26
|
Norris SJ, Barbour AG, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Analysis of the intergenic sequences provided by Feria-Arroyo et al. does not support the claim of high Borrelia burgdorferi tick infection rates in Texas and northeastern Mexico. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:467. [PMID: 25428816 PMCID: PMC4203928 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
|
27
|
Krause PJ, Hendrickson JE, Steeves TK, Fish D. Blood transfusion transmission of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi in mice. Transfusion 2014; 55:593-7. [PMID: 25251880 DOI: 10.1111/trf.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Borrelia miyamotoi, a recently discovered relapsing fever spirochete, occurs in hard-bodied ticks wherever Lyme disease is endemic. Human infection is associated with relapsing fever and can cause meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients. A few cases of transfusion transmission of other relapsing fever spirochete species have been reported but none for B. miyamotoi. Our objective was to determine whether B. miyamotoi transfusion transmission could occur in a murine transfusion model. Herein, we report transfusion transmission of B. miyamotoi through fresh or stored red blood cells (RBCs) in a mouse model. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Inbred mice were transfused with B. miyamotoi-infected murine blood that was either freshly collected or stored for 7 days before transfusion. Recipient blood was then longitudinally examined after transfusion by smear and wet mount for evidence of spirochetemia. RESULTS Motile spirochetes were observed in immunocompromised (SCID) mouse recipients for 28 days after transfusion of both fresh and stored murine B. miyamotoi-infected RBCs. Transient spirochetemia was observed in immunocompetent DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice, with spirochete clearance occurring within 5 days after transfusion. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that transfusion transmission of B. miyamotoi can occur in mice and suggest that it also may occur in humans.
Collapse
|
28
|
Diuk-Wasser MA, Liu Y, Steeves TK, Folsom-O'Keefe C, Dardick KR, Lepore T, Bent SJ, Usmani-Brown S, Telford SR, Fish D, Krause PJ. Monitoring human babesiosis emergence through vector surveillance New England, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 20:225-31. [PMID: 24447577 PMCID: PMC3901474 DOI: 10.3201/eid2002.130644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan Babesia microti. Its geographic distribution is more limited than that of Lyme disease, despite sharing the same tick vector and reservoir hosts. The geographic range of babesiosis is expanding, but knowledge of its range is incomplete and relies exclusively on reports of human cases. We evaluated the utility of tick-based surveillance for monitoring disease expansion by comparing the ratios of the 2 infections in humans and ticks in areas with varying B. microti endemicity. We found a close association between human disease and tick infection ratios in long-established babesiosis-endemic areas but a lower than expected incidence of human babesiosis on the basis of tick infection rates in new disease-endemic areas. This finding suggests that babesiosis at emerging sites is underreported. Vector-based surveillance can provide an early warning system for the emergence of human babesiosis.
Collapse
|
29
|
Narasimhan S, Rajeevan N, Liu L, Zhao YO, Heisig J, Pan J, Eppler-Epstein R, Deponte K, Fish D, Fikrig E. Gut microbiota of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis modulate colonization of the Lyme disease spirochete. Cell Host Microbe 2014; 15:58-71. [PMID: 24439898 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2013] [Revised: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Arthopods such as Ixodes scapularis ticks serve as vectors for many human pathogens. The arthropod gut presents a pivotal microbial entry point and determines pathogen colonization and survival. We show that the gut microbiota of I. scapularis, a major vector of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, influence spirochete colonization of ticks. Perturbing the gut microbiota of larval ticks reduced Borrelia colonization, and dysbiosed larvae displayed decreased expression of the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT). Diminished STAT expression corresponded to lower expression of peritrophin, a key glycoprotein scaffold of the glycan-rich mucus-like peritrophic matrix (PM) that separates the gut lumen from the epithelium. The integrity of the I. scapularis PM was essential for B. burgdorferi to efficiently colonize the gut epithelium. These data elucidate a functional link between the gut microbiota, STAT-signaling, and pathogen colonization in the context of the gut epithelial barrier of an arthropod vector.
