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Middleton J, Cooper I, Rott AS. Tick hazard in the South Downs National Park (UK): species, distribution, key locations for future interventions, site density, habitats. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17483. [PMID: 38881864 PMCID: PMC11179636 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background South Downs National Park (SDNP) is UK's most visited National Park, and a focus of tick-borne Lyme disease. The first presumed UK autochthonous cases of tick-borne encephalitis and babesiosis were recorded in 2019-20. SDNP aims to conserve wildlife and encourage recreation, so interventions are needed that reduce hazard without negatively affecting ecosystem health. To be successful these require knowledge of site hazards. Methods British Deer Society members submitted ticks removed from deer. Key potential intervention sites were selected and six 50 m2 transects drag-sampled per site (mostly twice yearly for 2 years). Ticks were identified in-lab (sex, life stage, species), hazard measured as tick presence, density of ticks (all life stages, DOT), and density of nymphs (DON). Sites and habitat types were analysed for association with hazard. Distribution was mapped by combining our results with records from five other sources. Results A total of 87 Ixodes ricinus (all but one adults, 82% F) were removed from 14 deer (10 Dama dama; three Capreolus capreolus; one not recorded; tick burden, 1-35) at 12 locations (commonly woodland). Five key potential intervention sites were identified and drag-sampled 2015-16, collecting 623 ticks (238 on-transects): 53.8% nymphs, 42.5% larvae, 3.7% adults (13 M, 10 F). Ticks were present on-transects at all sites: I. ricinus at three (The Mens (TM); Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP); Cowdray Estate (CE)), Haemaphysalis punctata at two (Seven Sisters Country Park (SSCP); Ditchling Beacon Nature Reserve (DBNR)). TM had the highest DOT at 30/300 m2 (DON = 30/300 m2), followed by QECP 22/300 m2 (12/300 m2), CE 8/300 m2 (6/300 m2), and SSCP 1/300 m2 (1/300 m2). For I. ricinus, nymphs predominated in spring, larvae in the second half of summer and early autumn. The overall ranking of site hazard held for DON and DOT from both seasonal sampling periods. DBNR was sampled 2016 only (one adult H. punctata collected). Woodland had significantly greater hazard than downland, but ticks were present at all downland sites. I. ricinus has been identified in 33/37 of SDNPs 10 km2 grid squares, Ixodes hexagonus 10/37, H. punctata 7/37, Dermacentor reticulatus 1/37. Conclusions Mapping shows tick hazard broadly distributed across SDNP. I. ricinus was most common, but H. punctata's seeming range expansion is concerning. Recommendations: management of small heavily visited high hazard plots (QECP); post-visit precaution signage (all sites); repellent impregnated clothing for deerstalkers; flock trials to control H. punctata (SSCP, DBNR). Further research at TM may contribute to knowledge on ecological dynamics underlying infection density and predator re-introduction/protection as public health interventions. Ecological research on H. punctata would aid control. SDNP Authority is ideally placed to link and champion policies to reduce hazard, whilst avoiding or reducing conflict between public health and ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Middleton
- Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
- Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Ian Cooper
- Centre for Precision Health and Translational Medicine; Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Devices, School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Anja S Rott
- Ecology, Conservation and Society Research and Enterprise Group, School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom
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Logan JJ, Knudby A, Leighton PA, Talbot B, McKay R, Ramsay T, Blanford JI, Ogden NH, Kulkarni MA. Ixodes scapularis density and Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence along a residential-woodland gradient in a region of emerging Lyme disease risk. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13107. [PMID: 38849451 PMCID: PMC11161484 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64085-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The environmental risk of Lyme disease, defined by the density of Ixodes scapularis ticks and their prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection, is increasing across the Ottawa, Ontario region, making this a unique location to explore the factors associated with environmental risk along a residential-woodland gradient. In this study, we collected I. scapularis ticks and trapped Peromyscus spp. mice, tested both for tick-borne pathogens, and monitored the intensity of foraging activity by deer in residential, woodland, and residential-woodland interface zones of four neighbourhoods. We constructed mixed-effect models to test for site-specific characteristics associated with densities of questing nymphal and adult ticks and the infection prevalence of nymphal and adult ticks. Compared to residential zones, we found a strong increasing gradient in tick density from interface to woodland zones, with 4 and 15 times as many nymphal ticks, respectively. Infection prevalence of nymphs and adults together was 15 to 24 times greater in non-residential zone habitats. Ecological site characteristics, including soil moisture, leaf litter depth, and understory density, were associated with variations in nymphal density and their infection prevalence. Our results suggest that high environmental risk bordering residential areas poses a concern for human-tick encounters, highlighting the need for targeted disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Logan
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Anders Knudby
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Roman McKay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tim Ramsay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Justine I Blanford
- Department of Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Dumas A, Bouchard C, Drapeau P, Lindsay LR, Ogden NH, Leighton PA. The risk of contact between visitors and Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks is associated with fine-scale landscape features in a southeastern Canadian nature park. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1180. [PMID: 38671429 PMCID: PMC11055428 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are emerging across temperate regions of the world, and, for some, links have been made between landscapes and emergence dynamics. For tick-borne diseases, public parks may be important exposure sites for people living in urbanized areas of North America and Europe. In most cases, we know more about the ecological processes that determine the hazard posed by ticks as disease vectors than we do about how human population exposure varies in urban natural parks. METHODS In this study, infrared counters were used to monitor visitor use of a public natural park in southern Quebec, Canada. A risk index representing the probability of encounters between humans and infected vectors was constructed. This was done by combining the intensity of visitor trail use and the density of infected nymphs obtained from field surveillance. Patterns of risk were examined using spatial cluster analysis. Digital forest data and park infrastructure data were then integrated using spatially explicit models to test whether encounter risk levels and its components vary with forest fragmentation indicators and proximity to park infrastructure. RESULTS Results suggest that, even at a very fine scales, certain landscape features and infrastructure can be predictors of risk levels. Both visitors and Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks concentrated in areas where forest cover was dominant, so there was a positive association between forest cover and the risk index. However, there were no associations between indicators of forest fragmentation and risk levels. Some high-risk clusters contributed disproportionately to the risk distribution in the park relative to their size. There were also two high-risk periods, one in early summer coinciding with peak nymphal activity, and one in early fall when park visitation was highest. CONCLUSIONS Here, we demonstrate the importance of integrating indicators of human behaviour visitation with tick distribution data to characterize risk patterns for tick-borne diseases in public natural areas. Indeed, understanding the environmental determinants of human-tick interactions will allow organisations to deploy more effective risk reduction interventions targeted at key locations and times, and improve the management of public health risks associated with tick-borne diseases in public spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Dumas
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Drapeau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Forest Research, Université du Québec À Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- One Health Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
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Guillot C, Aenishaenslin C, Acheson ES, Koffi J, Bouchard C, Leighton PA. Spatial multi-criteria decision analysis for the selection of sentinel regions in tick-borne disease surveillance. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:294. [PMID: 38267914 PMCID: PMC10809750 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17684-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The implementation of cost-effective surveillance systems is essential for tracking the emerging risk of tick-borne diseases. In Canada, where Lyme disease is a growing public health concern, a national sentinel surveillance network was designed to follow the epidemiological portrait of this tick-borne disease across the country. The surveillance network consists of sentinel regions, with active drag sampling carried out annually in all regions to assess the density of Ixodes spp. ticks and prevalence of various tick-borne pathogens in the tick population. The aim of the present study was to prioritize sentinel regions by integrating different spatial criteria relevant to the surveillance goals. METHODS We used spatially-explicit multi-criteria decision analyses (MCDA) to map priority areas for surveillance across Canada, and to evaluate different scenarios using sensitivity analyses. Results were shared with stakeholders to support their decision making for the selection of priority areas to survey during active surveillance activities. RESULTS Weights attributed to criteria by decision-makers were overall consistent. Sensitivity analyses showed that the population criterion had the most impact on rankings. Thirty-seven sentinel regions were identified across Canada using this systematic and transparent approach. CONCLUSION This novel application of spatial MCDA to surveillance network design favors inclusivity of nationwide partners. We propose that such an approach can support the standardized planning of spatial design of sentinel surveillance not only for vector-borne disease BDs, but more broadly for infectious disease surveillance where spatial design is an important component.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Guillot
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CRESP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - C Aenishaenslin
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CRESP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - E S Acheson
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Divisions, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - J Koffi
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Policy Integration and Zoonoses Division, Centre for Food-borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - C Bouchard
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Public Health Risk Sciences Divisions, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - P A Leighton
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CRESP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Bowser N, Bouchard C, Sautié Castellanos M, Baron G, Carabin H, Chuard P, Leighton P, Milord F, Richard L, Savage J, Tardy O, Aenishaenslin C. Self-reported tick exposure as an indicator of Lyme disease risk in an endemic region of Quebec, Canada. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102271. [PMID: 37866213 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease (LD) and other tick-borne diseases are emerging across Canada. Spatial and temporal LD risk is typically estimated using acarological surveillance and reported human cases, the former not considering human behavior leading to tick exposure and the latter occurring after infection. OBJECTIVES The primary objective was to explore, at the census subdivision level (CSD), the associations of self-reported tick exposure, alternative risk indicators (predicted tick density, eTick submissions, public health risk level), and ecological variables (Ixodes scapularis habitat suitability index and cumulative degree days > 0 °C) with incidence proportion of LD. A secondary objective was to explore which of these predictor variables were associated with self-reported tick exposure at the CSD level. METHODS Self-reported tick exposure was measured in a cross-sectional populational health survey conducted in 2018, among 10,790 respondents living in 116 CSDs of the Estrie region, Quebec, Canada. The number of reported LD cases per CSD in 2018 was obtained from the public health department. Generalized linear mixed-effets models accounting for spatial autocorrelation were built to fulfill the objectives. RESULTS Self-reported tick exposure ranged from 0.0 % to 61.5 % (median 8.9 %) and reported LD incidence rates ranged from 0 to 324 cases per 100,000 person-years, per CSD. A positive association was found between self-reported tick exposure and LD incidence proportion (ß = 0.08, CI = 0.04,0.11, p < 0.0001). The best-fit model included public health risk level (AIC: 144.2), followed by predicted tick density, ecological variables, self-reported tick exposure and eTick submissions (AIC: 158.4, 158.4, 160.4 and 170.1 respectively). Predicted tick density was the only significant predictor of self-reported tick exposure (ß = 0.83, CI = 0.16,1.50, p = 0.02). DISCUSSION This proof-of-concept study explores self-reported tick exposure as a potential indicator of LD risk using populational survey data. This approach may offer a low-cost and simple tool for evaluating LD risk and deserves further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Bowser
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada.
