Data associated with: Ecological dynamics of blacklegged ticks, their vertebrate hosts, and associated zoonotic pathogens in northeastern forests

Tick-borne diseases are increasingly common in North America, with human risk related to the abundance of infected ticks. This study analyzed 2,017 black-legged ticks (<i>Ixodes scapularis</i>) collected over nine years from forested sites in New York, screening for 16 zoonotic pathogens. Seven pathogens were detected, including <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> (19.3%), <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> (5.8%), and <i>B. miyamotoi</i> (1.5%), with prevalence consistent with prior studies. <i>Babesia microti</i> prevalence (21.4%) was notably higher than previously reported. Coinfection with <i>B. burgdorferi</i> and <i>B. microti</i> increased from 4% to 10% during the study. Three pathogens were observed only in single years: Powassan virus, <i>Rickettsia parkeri,</i> and <i>R. rickettsii.</i><b>File list:</b>NymphalInfectionData.csvNymphalInfectionData_Columnheader.csv- definitions for all column headers in NymphalInfectionData.csvallthedata_grid.csvallthedata_grid_Columnheader- definitions for all column headers in allthedata_grid.csvMetaData_InfData_SHARE - contains project documentation for nymphal infection data collectionMetaData_Allthedata_grid_SHARE - contains project documentation for tick and host data collection<br><br><br>