Pest Profile, Naval Weapons Station, Earle, Colts Neck, New Jersey, 8 May 1989-17 May 1990 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Activity - North Fort George G. Meade, Maryland 20755-5225 [Seal of Department of Defense, United States of America] REPLY TO ATTENTION OF: HSHB-AN-P (40) 27 JUL 1990 MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, United States Army Bioengineering Research and Development Laboratory, Fort Detrick, MD 21701-5010 SUBJECT: Pest Profile No. 16-61-0594-90, Naval Weapons Station, Earle, Colts Neck, New Jersey, 8 May 1989-17 May 1990 1. REFERENCES. a. DOD Dir. 4150.7, Department of Defense Pest Management Program, 24 October 1983. b. AR 40-5, Preventive Medicine, 30 August 1986. c. AR 420-76, Pest Management, 3 June 1986. d. Revised Protocol, 2 March 1989, United States Army Bioengineering Research and Development Laboratory (USABRDL) Special Study No. APC 901, Evaluation of a New Granular Formulation of Cyfluthrin, an Experimental, Slow Release Pesticide, For Control of Ixodes dammini Ticks. 2. AUTHORITY. a. AEHA Form 250-R, dated 15 March 1989, from Commander, USABRDL, Fort Detrick, MD 20701-5010 b. USAEHA FY 89 & 90 Mission Services Schedule (Project Number 16-61-0594-90). 3. PURPOSE. To assess the risk of Lyme disease to military, civilian employees, and residents living and working at Naval Weapons Station, Earle (NWSE), and to provide technical assistance on control and protective measures against I. dammini ticks. 4. GENERAL. a. Background. Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, and is transmitted by the Deer Tick, I. dammini. Humans hosts [sic] may become infected when bitten by an infected adult or nymphal tick. In July 1985, an Army Reserve unit experienced an outbreak of Lyme disease while training for 5 days at NWSE. By the fifth day of training, 5 percent of the trainees reported sick with Lyme disease symptoms (fever, headaches, myalgia); and 79 percent reported being bitten by ticks. Evaluation of the bitten trainees revealed that 25 percent had contracted Lyme disease. A meeting took place at NWSE on 18 October 1988 to discuss the potential risk to DoD personnel from Lyme disease. The Entomological Sciences Division (ESD), U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Activity-North (USAEHA-N) was subsequently requested to provide tick identification, surveillance, and Lyme disease causative agent assay support to USABRDL. Surveillance was in support of a long-term tick control study and quantitative assessment of the true hazard of Lyme disease at NWSE by USABRDL. b. Personnel Contacted. For a list of personnel contacted on this survey, see Enclosure 1. c. Survey Conduct. The survey was conducted by Mr. Karl Neidhardt, Entomologist; CPT Jeffrey R. Ryan, Entomologist; Mr. Benedict Pagac, Entomologist; Mr. John Hildebrandt, Biological Technician; and SGT Roy Scott, Preventive Medicine NCO; all from USAEHA-N, Fort George G. Meade (FGGM), Maryland, 8 May 1989-17 May 1990. Four separate trips were made to NWSE, specifically: 8-12 May 1989; 17-21 July 1989; 9-13 October 1989; and 14-17 May 1990. d. Survey Site. This site (NWSE) is a small ammunition storage area near Colts Neck; approximately 20 miles west of Asbury Park, New Jersey. It's also used as an Annual Training and Weekend Training Site (ATS/WETS) for nearby U.S. Army Reserve units. e. Technical Assistance. Further technical assistance or informal advice may be obtained by contacting Mr. Karl Neidhardt or CPT Jeffrey Ryan, Autovon 923-5281, Commercial 301-677-6502. 