Ticks without borders: microbiome of immature neotropical tick species parasitizing migratory songbirds along northern Gulf of Mexico Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

The long-distance, seasonal migrations of birds make them an effective ecological bridge for the movement of ticks. The introduction of exotic tick species to new geographical regions can cause the emergence of novel tick-borne pathogens. This study examined the prevalence of exotic tick species parasitizing migratory songbirds at stopover sites along the northern Gulf of Mexico using the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. Grant no. NA17NOS4510092