Collapse
|
30
|
Diuk-Wasser MA, Liu Y, Steeves TK, Folsom-O’Keefe C, Dardick KR, Lepore T, Bent SJ, Usmani-Brown S, Telford SR, Fish D, Krause PJ. Monitoring Human Babesiosis Emergence through Vector Surveillance New England, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2014. [DOI: 10.3201/eid1302/130644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
|
31
|
|
32
|
Rollend L, Bent SJ, Krause PJ, Usmani-Brown S, Steeves TK, States SL, Lepore T, Ryan R, Dias F, Ben Mamoun C, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Quantitative PCR for detection of Babesia microti in Ixodes scapularis ticks and in human blood. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2013; 13:784-90. [PMID: 24107203 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, the primary cause of human babesiosis in the United States, is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis ticks; transmission may also occur through blood transfusion and transplacentally. Most infected people experience a viral-like illness that resolves without complication, but those who are immunocompromised may develop a serious and prolonged illness that is sometimes fatal. The geographic expansion and increasing incidence of human babesiosis in the northeastern and midwestern United States highlight the need for high-throughput sensitive and specific assays to detect parasites in both ticks and humans with the goals of improving epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis of acute infections, and screening of the blood supply. Accordingly, we developed a B. microti-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay (named BabMq18) designed to detect B. microti DNA in tick and human blood samples using a primer and probe combination that targets the 18S rRNA gene of B. microti. This qPCR assay was compared with two nonquantitative B. microti PCR assays by testing tick samples and was found to exhibit higher sensitivity for detection of B. microti DNA. The BabMq18 assay has a detection threshold of 10 copies per reaction and does not amplify DNA in I. scapularis ticks infected with Babesia odocoilei, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, or Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This highly sensitive and specific qPCR assay can be used for detection of B. microti DNA in both tick and human samples. Finally, we report the prevalence of B. microti infection in field-collected I. scapularis nymphs from three locations in southern New England that present disparate incidences of human babesiosis.
Collapse
|
33
|
Cox K, Sever A, Jones S, Weeks J, Mills P, Devalia H, Fish D, Jones P. Validation of a technique using microbubbles and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to biopsy sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in pre-operative breast cancer patients with a normal grey-scale axillary ultrasound. Eur J Surg Oncol 2013; 39:760-5. [PMID: 23632319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2013.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 03/24/2013] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In patients with breast cancer, grey-scale ultrasound often fails to identify lymph node (LN) metastases. We aimed to validate the technique of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a test to identify sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases and reduce the numbers of patients requiring a completion axillary node clearance (ANC). METHODS 371 patients with breast cancer and a normal axillary ultrasound were recruited. Patients received periareolar intra-dermal injection of microbubble contrast agent. Breast lymphatics were visualised by CEUS and followed to identify and biopsy axillary SLN. Patients then underwent standard tumour excision and either SLN excision (benign biopsy) or axillary clearance (malignant biopsy) with subsequent histopathological analysis. RESULTS The technique failed in 46 patients, 6 patients had indeterminate biopsy results and 24 patients were excluded. In 295 patients with a conclusive SLN biopsy, the sensitivity of the technique was 61% and specificity 100%. Given a benign SLN biopsy result, the post-test probability that a patient had SLN metastases was 8%. 35 patients were found to have SLN metastases and had a primary ANC (29 macrometastases and 6 micrometastases/ITC). There were 22 false negative results (10 macrometastases and 12 micrometastases). Macrometastases in core biopsy specimens correlated with LN macrometastases on surgical excision. CONCLUSION Pre-operative biopsy of SLN reduced the numbers of patients requiring completion ANC. Despite the low sensitivity, only 22 patients (8%) with a benign SLN biopsy were subsequently found to have LN metastases. Without the confirmation of macrometastases on core biopsy specimens, patients with micrometastases/ITC may be inadvertently selected for primary ANC.