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Geneviève Baron
- Direction de la Santé Publique, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Québec, Canada; Département Des Sciences de la Santé Communautaire, Faculté de Médecine et Des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Hélène Carabin
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada; Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, École de santé publique de l'Université de Montréal, Canada
| | - Pierre Chuard
- Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Patrick Leighton
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada
| | - François Milord
- Département Des Sciences de la Santé Communautaire, Faculté de Médecine et Des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada; Institut national de santé publique du Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Lucie Richard
- Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Faculté des Sciences Infirmières, Université de Montréal, Canada
| | - Jade Savage
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Bishop's University, Canada
| | - Olivia Tardy
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Cécile Aenishaenslin
- Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP) de l'Université de Montréal et du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de Pathologie et de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Canada
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Keesing F, Tilley E, Mowry S, Adish S, Bremer W, Duerr S, Evans AS, Fischhoff IR, Keating F, Pendleton J, Pfister A, Teator M, Ostfeld RS. Spatial variation in risk for tick-borne diseases in residential areas of Dutchess County, New York. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293820. [PMID: 37943804 PMCID: PMC10635528 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Although human exposure to the ticks that transmit Lyme-disease bacteria is widely considered to occur around people's homes, most studies of variation in tick abundance and infection are undertaken outside residential areas. Consequently, the patterns of variation in risk of human exposure to tick-borne infections in these human-dominated landscapes are poorly understood. Here, we report the results of four years of sampling for tick abundance, tick infection, tick encounters, and tick-borne disease reports on residential properties nested within six neighborhoods in Dutchess County, New York, USA, an area of high incidence for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. All properties were within neighborhoods that had been randomly assigned as placebo controls in The Tick Project; hence, none were treated to reduce tick abundance during the period of investigation, providing a unique dataset of natural variation within and between neighborhoods. We estimated the abundance of host-seeking blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in three types of habitats on residential properties-forests, lawns, and gardens. In forest and lawn habitats, some neighborhoods had consistently higher tick abundance. Properties within neighborhoods also varied consistently between years, suggesting hot spots and cold spots occurring at a small (~ 1-hectare) spatial scale. Across neighborhoods, the abundance of nymphal ticks was explained by neither the amount of forest in that neighborhood, nor by the degree of forest fragmentation. The proportion of ticks infected with three common tick-borne pathogens did not differ significantly between neighborhoods. We observed no effect of tick abundance on human encounters with ticks, nor on either human or pet cases of tick-borne diseases. However, the number of encounters between ticks and outdoor pets in a neighborhood was negatively correlated with the abundance of questing ticks in that neighborhood. Our results reinforce the need to understand how human behavior and neglected ecological factors affect variation in human encounters with ticks and cases of tick-borne disease in residential settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Tilley
- Bard College, Annandale, NY, United States of America
| | - Stacy Mowry
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Sahar Adish
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - William Bremer
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Shannon Duerr
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrew S. Evans
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health, Dutchess County, NY, United States of America
| | - Ilya R. Fischhoff
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Fiona Keating
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Pendleton
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Ashley Pfister
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Marissa Teator
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
| | - Richard S. Ostfeld
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, United States of America
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Böhm S, Woudenberg T, Stark K, Böhmer MM, Katz K, Kuhnert R, Schlaud M, Wilking H, Fingerle V. Seroprevalence, seroconversion and seroreversion of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG antibodies in two population-based studies in children and adolescents, Germany, 2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2017. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200855. [PMID: 37616114 PMCID: PMC10451011 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.34.2200855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundLyme borreliosis (LB), caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), is the most common tick-borne infection in Germany. Antibodies against Bb are prevalent in the general population but information on temporal changes of prevalence and estimates of seroconversion (seroincidence) and seroreversion are lacking, especially for children and adolescents.AimWe aimed at assessing antibodies against Bb and factors associated with seropositivity in children and adolescents in Germany.MethodsWe estimated seroprevalence via two consecutive cross-sectional surveys (2003-2006 and 2014-2017). Based on a longitudinal survey component, we estimated annual seroconversion/seroreversion rates.ResultsSeroprevalence was 4.4% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.9-4.9%) from 2003 to 2006 and 4.1% (95% CI: 3.2-5.1%) from 2014 to 2017. Seroprevalence increased with age, was higher in male children, the south-eastern regions of Germany and among those with a high socioeconomic status. The annual seroconversion rate was 0.3% and the annual seroreversion rate 3.9%. Males were more likely to seroconvert compared with females. Low antibody levels were the main predictor of seroreversion.ConclusionWe did not detect a change in seroprevalence in children and adolescents in Germany over a period of 11 years. Potential long-term changes, for example due to climatic changes, need to be assessed in consecutive serosurveys. Seroconversion was more likely among children and adolescents than among adults, representing a target group for preventive measures. Seroreversion rates are over twice as high in children and adolescents compared with previous studies among adults. Thus, seroprevalence estimates and seroconversion rates in children are likely underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Böhm
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- ECDC Fellowship Programme, Field Epidemiology Path (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom Woudenberg
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- ECDC Fellowship Programme, Field Epidemiology Path (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Analytics Unit, Department of Global Health, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Klaus Stark
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Merle M Böhmer
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Social Medicine and Health Systems Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Katz
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
| | - Ronny Kuhnert
- Department for Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Schlaud
- Department for Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hendrik Wilking
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share the last authorship
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Munich, Germany
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Oberschleißheim, Germany
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share the last authorship
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Westra S, Goldberg MS, Didan K. The association between the incidence of Lyme disease in the USA and indicators of greenness and land cover. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 4:100132. [PMID: 37520741 PMCID: PMC10373656 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne illness in the USA. Incidence is related to specific environmental conditions such as temperature, metrics of land cover, and vertebrate species diversity. To determine whether greenness, as measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and other selected indices of land cover were associated with the incidence of LD in the northeastern USA for the years 2000-2018, we conducted an ecological analysis of incidence rates of LD in counties of 15 "high" incidence states and the District of Columbia for 2000-2018. Annual counts of LD by county were obtained from the US Centers for Disease Control and values of NDVI were acquired from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard Terra and Aqua Satellites. County-specific values of human population density, area of land and water were obtained from the US Census. Using quasi-Poisson regression, multivariable associations were estimated between the incidence of LD, NDVI, land cover variables, human population density, and calendar year. We found that LD incidence increased by 7.1% per year (95% confidence interval: 6.8-8.2%). Land cover variables showed complex non-linear associations with incidence: average county-specific NDVI showed a "u-shaped" association, the standard deviation of NDVI showed a monotonic upward relationship, population density showed a decreasing trend, areas of land and water showed "n-shaped" relationships. We found an interaction between average and standard deviation of NDVI, with the highest average NDVI category; increased standard deviation of NDVI showed the greatest increase in rates. These associations cannot be interpreted as causal but indicate that certain patterns of land cover may have the potential to increase exposure to infected ticks and thereby may contribute indirectly to increased rates of LD. Public health interventions could make use of these results in informing people where risks may be high.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney Westra
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mark S. Goldberg
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kamel Didan
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Remote Sensing / Spatial Analysis – GIDP Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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9
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Ma Y, Kalantari Z, Destouni G. Infectious Disease Sensitivity to Climate and Other Driver-Pressure Changes: Research Effort and Gaps for Lyme Disease and Cryptosporidiosis. GEOHEALTH 2023; 7:e2022GH000760. [PMID: 37303696 PMCID: PMC10251199 DOI: 10.1029/2022gh000760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate sensitivity of infectious diseases is discussed in many studies. A quantitative basis for distinguishing and predicting the disease impacts of climate and other environmental and anthropogenic driver-pressure changes, however, is often lacking. To assess research effort and identify possible key gaps that can guide further research, we here apply a scoping review approach to two widespread infectious diseases: Lyme disease (LD) as a vector-borne and cryptosporidiosis as a water-borne disease. Based on the emerging publication data, we further structure and quantitatively assess the driver-pressure foci and interlinkages considered in the published research so far. This shows important research gaps for the roles of rarely investigated water-related and socioeconomic factors for LD, and land-related factors for cryptosporidiosis. For both diseases, the interactions of host and parasite communities with climate and other driver-pressure factors are understudied, as are also important world regions relative to the disease geographies; in particular, Asia and Africa emerge as main geographic gaps for LD and cryptosporidiosis research, respectively. The scoping approach developed and gaps identified in this study should be useful for further assessment and guidance of research on infectious disease sensitivity to climate and other environmental and anthropogenic changes around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Ma
