Epidemiological Inferences of the Impacts of Winter Ticks on Moose Health

The North American Moose (mooz in Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe language, Alces alces), a culturally significant subsistence species for the Anishinaabe people, faces population decline due to calf predation, pathogen transmission, and parasitism by the winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus), all exacerbated by climate change. This study explores the impact of winter tick infestations on moose health, with a focus on natural mineral seeps as potential transmission hotspots in moose habitats within the Grand Portage Indian Reservation (Gichi Onigaming), on Isle Royale National Park (Minong), and within the 1854 Ceded Territory (greater northeastern Minnesota) - ancestral and present homelands of the Anishinaabe people. We investigate the effects of decreasing snow depth on winter tick survival and assess the potential of D. albipictus to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Through larval tick surveys and pathogen testing, we found winter tick populations concentrated around mineral licks and associated game trails in certain years, with snow depth playing a variable role in tick abundance, alongside other biotic factors. Pathogen screening revealed that D. albipictus is not a competent vector for common zoonotic pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. These findings illustrate the importance of targeted habitat management and monitoring programs to protect moose populations from the growing threat of winter tick infestations. Advisor: Tom Weissling