Feral swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) are spreading across North America at an alarming rate. Four Canadian provinces and 39 states within the continental United States now report standing populations of feral pigs. Estimates place the number of feral hogs in Texas >2M, accounting for more than half of the United States population. It is known that feral swine impact local ecology following establishment, with regard to shifts in local flora and fauna. The overall objective of this research was to investigate the role of feral swine in tick-borne pathogen transmission in Texas. The underpinning objectives were to establish host records for tick species parasitizing feral swine, determine the species assemblages associated with feral swine among different ecoregions of Texas, determine by immunoassay to which tick-borne bacteria feral pigs were being exposed, and detect the DNA of tick-borne bacteria by polymerase chain reaction assay in the event of poor or early immune response by the host. Feral pigs (N=432) were harvested from June 2008 to June 2010 using box and corral traps and by aerial gunning. Seven species of ticks, Amblyomma americanum, A. cajennense, A. maculatum, Dermacentor albipictus, D. halli, and D. variabilis; and Ixodes scapularis, were collected. Immature stages of A. cajennense and A. americanum were collected as well. All classes of feral pigs, gender by age, were infested with ticks. Serum was collected through a multi-organizational effort from 2006 to 2010 and tested by ELISA for previous exposure to tick-borne pathogens in the genera Rickettsia and Ehrlichia (N=888) and Borrelia (N=849). Prevalence percentages by immunoassay were 27.59 percent, 13.18 percent and 2.12 percent for Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Borrelia, respectively. Samples positive by ELISA for exposure to Borrelia were further screened by Western Blot for exposure to Borrelia turicatae. The results were equivocal in most cases. Blood samples (N=233) were collected from 2008 to 2010 and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for the detection of the DNA of these same three genera of bacteria. Two of the samples were positive by PCR for the presence of Borrelia DNA. Texas feral swine are serving as hosts for at least seven species of ticks and are interacting with tick-borne pathogen transmissions cycles in Texas.

Feral pigs, European wild boars and their crosses are ubiquitous and found in all ecological zones from Florida to California. These introduced animals are recorded in 39 US states and four Canadian provinces. Texas currently has an estimated population of 1-4 million pigs with the potential to exceed 4 million based on suitable habitat estimates. Feral pigs can modify local flora and fauna and cause significant physical damage with their rooting activities. They can also reintroduce parasites and pathogens to previously parasite and pathogen free herds of domestic cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. The two overarching objectives of this research were to determine what role feral pigs have in the maintenance and possible distribution of fleas, lice, and ticks common to the three wildlife districts; and if they serve as bridging hosts for the same (or other) arthropods and their natural hosts. The supporting objectives were to establish host records of fleas, lice, and ticks parasitizing feral pigs; determine species assemblies within each of the three wildlife districts; and to compare species assemblies among the wildlife districts. Feral pigs (564) were taken from June 2008 to March 2011 using box, corral, and panel traps in three wildlife districts. Two hundred fifty six fleas, Pulex porcinus (Jordan and Rothschild), were collected from all gender and age classes of feral pigs at the South Texas Plains wildlife district. No fleas were collected at either the Hill Country or Post Oak Savannah wildlife districts. This is the first report of these fleas on feral pigs. Lice and ticks were collected from all gender and age classes of feral pigs from all sample sites. Only hog lice, Haematopinus suis, were collected at all three sample sites. Seven species of ticks were collected from the three sites: Amblyomma americanum, A. cajennense, A. maculatum, Dermacentor albipictus, D. halli, D. variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Amblyomma cajennense was collected only at the South Texas Plains sample site; A. americanum and I. scapularis were collected only at the Hill Country and Post Oak sample sites. This study reports that feral pigs are serving as hosts for one species of flea, one species of lice and seven species of ticks common to Texas.

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). They cause millions in damage annually to agriculture, and likely negatively affect native wildlife species. Using camera traps, I monitored 36 forest patches within the MAV to assess the effects of swine invasions on native wildlife species richness. I also modified the double-observer point count technique into a new method for estimating swine abundance with camera traps. Feral swine suppressed native vertebrate richness by 26% when compared to uninvaded patches. I validated the new double-observer technique by determining if it could detect an abundance-area relationship in wildlife populations and estimate a known decrease in abundance following swine removal. This technique was sensitive enough to detect the increase and decrease in abundance and estimated the number of individuals removed from the population relatively accurately. This technique may be useful in the future to manage feral swine populations.