- Department of Physical GeographyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Z. Kalantari
- Department of Physical GeographyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Department of Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironmental Science and Engineering (SEED)KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - G. Destouni
- Department of Physical GeographyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
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10
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Peralbo-Moreno A, Baz-Flores S, Cuadrado-Matías R, Barroso P, Triguero-Ocaña R, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Herraiz C, Ruiz-Rodríguez C, Acevedo P, Ruiz-Fons F. Environmental factors driving fine-scale ixodid tick abundance patterns. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158633. [PMID: 36084775 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean environments, limiting the possibilities for designing efficient tick control strategies. With the goal of unravelling tick abundance determinants and informing new tick management strategies, we estimated tick burdens on 1965 wild ungulates in Doñana National Park, Spain, annually between 2010 and 2020. Under the hypothesis of a predominant host influence on tick abundance, we modelled the burdens of Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, and Ixodes ricinus with relevant predictors grouped into four factors: i) environment; ii) host population; iii) host individual; and iv) land-use. Generalized linear mixed models with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution were built. Additionally, we analysed the differential contribution to abundance of each factor by deviance partitioning. We finally estimated the similarity in the environmental space of tick species by analysing their niche overlap with the environmental principal component analysis method. Our work hypothesis was confirmed for R. annulatus and H. lusitanicum, but we found that tick abundance at a fine spatial scale is jointly driven by multiple drivers, including all four factors considered in this study. This result points out that understanding the demography of ticks is a complex multifactorial issue, even at small spatial scales. We found no niche differences between the three tick species at the study spatial scale, thus showing similar host and environmental dependencies. Overall results identify that host aggregation areas displaying environmentally favourable traits for ticks are relevant tick and vector-borne pathogen transmission hotspots. Our findings will facilitate the design of new strategies to reduce the negative effects of tick parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Baz-Flores
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Patricia Barroso
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Roxana Triguero-Ocaña
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; Animal Health and Zoonoses Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cesar Herraiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carmen Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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11
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Kumareswaran K, Jayasinghe GY. Systematic review on ensuring the global food security and covid-19 pandemic resilient food systems: towards accomplishing sustainable development goals targets. DISCOVER SUSTAINABILITY 2022; 3:29. [PMID: 36258888 PMCID: PMC9561052 DOI: 10.1007/s43621-022-00096-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Covid-19, one of the most critical and widespread global pandemics, has resulted in extraordinary risk corollaries engulfing millions of people's lives and has caused an unprecedented economic downturn while amplifying food insecurity. A systematic review of 132 scientific communications was performed over a 15-year period, using articles from the ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases (2006-2021). In addition, 24 policy briefs, country papers, and publications from the UN, WHO, FAO, and OECD were cited. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of existing literature on the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on agricultural food systems, as well as potential strategies for building robust, resilient, and sustainable food systems to ensure global food security, safety, and endeavors regarding future global emergencies, as well as new research policies while achieving SDG targets. This would fill a research gap while also having long-term implications for health, agricultural, and food resilience policy development in a rapidly changing world. Covid-19 demonstrates how human, animal, and environmental health are all interconnected, emphasizing the need for one health legislation and a paradigm shift in planetary health. Furthermore, it identifies potential mechanisms for rebuilding better systems by shifting priorities toward policy coherence, innovative food system governance, re-engineering market access, and nexus thinking in the food system approach. According to our findings, the COVID-19 posed unavoidable impediments to achieving SDG targets for food security and household poverty. Graphical abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerththana Kumareswaran
- Department of Agric. Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka
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12
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Adamo SA, El Nabbout A, Ferguson LV, Zbarsky JS, Faraone N. Balsam fir (Abies balsamea) needles and their essential oil kill overwintering ticks (Ixodes scapularis) at cold temperatures. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12999. [PMID: 35906288 PMCID: PMC9338056 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15164-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, vectors Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium that causes Lyme Disease. Although synthetic pesticides can reduce tick numbers, there are concerns about their potential effects on beneficial insects, such as pollinators. Plant-based pest control agents such as essential oils could provide an alternative because they have low environmental persistency; however, these products struggle to provide effective control. We found a new natural acaricide, balsam fir (Abies balsamea) needles, that kill overwintering I. scapularis ticks. We extracted the essential oil from the needles, analyzed its chemical composition, and tested it for acaricidal activity. We placed ticks in tubes with substrate and positioned the tubes either in the field or in incubators simulating winter temperatures. We added balsam fir essential oil, or one of the main components of balsam fir essential oil (i.e., ß-pinene), to each tube. We found that both the oil and ß-pinene kill overwintering ticks. Whole balsam fir needles require several weeks to kill overwintering ticks, while the essential oil is lethal within days at low temperatures (≤ 4 °C). Further, low temperatures increased the efficacy of this volatile essential oil. Higher temperatures (i.e., 20 °C) reduce the acaricidal effectiveness of the essential oil by 50% at 0.1% v/v. Low temperatures may promote the effectiveness of other natural control products. Winter is an overlooked season for tick control and should be explored as a possible time for the application of low toxicity products for successful tick management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley A Adamo
- Department Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H3X5, Canada.
| | - Amal El Nabbout
- Department Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H3X5, Canada
| | - Laura V Ferguson
- Department Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H3X5, Canada
- Department Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S Zbarsky
- Department Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H3X5, Canada
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13
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Effect of Land-Use Change on the Changes in Human Lyme Risk in the United States. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14105802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The spatial extent and incidence of Lyme disease is increasing in the United States, particularly in the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Many previous studies have explored the drivers of its spatial pattern, however, few studies tried to explore the drivers for the changes of Lyme disease. We here compared the spatial patterns of changes of human Lyme cases and incidence in the Northeast and Upper Midwest between 2003–2005 and 2015–2017, and applied two different approaches (i.e., a statistical regularization approach and model averaging) to investigate the climatic and landscape factors affecting the risk change between the two periods. Our results suggested that changes in land-use variables generally showed different relationships with changes of human Lyme risk between the two regions. Changes of variables related to human-use areas showed opposite correlations in two regions. Besides, forest area and forest edge density generally negatively correlated with the change of human Lyme risk. In the context of ongoing habitat change, we consider this study may provide new insight into understanding the responses of human Lyme disease to these changes, and contribute to a better prediction in the future.
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14
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The evolving story of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato transmission in Europe. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:781-803. [PMID: 35122516 PMCID: PMC8816687 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07445-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Beside mosquitoes, ticks are well-known vectors of different human pathogens. In the Northern Hemisphere, Lyme borreliosis (Eurasia, LB) or Lyme disease (North America, LD) is the most commonly occurring vector-borne infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Borrelia which are transmitted by hard ticks of the genus Ixodes. The reported incidence of LB in Europe is about 22.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually with a broad range depending on the geographical area analyzed. However, the epidemiological data are largely incomplete, because LB is not notifiable in all European countries. Furthermore, not only differ reporting procedures between countries, there is also variation in case definitions and diagnostic procedures. Lyme borreliosis is caused by several species of the Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex which are maintained in complex networks including ixodid ticks and different reservoir hosts. Vector and host influence each other and are affected by multiple factors including climate that have a major impact on their habitats and ecology. To classify factors that influence the risk of transmission of B. burgdorferi s.l. to their different vertebrate hosts as well as to humans, we briefly summarize the current knowledge about the pathogens including their astonishing ability to overcome various host immune responses, regarding the main vector in Europe Ixodes ricinus, and the disease caused by borreliae. The research shows, that a higher standardization of case definition, diagnostic procedures, and standardized, long-term surveillance systems across Europe is necessary to improve clinical and epidemiological data.
