{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T17:57:36Z","timestamp":1791395856924,"version":"4.3.3"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791331200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100005825","name":"National Institute of Food and Agriculture","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Project PEN04762 and Accession number 1025757"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project PEN04762 and Accession number 1025757"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100005825","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Equine tick-borne diseases pose increasing challenges due to climate change and expanding tick geographical ranges. With no vaccines available for Lyme disease or equine anaplasmosis in horses, tick bite prevention remains the primary control method. This two-year study evaluated tick species composition on horses in Pennsylvania and assessed the effectiveness of physical barriers for tick prevention through community-based participatory research. The study engaged horse owners as research partners. Year 1 (2022) established baseline tick surveillance across 45 participants with 60 horses, conducting weekly tick checks from April to June. Year 2 (2023) evaluated physical barrier interventions using 50 horses assigned to three treatments: No Treatment (control), Physical Barrier (Untreated), and Physical Barrier (Treated with permethrin), with twice-weekly surveillance. A total of 413 ticks were collected, with species composition shifts between years. Species recovered included American dog ticks (\n                    <jats:italic>Dermacentor variabilis)<\/jats:italic>\n                    , blacklegged ticks (\n                    <jats:italic>Ixodes scapularis<\/jats:italic>\n                    ), and longhorned ticks (\n                    <jats:italic>Haemaphysalis longicornis)<\/jats:italic>\n                    , which were detected for the first time in one of the counties in the study region. Tick attachment occurred across eight body locations and differed significantly between years. Physical barriers, particularly untreated fly boots and masks, were associated with reduced tick attachment. Comprehensive whole-body surveillance remains essential given consistent tick distribution across anatomical regions.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0357053","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T17:23:52Z","timestamp":1791393832000},"page":"e0357053","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Barriers to entry: A participatory science study of tick identification, monitoring, and physical barriers to reduce tick bites on horses"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6492-0901","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Erika T.","family":"Machtinger","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania State University","place":["University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America"]},{"name":"Pennsylvania State University","place":["University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America"],"department":["Department of Entomology"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Karen C.","family":"Poh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pennsylvania State University","place":["University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America"],"department":["Department of Entomology"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura B.","family":"Kenny","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania State University","place":["Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Danielle N.","family":"Smarsh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pennsylvania State University","place":["University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America"],"department":["Department of Animal Science"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0357053.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.15042","article-title":"Borrelia burgdorferi infection and Lyme Disease in North American Horses: a consensus statement","volume":"32","author":"TJ Divers","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0357053.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102233","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2023.102233","article-title":"Changes in the geographic distribution of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, in the United States","volume":"14","author":"L Eisen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ticks Tick Borne Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2266","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-025-86205-6","article-title":"Climate change influences on the potential geographic distribution of the invasive Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis","volume":"15","author":"M Okely","year":"2025","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"issue":"17","key":"pone.0357053.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"496","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6717e1","article-title":"Vital signs: trends in reported vectorborne disease cases - United States and Territories, 2004-2016","volume":"67","author":"R Rosenberg","year":"2018","journal-title":"MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref005","unstructured":"United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA\u2013APHIS), Veterinary Services, Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health. Tick species found on equids in the United States\u2014Results from NAHMS Equine 2015 study. Fort Collins (CO): USDA\u2013APHIS; 2018."},{"issue":"35","key":"pone.0357053.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15013","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.0903810106","article-title":"Phylogeography of Borrelia burgdorferi in the eastern United States reflects multiple independent Lyme disease emergence events","volume":"106","author":"AG Hoen","year":"2009","journal-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"244","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1749-6632.1988.tb31858.x","article-title":"Epidemiologic studies of Lyme disease in horses and their public health significance","volume":"539","author":"D Cohen","year":"1988","journal-title":"Ann N Y Acad Sci"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103757","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2021.103757","article-title":"Serological and molecular detection of Anaplasma spp. in blood from healthy horses: a preliminary study of horses in East Texas","volume":"106","author":"A Russell","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Equine Vet Sci"},{"issue":"14","key":"pone.0357053.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1834","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.22.06.0232","article-title":"Prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi infection in horses from Pennsylvania (2017-2019) using antibody and organism-based detection","volume":"260","author":"D Thompson","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0357053.ref010","first-page":"831","article-title":"Long-lasting permethrin impregnation of clothing for protection against tick bites","volume":"14","author":"MF Vaughn","year":"2014","journal-title":"Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref011","first-page":"189","article-title":"Contact toxicity and residual activity of different permethrin-based fabric impregnation methods for Aedes aegypti, Ixodes ricinus, and Lepisma saccharina","volume":"52","author":"MK Faulde","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0357053.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1532","DOI":"10.1093\/jme\/tjaa061","article-title":"Protective effectiveness of long-lasting permethrin impregnated clothing against tick bites in an endemic Lyme disease setting: a randomized control trial among outdoor workers","volume":"57","author":"C Mitchell","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0357053.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1603\/ME10158","article-title":"Tick bite protection with permethrin-treated summer-weight clothing","volume":"48","author":"NJ Miller","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2017.03.144","article-title":"Effectiveness of stable fly protectants for adult horses","volume":"52","author":"RS Mottet","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Equine Vet Sci"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0357053.