Collapse
|
34
|
Patel N, Veve M, Kwon S, McNutt LA, Fish D, Miller CD. Frequency of electrocardiogram testing among HIV-infected patients at risk for medication-induced QTc prolongation. HIV Med 2013; 14:463-71. [PMID: 23506263 DOI: 10.1111/hiv.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES HIV-infected patients are commonly prescribed several medications and are thus at risk for drug interactions that may result in QTc prolongation. We sought (1) to identify the frequency of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring (2), to determine the prevalence of drug interactions involving QTc-prolonging medications, and (3) to quantify the prevalence of QTc prolongation. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among HIV-infected adults. Demographics, medications, drug interactions and comorbidities were abstracted from patients' medical records. Abnormal QTc interval was defined per the UK Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products. Clinical characteristics were compared among ECG recipients and nonrecipients. Among ECG recipients, the prevalence and predictors of QTc prolongation were assessed. RESULTS Among the 454 patients included in the study, 80.8% were prescribed a medication associated with QTc prolongation and 39% had drug interactions expected to increase QTc prolongation risk. There were 138 patients (30.3%) who received ECG testing. Receipt of ECG monitoring was associated with increasing age, diabetes, increasing total number of medications and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Among ECG recipients, the prevalence of abnormal QTc interval was 27.5%. Chronic kidney disease [prevalence ratio (PR) 3.47; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-8.83; P = 0.009], hepatitis C virus coinfection (PR 2.26; 95% CI 0.97-5.27; P = 0.06) and hypertension (PR 2.11; 95% CI 0.93-4.81; P = 0.07) were independently associated with an abnormal QTc interval. CONCLUSIONS A low frequency of ECG testing was observed, despite a high use of medications associated with QTc prolongation. The risk of abnormal QTc interval was highest among patients with chronic kidney disease, hypertension and hepatitis C virus coinfection.
Collapse
|
35
|
Krause PJ, Narasimhan S, Wormser GP, Rollend L, Fikrig E, Lepore T, Barbour A, Fish D. Human Borrelia miyamotoi infection in the United States. N Engl J Med 2013; 368:291-3. [PMID: 23323920 PMCID: PMC3934646 DOI: 10.1056/nejmc1215469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
|
36
|
Rollend L, Fish D, Childs JE. Transovarial transmission of Borrelia spirochetes by Ixodes scapularis: a summary of the literature and recent observations. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2012; 4:46-51. [PMID: 23238242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Revised: 06/14/2012] [Accepted: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Transovarial transmission (TOT) of Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), the agent of Lyme disease, by the Ixodes persulcatus group of hard ticks (Ixodidae) has frequently been reported in the literature since the discovery of Lyme disease 1982. Evidence for and against TOT by B. burgdorferi has led to uncertainty and confusion in the literature, causing misconceptions that may have public health consequences. In this report, we review the published information implicating B. burgdorferi as a bacterium transovarially transmitted among ticks of the Ixodes persulcatus group and present new data indicating the transovarially transmitted agent is actually Borrelia miyamotoi. B. miyamotoi, first described in 1995, is antigenically and phylogenetically related to B. burgdorferi, although more closely related to the relapsing fever-group Borrelia typically transmitted by soft ticks (Argasidae). Borrelia infections of unfed larvae derived from egg clutches of wild-caught Ixodes scapularis are demonstrated to result from transovarial transmission of B. miyamotoi, not B. burgdorferi. The presence of this second Borrelia species, apparently sympatric with B. burgdorferi worldwide also may explain other confusing observations reported on Borrelia/Ixodes relationships.
Collapse
|
37
|
Pepin KM, Eisen RJ, Mead PS, Piesman J, Fish D, Hoen AG, Barbour AG, Hamer S, Diuk-Wasser MA. Geographic variation in the relationship between human Lyme disease incidence and density of infected host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs in the Eastern United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 86:1062-71. [PMID: 22665620 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention and control of Lyme disease is difficult because of the complex biology of the pathogen's (Borrelia burgdorferi) vector (Ixodes scapularis) and multiple reservoir hosts with varying degrees of competence. Cost-effective implementation of tick- and host-targeted control methods requires an understanding of the relationship between pathogen prevalence in nymphs, nymph abundance, and incidence of human cases of Lyme disease. We quantified the relationship between estimated acarological risk and human incidence using county-level human case data and nymphal prevalence data from field-derived estimates in 36 eastern states. The estimated density of infected nymphs (mDIN) was significantly correlated with human incidence (r = 0.69). The relationship was strongest in high-prevalence areas, but it varied by region and state, partly because of the distribution of B. burgdorferi genotypes. More information is needed in several high-prevalence states before DIN can be used for cost-effectiveness analyses.