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15
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Hansford KM, Wheeler BW, Tschirren B, Medlock JM. Questing Ixodes ricinus ticks and Borrelia spp. in urban green space across Europe: A review. Zoonoses Public Health 2022; 69:153-166. [PMID: 35122422 PMCID: PMC9487987 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
For more than three decades, it has been recognized that Ixodes ricinus ticks occur in urban green space in Europe and that they harbour multiple pathogens linked to both human and animal diseases. Urban green space use for health and well‐being, climate mitigation or biodiversity goals is promoted, often without consideration for the potential impact on tick encounters or tick‐borne disease outcomes. This review synthesizes the results of over 100 publications on questing I. ricinus and Borrelia spp. infections in ticks in urban green space in 24 European countries. It presents data on several risk indicators for Lyme borreliosis and highlights key research gaps and recommendations for future studies. Across Europe, mean density of I. ricinus in urban green space was 6.9 (range; 0.1–28.8) per 100 m2 and mean Borrelia prevalence was 17.3% (range; 3.1%–38.1%). Similar density estimates were obtained for nymphs, which had a Borrelia prevalence of 14.2% (range; 0.5%–86.7%). Few studies provided data on both questing nymph density and Borrelia prevalence, but those that did found an average of 1.7 (range; 0–5.6) Borrelia‐infected nymphs per 100 m2 of urban green space. Although a wide range of genospecies were reported, Borrelia afzelii was the most common in most parts of Europe, except for England where B. garinii was more common. The emerging pathogen Borrelia miyamotoi was also found in several countries, but with a much lower prevalence (1.5%). Our review highlights that I. ricinus and tick‐borne Borrelia pathogens are found in a wide range of urban green space habitats and across several seasons. The impact of human exposure to I. ricinus and subsequent Lyme borreliosis incidence in urban green space has not been quantified. There is also a need to standardize sampling protocols to generate better baseline data for the density of ticks and Borrelia prevalence in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh M Hansford
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.,European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
| | - Benedict W Wheeler
- European Centre for Environment & Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Truro, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
| | | | - Jolyon M Medlock
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Change & Health, Public Health England, Porton Down, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging & Zoonotic Infections, Public Health England, Porton Down, UK
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16
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Curriero FC, Wychgram C, Rebman AW, Corrigan AE, Kvit A, Shields T, Aucott JN. The Lyme and Tickborne Disease Dashboard: A map-based resource to promote public health awareness and research collaboration. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260122. [PMID: 34851988 PMCID: PMC8635336 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
With the incidence of Lyme and other tickborne diseases on the rise in the US and globally, there is a critical need for data-driven tools that communicate the magnitude of this problem and help guide public health responses. We present the Johns Hopkins Lyme and Tickborne Disease Dashboard (https://www.hopkinslymetracker.org/), a new tool that harnesses the power of geography to raise awareness and fuel research and scientific collaboration. The dashboard is unique in applying a geographic lens to tickborne diseases, aiming not only to become a global tracker of tickborne diseases but also to contextualize their complicated geography with a comprehensive set of maps and spatial data sets representing a One Health approach. We share our experience designing and implementing the dashboard, describe the main features, and discuss current limitations and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank C. Curriero
- Department of Epidemiology, Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cara Wychgram
- Department of Epidemiology, Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alison W. Rebman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anne E. Corrigan
- Department of Epidemiology, Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anton Kvit
- Department of Epidemiology, Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Timothy Shields
- Department of Epidemiology, Spatial Science for Public Health Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John N. Aucott
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Lyme Disease Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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17
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Urban woodland habitat is important for tick presence and density in a city in England. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101857. [PMID: 34763308 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Urban green spaces provide an opportunity for contact between members of the public and ticks infected with pathogens. Understanding tick distribution within these areas and the drivers for increased tick density or Borrelia infection are important from a risk management perspective. This study aimed to generate data on tick presence, nymph density and Borrelia infection across a range of urban green space habitats, in order to identify those that may potentially present a higher risk of Lyme borreliosis to members of the public. Several sites were visited across the English city of Bath during 2015 and 2016. Tick presence was confirmed in all habitats surveyed, with increased likelihood in woodland and woodland edge. Highest nymph densities were also reported in these habitats, along with grassland during one of the sampling years. Adult ticks were more likely to be infected compared to nymphs, and the highest densities of infected nymphs were associated with woodland edge habitat. In addition to Lyme borreliosis causing Borrelia genospecies, Borrelia miyamotoi was also detected at several sites. This study adds to the growing evidence that urban green space habitats present a public health risk from tick bites, and this has implications for many policy areas including health and wellbeing, climate adaptation and urban green space planning.
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18
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Mathisson DC, Kross SM, Palmer MI, Diuk-Wasser MA. Effect of Vegetation on the Abundance of Tick Vectors in the Northeastern United States: A Review of the Literature. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:2030-2037. [PMID: 34080018 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne illnesses have been on the rise in the United States, with reported cases up sharply in the past two decades. In this literature review, we synthesize the available research on the relationship between vegetation and tick abundance for four tick species in the northeastern United States that are of potential medical importance to humans. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) is found to be positively associated with closed canopy forests and dense vegetation thickets, and negatively associated with open canopy environments, such as grasslands or old agricultural fields. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) has little habitat overlap with I. scapularis, with abundance highest in grasses and open-canopy fields. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) (Linnaeus; Acari: Ixodidae) is a habitat generalist without consistent associations with particular types of vegetation. The habitat associations of the recently introduced Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) (Neumann; Acari: Ixodidae) in the northeastern United States, and in other regions where it has invaded, are still unknown, although based on studies in its native range, it is likely to be found in grasslands and open-canopy habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mathisson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara M Kross
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew I Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Dumas A, Bouchard C, Lindsay LR, Ogden NH, Leighton PA. Fine-scale determinants of the spatiotemporal distribution of Ixodes scapularis in Quebec (Canada). Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101833. [PMID: 34600416 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The tick vector of Lyme disease, Ixodes scapularis, is currently expanding its geographical distribution northward into southern Canada driving emergence of Lyme disease in the region. Despite large-scale studies that attributed different factors such as climate change and changes in land use to the geographical expansion of the tick, a comprehensive understanding of local patterns of tick abundance is still lacking in that region. Using a newly endemic periurban nature park located in Quebec (Canada) as a model, we explored intra-habitat patterns in tick distribution and their relationship with biotic and abiotic factors. We verified the hypotheses that (1) there is spatial heterogeneity in tick densities at the scale of the park and (2) these patterns can be explained by host availability, habitat characteristics and microclimatic conditions. During tick activity season in three consecutive years, tick, deer, rodent and bird abundance, as well as habitat characteristics and microclimatic conditions, were estimated at thirty-two sites. Patterns of tick distribution and abundance were investigated by spatial analysis. Generalised additive mixed models were constructed for each developmental stage of the tick and the relative importance of significant drivers on tick abundance were derived from final models. We found fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in densities of all tick stages across the park, with interannual variability in the location of hotspots. For all stages, the local density was related to the density of the previous stage in the previous season, in keeping with the tick's life cycle. Adult tick density was highest where drainage was moderate (neither waterlogged nor dry). Microclimatic conditions influenced the densities of immature ticks, through the effects of weather at the time of tick sampling (ambient temperature and relative humidity) and of the seasonal microclimate at the site level (degree-days and number of tick adverse moisture events). Seasonal phenology patterns were generally consistent with expected curves for the region, with exceptions in some years that may be attributable to founder events. This study highlights fine scale patterns of tick population dynamics thus providing fundamental knowledge in Lyme disease ecology and information applicable to the development of well-targeted prevention and control strategies for public natural areas affected by this growing problem in southern Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Dumas
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada; Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
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20
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Diuk-Wasser MA, VanAcker MC, Fernandez MP. Impact of Land Use Changes and Habitat Fragmentation on the Eco-epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1546-1564. [PMID: 33095859 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent decades and accounts for the majority of vector-borne disease cases in temperate areas of Europe, North America, and Asia. This emergence has been attributed to multiple and interactive drivers including changes in climate, land use, abundance of key hosts, and people's behaviors affecting the probability of human exposure to infected ticks. In this forum paper, we focus on how land use changes have shaped the eco-epidemiology of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens, in particular the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern United States. We use this as a model system, addressing other tick-borne disease systems as needed to illustrate patterns or processes. We first examine how land use interacts with abiotic conditions (microclimate) and biotic factors (e.g., host community composition) to influence the enzootic hazard, measured as the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. We then review the evidence of how specific landscape configuration, in particular forest fragmentation, influences the enzootic hazard and disease risk across spatial scales and urbanization levels. We emphasize the need for a dynamic understanding of landscapes based on tick and pathogen host movement and habitat use in relation to human resource provisioning. We propose a coupled natural-human systems framework for tick-borne diseases that accounts for the multiple interactions, nonlinearities and feedbacks in the system and conclude with a call for standardization of methodology and terminology to help integrate studies conducted at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