5. METHODS. a. Sample Sites. Seven sample sites were selected for tick collection. All sites were in ammunition storage and training areas, as identified by the Installation Forester. All test plots were treated by a technician from USABRDL on 18 May 1989 using a liquid and a new experimental granular formulation of Tempo 2 [Trademark]. The technician used a back-pack sprayer to apply the pesticides at label rates. Additional areas were treated again on 1 November 1989 using the same pesticides. Internal control plots were established at each of the seven treated sites. b. Tick Collection. Ticks were collected in sample sites during timed, systematic walks through appropriate tick habitat. The surveyor wore white cotton clothing and pulled a white cloth drag (1m X 2m flannel with 1m long wooden dowels hemmed into each end, and a rope handle tied to both ends of one dowel). Ticks were removed from both the drags and the surveyor's clothing, and returned to study plots following counting and identification to species, sex, and life stage. The same surveyor sampled each site and all sites were sampled on each trip. Total sampling time averaged 1 man- hour per site per visit. Ticks were also collected using the Carrol Modified Dry Ice Method. Four specially designed traps were placed in each plot for 24 hours and counts were tabulated with determination of species, sex, and life stage. All I. dammini trapped were returned to the study plots. Ticks were also collected via dragging from non-study plot sites and returned to USAEHA-N for testing for the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. c. Tick Testing. Ticks were brought to USAEHA-N, FGGM and assayed via Indirect Fluorescent Antibody (IFA) to determine presence and infection rates of B. burgdorferi. 6. DISCUSSION. a. Tick Abundance and Infectivity. Ticks were collected from every site sampled. Numbers ranged from a low of 297 ticks encountered per site, to a maximum of 4,951 per site. Deer ticks comprised a small proportion of the total, specifically: 1:160. The majority of ticks collected were Amblyomma americanum, the Lone Star Tick. Overall, Deer Tick infectivity rate, as determined in this survey, was 18.9 percent (25 positive of 132 tested). These results confirm that host-seeking infected ticks were numerous and wide-spread in human-use areas at NWSE and that risk reduction measures should be employed. b. Chemical Tick Control. Review and analysis of control study data are being performed by USABRDL. However, it was subjectively obvious that tick numbers in treated sites were significantly reduced when compared with non-treated sites. A comprehensive discussion of this work is being prepared for journal publication by the Military Disease Hazard Branch of USABRDL. 7. CONCLUSIONS. Host-seeking deer ticks carrying B. burgdorferi, were numerous and wide spread in human-use areas at NWSE. Risk-reduction measures were warranted. Strong emphasis should be placed upon education and personal protection measures. Recording additional tick bite information would be useful in risk reduction and Lyme disease diagnosis. Effective chemical control was demonstrated, and may have future merit if adequate monitoring and pre- and posttreatment evaluations are performed. ----------------- Trademark Tempo 2 is a registered trademark of Mobay Chemical Company, Kansas City, MO 64120. Use of a trademarked name does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Army, but is intended only to assist in identifying a specific product. [signature] JEFFREY R. RYAN CPT, MS Entomological Sciences Division APPROVED: [signature] JAMES T. KARDATZKE MAJ, MS Chief, Entomological Sciences Division Enclosure 1 PERSONNEL CONTACTED 1. CAPT Robert P. Dillman, Commanding Officer, Northern Division, NAVFACENGCOM, Philadelphia, PA, U.S. Navy 2. CDR Herbert T. Bolton, Head of Entomology Programs, Naval Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit-2, Naval Station, Norfolk, VA, U.S. Navy 3. LCDR H. Robert Stevenson, Entomologist, Naval Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit-2, Naval Station, Norfolk, VA, U.S. Navy 4. SSG Michael Sardelis, Biological Research Assistant, USABRDL, Fort Detrick, MD, HSC 5. SPC Brett Collier, Biological Research Assistant, USABRDL, Fort Detrick, MD, HSC 6. Mr. Thomas Citevalier, Grounds Manager, NWSE, U.S. Navy 7. Mr. Thomas Gentile, Installation Forester, NWSE, U.S. Navy 8. Mr. Richard Griffiths, Vertebrate Biologist, AEHA, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, HSC 9. Ms. Victoria Solberg, Research Biologist, USABRDL, Fort Detrick, MD, HSC 10. Mr. Thomas Walker, Command Entomologist, Northern NAVFACENGCOM, Philadelphia, PA, U.S. Navy