Collapse
|
38
|
De Cossart L, Fish D. Surgical wisdom ( Br J Surg 2012; 99: 3–5). Br J Surg 2012; 99:739; author reply 739. [DOI: 10.1002/bjs.8771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
39
|
Platonov AE, Karan LS, Kolyasnikova NM, Makhneva NA, Toporkova MG, Maleev VV, Fish D, Krause PJ. Humans infected with relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi, Russia. Emerg Infect Dis 2012; 17:1816-23. [PMID: 22000350 PMCID: PMC3310649 DOI: 10.3201/eid1710.101474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Disease may occur throughout the world because of the widespread prevalence of this pathogen in ixodid ticks. Borrelia miyamotoi is distantly related to B. burgdorferi and transmitted by the same hard-body tick species. We report 46 cases of B. miyamotoi infection in humans and compare the frequency and clinical manifestations of this infection with those caused by B. garinii and B. burgdorferi infection. All 46 patients lived in Russia and had influenza-like illness with fever as high as 39.5°C; relapsing febrile illness occurred in 5 (11%) and erythema migrans in 4 (9%). In Russia, the rate of B. miyamotoi infection in Ixodes persulcatus ticks was 1%–16%, similar to rates in I. ricinus ticks in western Europe and I. scapularis ticks in the United States. B. miyamotoi infection may cause relapsing fever and Lyme disease–like symptoms throughout the Holarctic region of the world because of the widespread prevalence of this pathogen in its ixodid tick vectors.
Collapse
|
40
|
Diuk-Wasser MA, Hoen AG, Cislo P, Brinkerhoff R, Hamer SA, Rowland M, Cortinas R, Vourc'h G, Melton F, Hickling GJ, Tsao JI, Bunikis J, Barbour AG, Kitron U, Piesman J, Fish D. Human risk of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, in eastern United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 86:320-7. [PMID: 22302869 PMCID: PMC3269287 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 10/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The geographic pattern of human risk for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the tick-borne pathogen that causes Lyme disease, was mapped for the eastern United States. The map is based on standardized field sampling in 304 sites of the density of Ixodes scapularis host-seeking nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi, which is closely associated with human infection risk. Risk factors for the presence and density of infected nymphs were used to model a continuous 8 km×8 km resolution predictive surface of human risk, including confidence intervals for each pixel. Discontinuous Lyme disease risk foci were identified in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with a transitional zone including sites with uninfected I. scapularis populations. Given frequent under- and over-diagnoses of Lyme disease, this map could act as a tool to guide surveillance, control, and prevention efforts and act as a baseline for studies tracking the spread of infection.
Collapse
|
41
|
Tsao K, Fish D, Galvani AP. Predicted outcomes of vaccinating wildlife to reduce human risk of Lyme disease. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:544-51. [PMID: 22251312 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccination efforts for Lyme disease prevention in humans have focused on wildlife reservoirs to target the causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, for elimination in vector ticks. Multiple host species are involved in the transmission and maintenance of the bacterium, but not all host species can be vaccinated effectively. To evaluate vaccinating a subset of hosts in the context of host-tick interactions, we constructed and evaluated a dynamic model of B. burgdorferi transmission in mice. Our analyses indicate that on average, a mouse-targeted vaccine is expected to proportionally reduce infection prevalence among ticks by 56%. However, relative to mouse vaccination, human risk of exposure is dominated by the number of tick bites received per person, the proportion of tick blood meals taken from the highly reservoir-competent white-footed mouse relative to other hosts, and the average number of tick bites per mouse. Variation in these factors reduces the predictability of vaccination outcomes. Additionally, contributions of nonmouse hosts to pathogen maintenance preclude elimination of B. burgdorferi through mouse vaccination alone. Our findings indicate that to increase the impact of wildlife vaccination, reducing tick populations by acaricide application, in addition to targeting additional reservoir-competent host species, should be employed.