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21
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Hart TM, Dupuis AP, Tufts DM, Blom AM, Starkey SR, Rego ROM, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Kramer LD, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34324600 PMCID: PMC8354441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Simon R. Starkey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Institute for Genomic Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
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22
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Yang X, Gao Z, Wang L, Xiao L, Dong N, Wu H, Li S. Projecting the potential distribution of ticks in China under climate and land use change. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:749-759. [PMID: 33798559 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are known as vectors of several pathogens causing various human and animal diseases including Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. While China is known to have more than 100 tick species well distributed over the country, our knowledge on the likely distribution of ticks in the future remains very limited, which hinders the prevention and control of the risk of tick-borne diseases. In this study, we selected four representative tick species which have different regional distribution foci in mainland China. i.e., Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor silvarum, Haemaphysalis longicornis and Ixodes granulatus. We used the MaxEnt model to identify the key environmental factors of tick occurrence and map their potential distributions in 2050 under four combined climate and socioeconomic scenarios (i.e., SSP1-RCP2.6, SSP2-RCP4.5, SSP3-RCP7.0 and SSP5-RCP8.5). We found that the extent of the urban fabric, cropland and forest, temperature annual range and precipitation of the driest month were the main determinants of the potential distributions of the four tick species. Under the combined scenarios, with climate warming, the potential distributions of ticks shifted to further north in China. Due to a decrease in the extent of forest, the distribution probability of ticks declined in central and southern China. In contrast with previous findings on an estimated amplification of tick distribution probability under the extreme emission scenario (RCP8.5), our studies projected an overall reduction in the distribution probability under RCP8.5, owing to an expected effect of land use. Our results could provide new data to help identify the emerging risk areas, with amplifying suitability for tick occurrence, for the prevention and control of tick-borne zoonoses in mainland China. Future directions are suggested towards improved quantity and quality of the tick occurrence database, comprehensiveness of factors and integration of different modelling approaches, and capability to model pathogen spillover at the human-tick interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zheng Gao
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Luqi Wang
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lingjun Xiao
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Na Dong
- School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Hongjuan Wu
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Sen Li
- College of Environment Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430070, China; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford OX10 8BB, UK; Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
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23
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Couper LI, MacDonald AJ, Mordecai EA. Impact of prior and projected climate change on US Lyme disease incidence. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:738-754. [PMID: 33150704 PMCID: PMC7855786 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in temperate zones and a growing public health threat in the United States (US). The life cycles of the tick vectors and spirochete pathogen are highly sensitive to climate, but determining the impact of climate change on Lyme disease burden has been challenging due to the complex ecology of the disease and the presence of multiple, interacting drivers of transmission. Here we incorporated 18 years of annual, county-level Lyme disease case data in a panel data statistical model to investigate prior effects of climate variation on disease incidence while controlling for other putative drivers. We then used these climate-disease relationships to project Lyme disease cases using CMIP5 global climate models and two potential climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). We find that interannual variation in Lyme disease incidence is associated with climate variation in all US regions encompassing the range of the primary vector species. In all regions, the climate predictors explained less of the variation in Lyme disease incidence than unobserved county-level heterogeneity, but the strongest climate-disease association detected was between warming annual temperatures and increasing incidence in the Northeast. Lyme disease projections indicate that cases in the Northeast will increase significantly by 2050 (23,619 ± 21,607 additional cases), but only under RCP8.5, and with large uncertainty around this projected increase. Significant case changes are not projected for any other region under either climate scenario. The results demonstrate a regionally variable and nuanced relationship between climate change and Lyme disease, indicating possible nonlinear responses of vector ticks and transmission dynamics to projected climate change. Moreover, our results highlight the need for improved preparedness and public health interventions in endemic regions to minimize the impact of further climate change-induced increases in Lyme disease burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa I Couper
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J MacDonald
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Erin A Mordecai
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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24
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Song R, Ma Y, Hu Z, Li Y, Li M, Wu L, Li C, Dao E, Fan X, Hao Y, Bayin C. MaxEnt Modeling of Dermacentor marginatus (Acari: Ixodidae) Distribution in Xinjiang, China. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:1659-1667. [PMID: 32359141 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dermacentor marginatus Sulkzer is a common tick species found in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, and is a vector for a variety of pathogens. To determine the potential distribution of this tick species in Xinjiang, a metadata containing 84 D. marginatus presence records combined with four localities from field collection were used for MaxEnt modeling to predict potential distribution of this tick species. Identification of tick samples showed 756 of 988 (76%) were D. marginatus. MaxEnt modeling results indicated that the potential distribution of this tick species was mainly confined to northern XUAR. Highly suitable areas included west side of Altay mountain, west rim of Junggar basin, and Yili River valley in the study area. The model showed an AUC value of 0.838 ± 0.063 (SD), based on 10-fold cross-validation. Although tick presence records used for modeling were limited, this is the first regional tick distribution model for D. marginatus in Xinjiang. The model will be helpful in assessing the risk of tick-borne diseases to human and animals in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Song
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Ying Ma
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zhengxiang Hu
- Bayingol Vocational and Technical College, Korla, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yingke Li
- College of Mathematics and Physics, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Min Li
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Lijiang Wu
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Caishan Li
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Erjiala Dao
- College of Science and Technology, Khovd State University, Khovd, Mongolia
| | - Xinli Fan
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yunwei Hao
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Chahan Bayin
- College of Veterinary, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
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25
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Hahn MB, Disler G, Durden LA, Coburn S, Witmer F, George W, Beckmen K, Gerlach R. Establishing a baseline for tick surveillance in Alaska: Tick collection records from 1909-2019. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101495. [PMID: 32723642 PMCID: PMC7447289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The expanding geographic ranges of tick species that are known pathogen vectors can have implications for human, domestic animal, and wildlife health. Although Alaska is home to several hard tick species, it has historically been outside of the range of the most common medically important ticks in the contiguous United States and western Canada. To assess the status of tick species establishment in the state and to provide a baseline for tracking future change in the distribution of ticks, we reviewed and compiled historical tick records and summarized recent tick occurrence records collected through the development of the Alaska Submit-A-Tick Program and through tick drag sampling at sentinel sites in southcentral Alaska. Between 1909-2019, there were 1190 tick records representing 4588 individual ticks across 15 species in Alaska. The majority of ticks were species historically found in Alaska: Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes angustus, Ixodes auritulus, Ixodes howelli, Ixodes signatus, and Ixodes uriae. Over half of all tick records in the state were collected in the last 10 yr. During this time, the number of tick records and the number of tick species recorded in Alaska each year has increased substantially. Between 2010-2019, there were 611 tick records representing 1921 individual ticks. The most common hosts for reported ticks were domestic animals (n = 343, 56 %) followed by small wild mammals (n = 147, 24 %), humans (n = 49, 8%), and wild birds (n = 31, 5%). Less than 5% of records (n = 25) were of unattached ticks found in the environment. Since 2007, non-native tick species have been documented in the state every year, including Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor andersoni, Dermacentor occidentalis, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes pacificus, Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes texanus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.). Almost half of the records (n = 68, 48 %) of non-native tick species from 2010 to 2019 represented ticks found on a host (usually a dog or a human) that had traveled outside of Alaska in the two weeks prior to collection. However, A. americanum, D. variabilis, I. pacificus, I. texanus, and R. sanguineus s.l. have been found on humans and domestic animals in Alaska without reported recent travel. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that there is local establishment of R. sanguineus s.l. in Alaska. A tick species historically found in the state, I. angustus was frequently found on human and dogs, suggesting a potential role as a bridge vector of pathogens. Given the inconsistency of tick monitoring in Alaska over the past century, it is difficult to draw many conclusions from temporal trends in the data. Continued monitoring through the Alaska Submit-A-Tick Program will allow a more accurate assessment of the changing risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the state and provide information for setting clinical and public health guidelines for tick-borne disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah B Hahn
- Institute for Circumpolar Health, University of Alaska-Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, BOC3 270, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, United States.
| | - Gale Disler
- Division of Population Health Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA 30458, United States.
| | - Sarah Coburn
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the State Veterinarian, 5251 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Anchorage, AK 99507, United States.
| | - Frank Witmer
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - William George
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - Kimberlee Beckmen
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Health and Disease, Surveillance Program, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701, United States.
| | - Robert Gerlach
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the State Veterinarian, 5251 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Anchorage, AK 99507, United States.
