Quantifying the Northward Spread of Ticks (Ixodida) as Climate Warms in Northern Russia

Climate change is affecting human health worldwide. In particular, changes to local and global climate parameters influence vector water-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever, tick-borne encephalitis. The Republic of Sakha in northern Russia no exception. Long-term trends increasing annual temperatures thawing permafrost have corresponded with the northward range expansion tick-species Republic. Indigenous communities living these remote areas may be severely affected by livestock introduced disease vectors ticks. To better understand risk vector-borne Sakha, we aimed describe increase spatial spread tick-bite cases Between 2000 2018, frequency tick bite increased 40-fold. At start period, only isolated were reported southern districts, but bites had been 21 districts This trend coincides a noticeable average temperature region since 2000s an 1 °C. Maps illustrate cases. A negative binomial regression model was used correlate number parameters. Tick case per district significantly explained temperature, coldest month year, observation as well Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient. These findings contribute growing literature that relationship between abundance Northern Latitudes moisture. Future studies might use similar results map identify at infestation ticks, climates continue Sakha.