First Report of the Bat Tick Carios kelleyi(Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) From Vermont, United States

The soft tick Carios kelleyi(Cooley and Kohls, 1941) is an ectoparasite of bats that can harbor bacteria known to cause disease in humans, such as Rickettsiaspp., Bartonellaspp., and relapsing fever Borreliaspp. Human-tick encounters may occur when bats occupy attics or similar dwellings with access points to human-inhabited areas. During May 2021, a partially engorged adult female C. kelleyiwas collected from a Vermont home with an attic that was being used as a roost by big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus(Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). The source of the blood in the tick was the domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris.Subsequently, eight C. kelleyilarvae were collected from a rescued E. fuscusadult. This is the first report of a soft tick species from Vermont and it is unknown how long C. kelleyihas been present in this state. Reports of C. kelleyiare on the rise across the northeastern United States but the implications for the health of humans, domestic animals, and bats in northern New England remain unclear. Bat management plans should consider the importance of bat exclusion in preventing tick encounters with members of the household and should include a tick monitoring component if bats are evicted.