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26
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Okeyo M, Hepner S, Rollins RE, Hartberger C, Straubinger RK, Marosevic D, Bannister SA, Bormane A, Donaghy M, Sing A, Fingerle V, Margos G. Longitudinal study of prevalence and spatio-temporal distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks from three defined habitats in Latvia, 1999-2010. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:5033-5047. [PMID: 32452153 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) species complex are known to cause human Lyme borreliosis. Because of longevity of some reservoir hosts and the Ixodes tick vectors' life cycle, long-term studies are required to better understand species and population dynamics of these bacteria in their natural habitats. Ticks were collected between 1999 and 2010 in three ecologically different habitats in Latvia. We used multilocus sequence typing utilizing eight chromosomally located housekeeping genes to obtain information about species and population fluctuations and/or stability of B. burgdorferi s.l. in these habitats. The average prevalence over all years was 18.9%. From initial high-infection prevalences of 25.5%, 33.1% and 31.8%, from 2002 onwards the infection rates steadily decreased to 7.3%. Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii were the most commonly found genospecies but striking local differences were obvious. In one habitat, a significant shift from rodent-associated to bird-associated Borrelia species was noted whilst in the other habitats, Borrelia species composition was relatively stable over time. Sequence types (STs) showed a random spatial and temporal distribution. These results demonstrated that there are temporal regional changes and extrapolations from one habitat to the next are not possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Okeyo
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Sabrina Hepner
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Robert E Rollins
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christina Hartberger
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Reinhard K Straubinger
- Bacteriology and Mycology, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Veterinärstraße 13, 80539, Munich, Germany
| | - Durdica Marosevic
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | | | - Antra Bormane
- Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Immunization Unit, Duntes iela 22-4, Riga, LV-1005, Latvia
| | - Michael Donaghy
- Department of Clinical Neurology, Green Templeton College, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreas Sing
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Veterinärstr. 2, 85764, Oberschleissheim, Germany
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27
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Bisanzio D, Fernández MP, Martello E, Reithinger R, Diuk-Wasser MA. Current and Future Spatiotemporal Patterns of Lyme Disease Reporting in the Northeastern United States. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e200319. [PMID: 32125426 PMCID: PMC7054839 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.0319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The incidence and geographic range of Lyme disease continues to increase in the United States because of the expansion of Ixodes scapularis, the species of tick that is the main Lyme disease vector. Currently, no dynamic model for the disease spread exists that integrates information of both acarological and human case surveillance data. OBJECTIVE To characterize the spatiotemporal spread of Lyme disease in humans among counties in US endemic regions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study modeled the spread of Lyme disease county-level case reporting, accounting for county-level demographic factors, environmental factors associated with tick presence and human exposure, and the spatiotemporal association between counties. The analyses were conducted between January and August 2019. The setting was 1405 counties in the following regions of the United States: West North Central, East North Central, New England, Middle Atlantic, and the South. Assessments were based on publicly available Lyme disease case data reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between January 2000 and December 2017. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Probability of reporting the first case of Lyme disease by county by year. RESULTS Between 2000 and 2017, a total of 497 569 Lyme disease cases were reported to the CDC in the study area. Reporting a first case of Lyme disease was associated with a county's and county's neighbors' forest coverage, elevation, percentage of population living in the wildland-urban interface, tick presence, county's population size, proportion of neighbors reporting cases, and neighbors' years since first reporting. The model that included these variables showed high predictive power, with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 81.1 (95% CI, 68.5-86.2). The model predicted the first reported Lyme disease case a mean (SD) of 5.5 (3.5) years earlier than was reported to the CDC, with a mean spread velocity estimated at 27.4 (95% CI, 13.6-54.4) km per year. Among 162 counties without reported cases, 47 (29.0%) had a high probability of reporting Lyme disease by 2018. The estimated mean time lag between the first reported case in a neighboring county and any county was 7 (95% CI, 3-8) years. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study's findings suggest that, if updated regularly and expanded geographically, this predictive model could enable states and counties to develop more specific Lyme disease prevention and control plans, including improved sensitization of the general population and medical community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donal Bisanzio
- Global Health Division, International Development Group, RTI International, Washington, District of Columbia
- Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Maria P. Fernández
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Elisa Martello
- Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Reithinger
- Global Health Division, International Development Group, RTI International, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
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28
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Halsey SJ, Miller JR. Maintenance of
Borrelia burgdorferi
among vertebrate hosts: a test of dilution effect mechanisms. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Samniqueka J. Halsey
- School of Natural Resources University of Missouri‐Columbia 1111 E. Rollin Street Columbia Missouri 65201 USA
| | - James R. Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana Illinois USA
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29
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Dong Y, Huang Z, Zhang Y, Wang YX, La Y. Comparing the Climatic and Landscape Risk Factors for Lyme Disease Cases in the Upper Midwest and Northeast United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E1548. [PMID: 32121283 PMCID: PMC7084738 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease, recognized as one of the most important vector-borne diseases worldwide, has been increasing in incidence and spatial extend in United States. In the Northeast and Upper Midwest, Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis. Currently, many studies have been conducted to identify factors influencing Lyme disease risk in the Northeast, however, relatively few studies focused on the Upper Midwest. In this study, we explored and compared the climatic and landscape factors that shape the spatial patterns of human Lyme cases in these two regions, using the generalized linear mixed models. Our results showed that climatic variables generally had opposite correlations with Lyme disease risk, while landscape factors usually had similar effects in these two regions. High precipitation and low temperature were correlated with high Lyme disease risk in the Upper Midwest, while with low Lyme disease risk in the Northeast. In both regions, size and fragmentation related factors of residential area showed positive correlations with Lyme disease risk. Deciduous forests and evergreen forests had opposite effects on Lyme disease risk, but the effects were consistent between two regions. In general, this study provides new insight into understanding the differences of risk factors of human Lyme disease risk in these two regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Yingying X.G. Wang
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Yang La
- Medical College, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
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Simmons AE, Manges AB, Bharathan T, Tepe SL, McBride SE, DiLeonardo MQ, Duchamp JE, Simmons TW. Lyme Disease Risk of Exposure to Blacklegged Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) Infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in Pittsburgh Regional Parks. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:273-280. [PMID: 31502636 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness and sixth most commonly reported notifiable infectious disease in the United States. The majority of cases occur in the Northeast and upper-Midwest, and the number and geographic distribution of cases is steadily increasing. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say) is the principal vector of the Lyme disease spirochete (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto) in eastern North America. Although Lyme disease risk has been studied in residential and recreational settings across rural to urban landscapes including metropolitan areas, risk within U.S. cities has not been adequately evaluated despite the presence of natural and undeveloped public parkland where visitors could be exposed to B. burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis. We studied the occurrence of I. scapularis and infection prevalence of B. burgdorferi in four insular regional parks within the city of Pittsburgh to assess Lyme disease risk of exposure to infected adults and nymphs. We found that the density of I. scapularis adults (1.16 ± 0.21 ticks/100 m2) and nymphs (3.42 ± 0.45 ticks/100 m2), infection prevalence of B. burgdorferi in adults (51.9%) and nymphs (19.3%), and density of infected adults (0.60 ticks/100 m2) and nymphs (0.66 ticks/100 m2) are as high in these city parks as nonurban residential and recreational areas in the highly endemic coastal Northeast. These findings emphasize the need to reconsider, assess, and manage Lyme disease risk in greenspaces within cities, especially in high Lyme disease incidence states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison E Simmons
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | - Anna B Manges
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | - Tashi Bharathan
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | - Shannon L Tepe
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | - Sara E McBride
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | | | - Joseph E Duchamp
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
| | - Thomas W Simmons
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
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Moon KA, Pollak J, Poulsen MN, Hirsch AG, DeWalle J, Heaney CD, Aucott JN, Schwartz BS. Peridomestic and community-wide landscape risk factors for Lyme disease across a range of community contexts in Pennsylvania. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 178:108649. [PMID: 31465993 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Land use and forest fragmentation are thought to be major drivers of Lyme disease incidence and its geographic distribution. We examined the association between landscape composition and configuration and Lyme disease in a population-based case control study in the Geisinger health system in Pennsylvania. Lyme disease cases (n = 9657) were identified using a combination of diagnosis codes, laboratory codes, and antibiotic orders from electronic health records (EHRs). Controls (5:1) were randomly selected and frequency matched on year, age, and sex. We measured six landscape variables based on prior literature, derived from the National Land Cover Database and MODIS satellite imagery: greenness (normalized difference vegetation index), percent forest, percent herbaceous, forest edge density, percent forest-herbaceous edge, and mean forest patch size. We assigned landscape variables within two spatial contexts (community and ½-mile [805 m] Euclidian residential buffer). In models stratified by community type, landscape variables were modeled as tertiles and flexible splines and associations were adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates. In general, we observed positive associations between landscape metrics and Lyme disease, except for percent herbaceous, where associations differed by community type. For example, compared to the lowest tertile, individuals with highest tertile of greenness in residential buffers had higher odds of Lyme disease (odds ratio: 95% confidence interval [CI]) in townships (1.73: 1.55, 1.93), boroughs (1.70: 1.40, 2.07), and cities (3.71: 1.74, 7.92). Similarly, corresponding odds ratios (95% CI) for forest edge density were 1.34 (1.22, 1.47), 1.56 (1.33, 1.82), and 1.90 (1.13, 3.18). Associations were generally higher in residential buffers, compared to community, and in cities, compared to boroughs or townships. Our results reinforce the importance of peridomestic landscape in Lyme disease risk, particularly measures that reflect human interaction with tick habitat. Linkage of EHR data to public data on residential and community context may lead to new health system-based approaches for improving Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Moon
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Jonathan Pollak
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Melissa N Poulsen
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA.
| | - Annemarie G Hirsch
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA.
