Which management action is identified as one way to reduce the spread of Lyme disease by deer populations?

• A. Reducing the deer population through hunting
• B. Wearing long pants tucked into socks
• C. Using permethrin formulations on clothes
• D. Scheduling regular body inspections for ticks

Answer: (A)

Reducing the deer population affects the number of ticks that can complete their life cycle and spread Lyme disease. In the Lyme disease cycle, ticks get Borrelia burgdorferi from small mammals, and deer primarily serve as hosts for adult ticks, allowing them to reproduce. When deer density is high, more adult ticks survive to lay eggs, increasing the overall tick population and the chance ticks bite people. Therefore, a management action that lowers deer numbers, such as hunting, can lead to fewer ticks and a lower risk of Lyme disease transmission.

Wearing long pants tucked into socks, applying permethrin to clothing, and checking the body for ticks are individual protective measures to reduce tick bites, not actions that reduce deer populations or tick reproduction at the landscape level.