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"977","DOI":"10.1525\/bio.2009.59.11.9","article-title":"Citizen science: a developing tool for expanding science knowledge and scientific literacy","volume":"59","author":"R Bonney","year":"2009","journal-title":"BioScience"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0357053.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.5751\/ES-04705-170229","article-title":"Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design","volume":"17","author":"JL Shirk","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ecol Soc"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0357053.ref017","first-page":"213","article-title":"The larval ixodid ticks of the eastern United States (Acarina: Ixodidae)","volume":"2","author":"CM Clifford","year":"1961","journal-title":"Misc Publ Entomol Soc Am"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4182\/MAMR9602","volume-title":"Nymphs of the genus Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) of the United States: taxonomy, identification key, distribution, hosts, and medical\/veterinary importance","author":"LA Durden","year":"1996"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref019","unstructured":"R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing; 2024. Available from: https:\/\/www.R-project.org\/"},{"issue":"6977","key":"pone.0357053.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"452","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.310.6977.452","article-title":"The number needed to treat: a clinically useful measure of treatment effect","volume":"310","author":"RJ Cook","year":"1995","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"issue":"26","key":"pone.0357053.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1728","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM198806303182605","article-title":"Clinically useful measures of treatment consequences","volume":"318","author":"A Laupacis","year":"1988","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105092","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jevs.2024.105092","article-title":"Knowledge and perception of equine ticks and tick-borne diseases of Pennsylvania horse owners and caretakers","volume":"139","author":"DN Smarsh","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Equine Vet Sci"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0357053.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1588","DOI":"10.1093\/jme\/tjaa079","article-title":"Barriers to effective tick management and tick-bite prevention in the United States (Acari: Ixodidae)","volume":"58","author":"L Eisen","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref024","first-page":"1","article-title":"Topical permethrin decreases blacklegged tick survival but causes cutaneous irritation in horses","volume":"83","author":"KC Poh","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am J Vet Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0357053.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.1046\/j.0269-283x.2001.00329.x","article-title":"Seasonal activity and spatial distribution of host-seeking adults of the tick Dermacentor variabilis","volume":"15","author":"JG Burg","year":"2001","journal-title":"Med Vet Entomol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0357053.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"629","DOI":"10.1093\/jmedent\/35.5.629","article-title":"Reported distribution of Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States","volume":"35","author":"DT Dennis","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0357053.ref027","first-page":"504","article-title":"Field and climate-based model for predicting Ixodes scapularis density","volume":"15","author":"MA Diuk-Wasser","year":"2006","journal-title":"Glob Ecol Biogeogr"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref028","volume-title":"Ticks of Europe and North Africa: a guide to species identification","author":"A Estrada-Pe\u00f1a","year":"2013"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1007\/s10393-004-0139-x","article-title":"Effect of climate change on Lyme disease risk in North America","volume":"2","author":"JS Brownstein","year":"2005","journal-title":"Ecohealth"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0357053.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.1093\/jmedent\/32.2.143","article-title":"Survival and development of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) under various climatic conditions in Ontario, Canada","volume":"32","author":"LR Lindsay","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0357053.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"757","DOI":"10.1093\/jme\/tjy006","article-title":"Discovery of Haemaphysalis longicornis parasitizing a sheep in New Jersey, USA","volume":"55","author":"T Rainey","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0357053.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1111\/zph.12743","article-title":"Origin and spread of the Asian longhorned tick in the United States","volume":"67","author":"A Egizi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Zoonoses Public Health"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/jipm\/pmaa019","article-title":"Exotic Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States: biology, ecology, and strategies for management","volume":"11","author":"BL Schappach","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Integr Pest Manage"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0357053.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1093\/aesa\/79.1.11","article-title":"Molting and survival of the brown dog tick under different temperatures and humidities","volume":"79","author":"HG Koch","year":"1986","journal-title":"Ann Entomol Soc Am"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0357053.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1156","DOI":"10.1645\/0022-3395(2000)086[1156:HAASAO]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Host association and seasonal activity of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) in Missouri","volume":"86","author":"TM Jr Kollars","year":"2000","journal-title":"J Parasitol"},{"key":"pone.0357053.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/9780470690505","volume-title":"Veterinary ectoparasites: biology, pathology and control","author":"R Wall","year":"2001","edition":"2"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0357053.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1066","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.aje.a008879","article-title":"Entomologic index for human risk of Lyme disease","volume":"144","author":"TN Mather","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am J Epidemiol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0357053.ref038","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"179","DOI":"10.1603\/0022-2585-40.2.179","article-title":"Deer density and the abundance of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)","volume":"40","author":"PW Rand","year":"2003","journal-title":"J Med Entomol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0357053.ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1059","DOI":"10.1093\/jee\/75.6.1059","article-title":"Pressurized sprays of permethrin on clothing for personal protection against the lone star tick (Acari: Ixodidae)","volume":"75","author":"CE Schreck","year":"1982","journal-title":"J Econ Entomol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0357053.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"516","DOI":"10.1590\/s1984-29612014091","article-title":"Complementary data on four methods for sampling free-living ticks in the Brazilian Pantanal","volume":"23","author":"VDN Ramos","year":"2014","journal-title":"Rev Bras Parasitol Vet"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0357053","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T17:24:01Z","timestamp":1791393841000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0357053"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Dina","family":"Aboelsoued","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Research Centre","place":["EGYPT"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]},"references-count":40,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0357053","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]]}}}