| | - Joseph DeWalle
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher D Heaney
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - John N Aucott
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Brian S Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Burtis JC, Yavitt JB, Fahey TJ, Ostfeld RS. Ticks as Soil-Dwelling Arthropods: An Intersection Between Disease and Soil Ecology. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:1555-1564. [PMID: 31318035 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are widespread vectors for many important medical and veterinary infections, and a better understanding of the factors that regulate their population dynamics is needed to reduce risk for humans, wildlife, and domestic animals. Most ticks, and all non-nidicolous tick species, spend only a small fraction of their lives associated with vertebrate hosts, with the remainder spent in or on soils and other substrates. Ecological studies of tick-borne disease dynamics have emphasized tick-host interactions, including host associations, burdens, and efficiencies of pathogen transmission, while under emphasizing tick biology during off-host periods. Our ability to predict spatiotemporal trends in tick-borne diseases requires more knowledge of soil ecosystems and their effect on host and tick populations. In this review, we focus on tick species of medical and veterinary concern and describe: 1) the relationships between soil factors and tick densities; 2) biotic and abiotic factors within the soil ecosystem that directly affect tick survival; 3) potential indirect effects on ticks mediated by soil ecosystem influences on their vertebrate hosts; 4) the potential for tick-mediated effects on vertebrate host populations to affect ecosystems; and 5) possible nontarget impacts of tick management on the soil ecosystem. Soils are complex ecosystem components with enormous potential to affect the survival and behavior of ticks during their off-host periods. Hence, tick-borne disease systems present an excellent opportunity for soil ecologists and public health researchers to collaborate and improve understanding of these medically important and ecologically complex disease cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Burtis
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Joseph B Yavitt
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Timothy J Fahey
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
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Chicana B, Couper LI, Kwan JY, Tahiraj E, Swei A. Comparative Microbiome Profiles of Sympatric Tick Species from the Far-Western United States. INSECTS 2019; 10:E353. [PMID: 31635285 PMCID: PMC6836157 DOI: 10.3390/insects10100353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Insight into the composition and function of the tick microbiome has expanded considerably in recent years. Thus far, tick microbiome studies have focused on species and life stages that are responsible for transmitting disease. In this study we conducted extensive field sampling of six tick species in the far-western United States to comparatively examine the microbial composition of sympatric tick species: Ixodes pacificus, Ixodes angustus, Dermacentor variabilis, Dermacentor occidentalis, Dermacentor albipictus, and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris. These species represent both common vectors of disease and species that rarely encounter humans, exhibiting a range of host preferences and natural history. We found significant differences in microbial species diversity and composition by tick species and life stage. The microbiome of most species examined were dominated by a few primary endosymbionts. Across all species, the relative abundance of these endosymbionts increased with life stage while species richness and diversity decreased with development. Only one species, I. angustus, did not show the presence of a single dominant microbial species indicating the unique physiology of this species or its interaction with the surrounding environment. Tick species that specialize in a small number of host species or habitat ranges exhibited lower microbiome diversity, suggesting that exposure to environmental conditions or host blood meal diversity can affect the tick microbiome which in turn may affect pathogen transmission. These findings reveal important associations between ticks and their microbial community and improve our understanding of the function of non-pathogenic microbiomes in tick physiology and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betsabel Chicana
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Program, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA.
| | - Lisa I Couper
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Jessica Y Kwan
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Enxhi Tahiraj
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
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Forest Connectivity, Host Assemblage Characteristics of Local and Neighboring Counties, and Temperature Jointly Shape the Spatial Expansion of Lyme Disease in United States. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11202354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Understanding risk factors for the spread of infectious diseases over time and across the landscape is critical for managing disease risk. While habitat connectivity and characteristics of local and neighboring animal (i.e., host) assemblages are known to influence the spread of diseases, the interactions among these factors remain poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a county-level analysis to test the effects of forest connectivity, together with the suitability of local assemblage (measured by the similarity of local host assemblage with neighboring assemblages) and the infection intensity of neighboring counties on the spatial expansion of Lyme disease in the United States. Our results suggested that both the similarity of local host assemblage and the infection intensity of neighboring counties were positively correlated with the probability of disease spread. Moreover, we found that increasing forest connectivity could facilitate the positive effect of neighbor infection intensity. In contrast, the effect size of the host assemblage similarity decreased with increasing connectivity, suggesting that host assemblage similarity was less effective in well-connected habitats. Our results thus indicate that habitat connectivity can indirectly influence disease spread by mediating the effects of other risk factors.
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Shah HA, Huxley P, Elmes J, Murray KA. Agricultural land-uses consistently exacerbate infectious disease risks in Southeast Asia. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4299. [PMID: 31541099 PMCID: PMC6754503 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12333-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Agriculture has been implicated as a potential driver of human infectious diseases. However, the generality of disease-agriculture relationships has not been systematically assessed, hindering efforts to incorporate human health considerations into land-use and development policies. Here we perform a meta-analysis with 34 eligible studies and show that people who live or work in agricultural land in Southeast Asia are on average 1.74 (CI 1.47-2.07) times as likely to be infected with a pathogen than those unexposed. Effect sizes are greatest for exposure to oil palm, rubber, and non-poultry based livestock farming and for hookworm (OR 2.42, CI 1.56-3.75), malaria (OR 2.00, CI 1.46-2.73), scrub typhus (OR 2.37, CI 1.41-3.96) and spotted fever group diseases (OR 3.91, CI 2.61-5.85). In contrast, no change in infection risk is detected for faecal-oral route diseases. Although responses vary by land-use and disease types, results suggest that agricultural land-uses exacerbate many infectious diseases in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiral A Shah
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Grantham Institute-Climate Change and the Environment-Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Paul Huxley
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Grantham Institute-Climate Change and the Environment-Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jocelyn Elmes
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kris A Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Grantham Institute-Climate Change and the Environment-Imperial College London, London, UK
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36
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Little EAH, Anderson JF, Stafford KC, Eisen L, Eisen RJ, Molaei G. Predicting spatiotemporal patterns of Lyme disease incidence from passively collected surveillance data for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-infected Ixodes scapularis ticks. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:970-980. [PMID: 31101553 PMCID: PMC8911312 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. Ixodes scapularis, commonly referred to as the blacklegged tick, is the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), in the eastern United States. Connecticut has pervasive populations of I. scapularis and remains a hotspot for Lyme disease. A primary aim of this study was to determine if passively collected data on human-biting I. scapularis ticks in Connecticut could serve as a useful proxy for Lyme disease incidence based on the cases reported by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CDPH). Data for human-biting I. scapularis ticks submitted to the Tick Testing Laboratory at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES-TTL), and tested for infection with B. burgdorferi s.l., were used to estimate the rate of submitted nymphs, nymphal infection prevalence, and the rate of submitted infected nymphs. We assessed spatiotemporal patterns in tick-based measures and Lyme disease incidence with generalized linear and spatial models. In conjunction with land cover and household income data, we used generalized linear mixed effects models to examine the association between tick-based risk estimates and Lyme disease incidence. Between 2007 and 2017, the CAES-TTL received 26,116 I. scapularis tick submissions and the CDPH reported 23,423 Lyme disease cases. The rate of submitted nymphs, nymphal infection prevalence, the rate of submitted infected nymphs, and Lyme disease incidence all decreased over time during this eleven-year period. The rate of submitted nymphs, the rate of submitted infected nymphs, and Lyme disease incidence were spatially correlated, but nymphal infection prevalence was not. Using a mixed modeling approach to predict Lyme disease incidence and account for spatiotemporal structuring of the data, we found the best fitting tested model included a strong, positive association with the rate of submitted infected nymphs and a negative association with the percent of developed land for each county. We show that within counties, submissions of B. burgdorferi s.l. infected nymphs were strongly and positively associated with inter-annual variation in reported Lyme disease cases. Tick-based passive surveillance programs may be useful in providing independent measures of entomological risk, particularly in settings where Lyme disease case reporting practices change substantially over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza A H Little
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - John F Anderson
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Kirby C Stafford
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Goudarz Molaei
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, PO Box 208034, New Haven, CO 06520-8034, USA.
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Zanzani SA, Rimoldi SG, Manfredi M, Grande R, Gazzonis AL, Merli S, Olivieri E, Giacomet V, Antinori S, Cislaghi G, Bestetti G, Nan K, Sala V, Gismondo MR, Atzori C, De Faveri E. Lyme borreliosis incidence in Lombardy, Italy (2000-2015): Spatiotemporal analysis and environmental risk factors. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:101257. [PMID: 31285164 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis cases have been reported from Lombardy in northern Italy, where Ixodes ricinus is the main vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. However, spatial and temporal variation in the incidence of Lyme borreliosis is not well understood. In the present study, based on new notified cases of Lyme borreliosis from 2000 to 2015, an average of 1.24 new cases per million residents per year was documented. New cases, georeferenced at the municipal level, were analyzed by retrospective space-time analysis (using SaTScan v. 9.3.1); and land cover, extrapolated from a Corine Land Cover dataset (using QGIS 2.8.1), was used to implement an environmental risk factor analysis. Firstly, a temporal high-risk cluster was detected in Lombardy: the relative risk of Lyme borreliosis was 3.73 times higher during 2008-2015 compared with the entire study period. Moreover, in a spatiotemporal high-risk cluster with a circular base, land cover consisting of wildland-urban interface, meadow, forest and meadow-forest transition were significantly higher compared to low-risk areas. Results of the present study demonstrate that the incidence of Lyme borreliosis is increasing in Lombardy and that environmental conditions are suitable for I. ricinus ticks infected with B. burgdorferi s.l.: citizens and health systems should be aware of Lyme borreliosis to reduce tick bites with personal protective behaviors and to avoid misdiagnosis, particularly within the area including the observed high-risk cluster. Economic resources should be invested to inform about methods to prevent tick bites, how to check people and pets after frequenting risk areas, and ways of removing the biting ticks when they are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A Zanzani
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Sara G Rimoldi
- Diagnostic Services, Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bioemergence Diagnostics, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - MariaTeresa Manfredi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Romualdo Grande
- Diagnostic Services, Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bioemergence Diagnostics, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Alessia L Gazzonis
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Stefania Merli
- I Division of Infectious Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milan, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Olivieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "L. Spallanzani", Università degli Studi di Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Vania Giacomet
- Unit of Pediatrics Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Spinello Antinori
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Giuliana Cislaghi
- Unit of Neurology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Bestetti
- III Division of Infectious Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Katiuscia Nan
- Unit of Dermatology and Venearology Ospedale Maggiore di Trieste, 34125, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Vittorio Sala
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133, Milano, Italy.
| | - Maria R Gismondo
- Diagnostic Services, Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bioemergence Diagnostics, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Chiara Atzori
- I Division of Infectious Diseases, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20157, Milan, Italy.
