disease transmission in Kentucky through ticks and mosquitoes. The goal is to identify and prevent potential disease-causing vectors.

Parker is an eco-epidemiologist who researches in the summer during mosquito and tick season. She has been completing long-term research projects since the summer of 2021. Parker works with student researchers to complete her projects and said, “I love teaching them. I like them learning. I get excited when they come up with new projects.”

Parker’s team has been conducting long-term tick surveys by dragging for ticks. She and her team do weekly site visits to drag a piece of flannel cloth behind them and collect the ticks from the cloth. They identify these ticks by species and life-stage to help them understand patterns of active ticks in the area.

It is generally accepted that Northern Kentucky does not have Lyme disease; however, even though there are no confirmed cases, Parker’s team has identified species of ticks capable of carrying Lyme disease. The black legged tick, or the deer tick, was formerly found in northern regions, but has migrated to Northern Kentucky, and is now common. The lone star tick and Gulf Coast tick were previously found farther south but are now found in Kentucky. Parker says that because these ticks are found in small pockets throughout Kentucky, knowing where these ticks are found is crucial for public health. But ticks are only half the story.

Parker also conducts mosquito monitoring studies, focusing on mosquitoes that lay their eggs in a container-like habitat. In nature, these habitats would be a depression in a fallen tree branch or a rock depression that collects water and nutrients, but humans often leave containers outside that fill with water, becoming the perfect habitat. All mosquitoes feed on sugar, but only females bite to get blood for egg development. After feeding, they lay eggs in standing water, making habitat studies essential.

She and her team place discarded tires at field sites to create habitats and visit weekly to collect larvae and pupae to identify species. Different species transmit different diseases, so knowing the species in the area is important.

Parker has managed several different notable mosquito studies since beginning her research five years ago. In one of her past studies, her group tested a cost-effective trap, called an Ovillanta trap, made from two tire halves and placed in homeowners' lawns. Water and plant litter found in yards were added to create a place where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. The trap is emptied monthly to control the population.

In one ongoing study, a student interested in toxicology created a study to determine if the flea and tick preventative medication Fipronil is an effective control agent against mosquitoes, which has not been studied. The team is testing to see if females will lay their eggs in the trap and seeing if the Fipronil-filled trap will then kill the larvae. Surprisingly, the team found the species of mosquito that transmits West Nile virus prefers to lay their eggs in this trap.

Parker says the two biggest obstacles in her research are educating people and the constant need to seek funding. Parker said, “One of our biggest challenges is to have people really understand why we're doing what we do.” Educating people on how researchers are trying to stop ticks and mosquitoes from transmitting disease via population reduction is crucial.

Parker allows her students to choose an area they are interested in and make that their focus for their independent research study while developing a cost-effective and eco-friendly control method. This gives students the opportunity to develop their research skills during their undergraduate education and provides them with unique experiences and a competitive advantage for their future. By partnering with the health department, Parker not only improves students' education but also contributes to meaningful and lasting improvements in the community.

Madison Sigler recently graduated with a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology from Mount St. Mary’s University. She is passionate about advancing science through innovation and collaboration. You can find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-s-biotech/ or email her at madinsigler@gmail.com.

Top image: Microscope images of two tick species. The left image is a male American Dog tick. The right image is a Black Legged (Deer) tick. Credits: Allison Parker

---

The NASW Perlman Virtual Mentoring program is named for longtime science writer and past NASW President David Perlman. Dave, who died in 2020 at the age of 101 only three years after his retirement from the San Francisco Chronicle, was a mentor to countless members of the science writing community and always made time for kind and supportive words, especially for early career writers.

You can contact the NASW Education Committee at education@nasw.org. Thank you to the many NASW member volunteers who lead our #SciWriStudent programming year after year.

Founded in 1934 with a mission to fight for the free flow of science news, NASW is an organization of ~2,600 professional journalists, authors, editors, producers, public information officers, students and people who write and produce material intended to inform the public about science, health, engineering, and technology. To learn more, visit www.nasw.org.