Collapse
|
42
|
Margos G, Hojgaard A, Lane RS, Cornet M, Fingerle V, Rudenko N, Ogden N, Aanensen DM, Fish D, Piesman J. Multilocus sequence analysis of Borrelia bissettii strains from North America reveals a new Borrelia species, Borrelia kurtenbachii. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 1:151-8. [PMID: 21157575 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Using multilocus sequence analyses (MLSA), we investigated the phylogenetic relationship of spirochaete strains from North America previously assigned to the genospecies Borrelia bissettii. We amplified internal fragments of 8 housekeeping genes (clpA, clpX, nifS, pepX, pyrG, recG, rplB, and uvrA) located on the main linear chromosome by polymerase chain reaction. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of the 8 loci showed that the B. bissettii clade consisted of 4 closely related clusters which included strains from California (including the type strain DN127-Cl9-2/p7) and Colorado that were isolated from Ixodes pacificus, I. spinipalpis, or infected reservoir hosts. Several strains isolated from I. scapularis clustered distantly from B. bissettii. Genetic distance analyses confirmed that these strains are more distant to B. bissettii than they are to B. carolinensis, a recently described Borrelia species, which suggests that they constitute a new Borrelia genospecies. We propose that it be named Borrelia kurtenbachii sp. nov. in honour of the late Klaus Kurtenbach. The data suggest that ecological differences between B. bissettii and the new Borrelia genospecies reflect different transmission cycles. In view of these findings, the distinct vertebrate host-tick vector associations and the distributions of B. bissettii and B. kurtenbachii require further investigation.
Collapse
|
43
|
Margos G, Vollmer SA, Ogden NH, Fish D. Population genetics, taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2011; 11:1545-63. [PMID: 21843658 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2011] [Revised: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 07/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand the population structure and dynamics of bacterial microorganisms, typing systems that accurately reflect the phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship of the agents are required. Over the past 15 years multilocus sequence typing schemes have replaced single locus approaches, giving novel insights into phylogenetic and evolutionary relationships of many bacterial species and facilitating taxonomy. Since 2004, several schemes using multiple loci have been developed to better understand the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolution of Lyme borreliosis spirochetes and in this paper we have reviewed and summarized the progress that has been made for this important group of vector-borne zoonotic bacteria.
Collapse
|
44
|
Sarakbi W, Jones S, Mills P, Sever A, Weeks J, Fish D, Withington J, Jones P. In breast cancer, predicting which patients with macrometastasis in sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) have non SLN metastases is not possible. Eur J Surg Oncol 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2011.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
|
45
|
Neelakanta G, Sultana H, Fish D, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. Anaplasma phagocytophilum induces Ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold. J Clin Invest 2010; 120:3179-90. [PMID: 20739755 DOI: 10.1172/jci42868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the United States, Ixodes scapularis ticks overwinter in the Northeast and Upper Midwest and transmit the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, among other pathogens. We now show that the presence of A. phagocytophilum in I. scapularis ticks increases their ability to survive in the cold. We identified an I. scapularis antifreeze glycoprotein, designated IAFGP, and demonstrated via RNAi knockdown studies the importance of IAFGP for the survival of I. scapularis ticks in a cold environment. Transfection studies also show that IAFGP increased the viability of yeast cells subjected to cold temperature. Remarkably, A. phagocytophilum induced the expression of iafgp, thereby increasing the cold tolerance and survival of I. scapularis. These data define a molecular basis for symbiosis between a human pathogenic bacterium and its arthropod vector and delineate what we believe to be a new pathway that may be targeted to alter the life cycle of this microbe and its invertebrate host.
Collapse
|
46
|
Sultana H, Neelakanta G, Kantor FS, Malawista SE, Fish D, Montgomery RR, Fikrig E. Anaplasma phagocytophiluminduces actin phosphorylation to selectively regulate gene transcription in Ixodes scapularisticks. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 2010. [DOI: 10.1083/jcb1903oia8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
|
47
|
Ferguson HM, Dornhaus A, Beeche A, Borgemeister C, Gottlieb M, Mulla MS, Gimnig JE, Fish D, Killeen GF. Ecology: a prerequisite for malaria elimination and eradication. PLoS Med 2010; 7:e1000303. [PMID: 20689800 PMCID: PMC2914634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 239] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Gerry Killeen and colleagues argue that malaria eradication efforts will not be successful until a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mosquito vectors is gained.
