A re­cent scientific discovery has raised new concerns for biodiversity and pub­lic health in the Dutch Caribbean. Research­ers Matthijs P. van den Burg (Burg Biologica) and Adolphe 0. Debrot (Wageningen Univer­sity) have identified the soft-bodied tick Orni­thodoros puertoricen­sis on iguanas across St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, the first time this tick has ever been recorded on these islands.

The unexpected find came during routine health assessments of iguana species, including the critically endangered Saban green iguana (Iguana iguana) on Saba, the native Lesser An­tillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eu­statius, and non-native iguanas on St. Maarten. Although hundreds of iguanas have been exam­ined since 2015, the ticks were only discovered in late 2023.

Genetic testing con­firmed the ticks as Orni­thodoros puertoricensis, a species typically associ­ated with rats but known to parasitise birds, mam­mals, and reptiles in oth­er Caribbean locations. These ticks are known carriers of pathogens that can cause serious diseases, including tick-borne relapsing fever and African swine fever.

The detection of this tick species in the Dutch Windward Islands pres­ents potential ecologi­cal and public health risks. On Saba and St. Eustatius, the ticks were found in habitats where invasive iguanas are or have been present. On St. Maarten, all iguana populations are non­native.

Researchers suggest that the presence of invasive iguanas may be contributing to the spread and survival of tick populations in these areas, posing an addi­tional threat to native and already endangered wildlife. Moreover, the risk of disease transmis­sion from these ticks to humans and domestic animals cannot he ruled out.

How the ticks arrived on the islands remains unclear, but their emer­gence underscores the importance of continued monitoring and biosecu­rity measures to prevent further spread.

The Daily Herald.