New Tick Pathogens Identified on the Reservation
The Choctaw Nation Public Health Department has released the updated 2026 Choctaw Nation Tick Guide, highlighting new findings identified during the 2025 tick collection period. The guide provides valuable information to help community members stay informed and protected while enjoying the outdoors, particularly in southeastern Oklahoma.
Over the past two years, in partnership with Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Choctaw Nation Public Health collected more than 2,000 ticks from across the reservation to identify species and test for disease-causing pathogens. The most common tick identified was the Lone Star tick, an aggressive species known to transmit several serious illnesses, including Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, and ehrlichiosis.