Collapse
|
48
|
Sultana H, Neelakanta G, Kantor FS, Malawista SE, Fish D, Montgomery RR, Fikrig E. Anaplasma phagocytophilum induces actin phosphorylation to selectively regulate gene transcription in Ixodes scapularis ticks. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 207:1727-43. [PMID: 20660616 PMCID: PMC2916137 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20100276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis, persists in ticks and mammals. We show that A. phagocytophilum induces the phosphorylation of actin in an Ixodes ricinus tick cell line and Ixodes scapularis ticks, to alter the ratio of monomeric/filamentous (G/F) actin. A. phagocytophilum–induced actin phosphorylation was dependent on Ixodes p21-activated kinase (IPAK1)–mediated signaling. A. phagocytophilum stimulated IPAK1 activity via the G protein–coupled receptor Gβγ subunits, which mediated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) activation. Disruption of Ixodes gβγ, pi3k, and pak1 reduced actin phosphorylation and bacterial acquisition by ticks. A. phagocytophilum–induced actin phosphorylation resulted in increased nuclear G actin and phosphorylated actin. The latter, in association with RNA polymerase II (RNAPII), enhanced binding of TATA box–binding protein to RNAPII and selectively promoted expression of salp16, a gene crucial for A. phagocytophilum survival. These data define a mechanism that A. phagocytophilum uses to selectively alter arthropod gene expression for its benefit and suggest new strategies to interfere with the life cycle of this intracellular pathogen, and perhaps other Rickettsia-related microbes of medical importance.
Collapse
|
49
|
Karas JA, Enoch DA, Fish D, Foweraker JE. Vancomycin susceptibility of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia isolates from two UK hospitals over a decade. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2010; 36:189-90. [PMID: 20451354 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2010] [Revised: 03/16/2010] [Accepted: 03/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
50
|
Pérez de León AA, Strickman DA, Knowles DP, Fish D, Thacker E, de la Fuente J, Krause PJ, Wikel SK, Miller RS, Wagner GG, Almazán C, Hillman R, Messenger MT, Ugstad PO, Duhaime RA, Teel PD, Ortega-Santos A, Hewitt DG, Bowers EJ, Bent SJ, Cochran MH, McElwain TF, Scoles GA, Suarez CE, Davey R, Howell Freeman JM, Lohmeyer K, Li AY, Guerrero FD, Kammlah DM, Phillips P, Pound JM. One Health approach to identify research needs in bovine and human babesioses: workshop report. Parasit Vectors 2010; 3:36. [PMID: 20377902 PMCID: PMC2859369 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-3-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia are emerging health threats to humans and animals in the United States. A collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment, otherwise known as the One Health concept, was taken during a research workshop held in April 2009 to identify gaps in scientific knowledge regarding babesioses. The impetus for this analysis was the increased risk for outbreaks of bovine babesiosis, also known as Texas cattle fever, associated with the re-infestation of the U.S. by cattle fever ticks. RESULTS The involvement of wildlife in the ecology of cattle fever ticks jeopardizes the ability of state and federal agencies to keep the national herd free of Texas cattle fever. Similarly, there has been a progressive increase in the number of cases of human babesiosis over the past 25 years due to an increase in the white-tailed deer population. Human babesiosis due to cattle-associated Babesia divergens and Babesia divergens-like organisms have begun to appear in residents of the United States. Research needs for human and bovine babesioses were identified and are presented herein. CONCLUSIONS The translation of this research is expected to provide veterinary and public health systems with the tools to mitigate the impact of bovine and human babesioses. However, economic, political, and social commitments are urgently required, including increased national funding for animal and human Babesia research, to prevent the re-establishment of cattle fever ticks and the increasing problem of human babesiosis in the United States.
Collapse
|