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Sharareh N, Behler RP, Roome AB, Shepherd J, Garruto RM, Sabounchi NS. Risk Factors of Lyme Disease: An Intersection of Environmental Ecology and Systems Science. Healthcare (Basel) 2019; 7:healthcare7020066. [PMID: 31052225 PMCID: PMC6627148 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare7020066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) cases have been on the rise throughout the United States, costing the healthcare system up to $1.3 billion per year, and making LD one of the greatest threats to public health. Factors influencing the number of LD cases range from environmental to system-level variables, but little is known about the influence of vegetation (canopy, understory, and ground cover) and human behavioral risk on LD cases and exposure to infected ticks. We determined the influence of various risk factors on the risk of exposure to infected ticks on 22 different walkways using multinomial logistic regression. The model classifies the walkways into high-risk and low-risk categories with 90% accuracy, in which the understory, human risk, and number of rodents are significant indicators. These factors should be managed to control the risk of transmission of LD to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser Sharareh
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA.
| | - Rachael P Behler
- Department of Chemistry, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Amanda B Roome
- Department of Anthropology, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Julian Shepherd
- Department of Biological Sciences, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Ralph M Garruto
- Department of Anthropology, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
| | - Nasim S Sabounchi
- Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, the State University of New York at Binghamton, Vestal, NY 13902, USA.
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Moon KA, Pollak J, Hirsch AG, Aucott JN, Nordberg C, Heaney CD, Schwartz BS. Epidemiology of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania 2006–2014 using electronic health records. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:241-250. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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40
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Survival and energy use of Ixodes scapularis nymphs throughout their overwintering period. Parasitology 2019; 146:781-790. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182018002147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) spends up to 10 months in the soil between feeding as larvae and questing for hosts as nymphs the following year. We tracked the survival and energy use of 4320 engorged larvae evenly divided across 288 microcosms under field conditions from September to July on sites with high (>12 nymphs/150 m2) and low (<1.2 nymphs/150 m2) densities of naturally questing I. scapularis in New York State. Subsets of microcosms were destructively sampled periodically during this period to determine tick survivorship and physiological age. Across all sites tick mortality was low during the winter and increased in the spring and early summer, coincident with increasing energy use. Neither energy use nor mortality differed significantly between sites with high vs low natural tick density, but we did observe a significant positive relationship between soil organic matter content and the survival of I. scapularis during the spring. Our results suggest that the off-host mortality and energy use of I. scapularis nymphs is relatively low in the winter and increases significantly in the spring and early summer.
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Huang CI, Kay SC, Davis S, Tufts DM, Gaffett K, Tefft B, Diuk-Wasser MA. High burdens of Ixodes scapularis larval ticks on white-tailed deer may limit Lyme disease risk in a low biodiversity setting. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:258-268. [PMID: 30446377 PMCID: PMC6377166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
An inverse relationship between biodiversity and human health has been termed the ‘dilution effect’ paradigm. In the case of tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, the key assumption is that Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato abundance is increased by the loss of less competent (dilution) hosts as biodiversity declines. White-tailed deer play a dual role in the pathogen cycle, as key reproductive hosts for adult ticks and incompetent hosts for the pathogen. While the role of deer as hosts of adult ticks is well established, the extent to which deer also feed immature ticks and reduce the proportion infected is unknown because of logistic constraints in measuring this empirically. We estimated the proportion of larvae that fed on deer in an extremely species-poor community on Block Island, RI, where tick nymphal infection prevalence was found to be lower than expected. In 2014, we measured the density, larval tick burdens, and realized reservoir competence of small mammal and bird hosts on Block Island, RI. In 2015, we measured the infection prevalence of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs resulting from larvae fed on available hosts in 2014. We back-estimated the proportion of larvae expected to have fed on deer in 2014 (the only unknown parameter) to result in the nymphal infection prevalence observed in 2015. Back-estimation predicted that 29% of larval ticks must have fed on deer to yield the observed 30% nymphal infection prevalence. In comparison, the proportion of larvae feeding on mice was 44% and 27% on birds. Our study identified an influential role of deer in reducing nymphal tick infection prevalence and a potential role as dilution hosts if the reduction in nymphal infection prevalence outweighs the role of deer as tick population amplifiers. Because both deer and competent hosts may increase in anthropogenic, fragmented habitats, the links between fragmentation, biodiversity, and Lyme disease risk may be complex and difficult to predict. Furthermore, a nonlinear relationship between deer abundance and Lyme disease risk would reduce the efficacy of deer population reduction efforts to control Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-I Huang
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Samantha C Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Stephen Davis
- School of Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Kimberley Gaffett
- The Nature Conservancy on Block Island, P.O. Box 1287, Block Island, RI 02807, United States.
| | - Brian Tefft
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 277 Great Neck Road West Kingston, RI 02892, United States.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
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A spatial agent-based model of the disease vector Ixodes scapularis to explore host-tick associations. Ecol Modell 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Rebman AW, Wang L, Yang T, Marsteller JA, Murphy SME, Uriyo M, Mihm EA, Weinstein ER, Fagan P, Aucott JN. Incidence of Lyme Disease Diagnosis in a Maryland Medicaid Population, 2004-2011. Am J Epidemiol 2018; 187:2202-2209. [PMID: 29955850 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwy133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidemiology of Lyme disease has been examined utilizing insurance claims from privately insured individuals; however, it is unknown whether reported patterns vary among the publicly insured. We examined trends in incidence rates of first Lyme disease diagnosis among 384,652 Maryland Medicaid recipients enrolled from July 2004 to June 2011. Age-, sex-, county-, season-, and year-specific incidence rates were calculated, and mixed-effects multiple logistic regression models were used to study the relationship between Lyme disease diagnosis and these variables. The incidence rate in our sample was 97.65 cases per 100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 91.53, 104.06), and there was a 13% average annual increase in the odds of a Lyme disease diagnosis (odds ratio = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.17; P < 0.001). Incidence rates for males and females were not significantly different, though males were significantly more likely to be diagnosed during high-season months (relative risk (RR) = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.44) and less likely to be diagnosed during low-season months (RR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.87) than females. Additionally, adults were significantly more likely than children to be diagnosed during low-season months (RR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.12). While relatively rare in this study sample, Lyme disease diagnoses do occur in a Medicaid population in a Lyme-endemic state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison W Rebman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lin Wang
- Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC, Glen Burnie, Maryland
| | - Ting Yang
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jill A Marsteller
- Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC, Glen Burnie, Maryland
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Maria Uriyo
- Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC, Glen Burnie, Maryland
| | - Erica A Mihm
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eric R Weinstein
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peter Fagan
- Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC, Glen Burnie, Maryland
| | - John N Aucott
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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Soucy JPR, Slatculescu AM, Nyiraneza C, Ogden NH, Leighton PA, Kerr JT, Kulkarni MA. High-Resolution Ecological Niche Modeling of Ixodes scapularis Ticks Based on Passive Surveillance Data at the Northern Frontier of Lyme Disease Emergence in North America. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 18:235-242. [PMID: 29565748 PMCID: PMC5930794 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease (LD) is a bacterial infection transmitted by the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in eastern North America. It is an emerging disease in Canada due to the expanding range of its tick vector. Environmental risk maps for LD, based on the distribution of the black-legged tick, have focused on coarse determinants such as climate. However, climatic factors vary little within individual health units, the level at which local public health decision-making takes place. We hypothesize that high-resolution environmental data and routinely collected passive surveillance data can be used to develop valid models for tick occurrence and provide insight into ecological processes affecting tick presence at fine scales. METHODS We used a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to build a habitat suitability model for I. scapularis in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada using georeferenced occurrence points from passive surveillance data collected between 2013 and 2016 and high-resolution land cover and elevation data. We evaluated our model using an independent tick presence/absence dataset collected through active surveillance at 17 field sites during the summer of 2017. RESULTS Our model showed a good ability to discriminate positive sites from negative sites for tick presence (AUC = 0.878 ± 0.019, classification accuracy = 0.835 ± 0.020). Heavily forested suburban and rural areas in the west and southwest of Ottawa had higher predicted suitability than the more agricultural eastern areas. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the value of passive surveillance data to model local-scale environmental risk for the tick vector of LD at sites of interest to public health. Given the rising incidence of LD and other emerging vector-borne diseases in Canada, our findings support the ongoing collection of these data and collaboration with researchers to provide a timely and accurate portrait of evolving public health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul R. Soucy
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Christine Nyiraneza
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - Patrick A. Leighton
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - Jeremy T. Kerr
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Manisha A. Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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Johnson TL, Boegler KA, Clark RJ, Delorey MJ, Bjork JKH, Dorr FM, Schiffman EK, Neitzel DF, Monaghan AJ, Eisen RJ. An Acarological Risk Model Predicting the Density and Distribution of Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis Nymphs in Minnesota. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:1671-1682. [PMID: 29637876 PMCID: PMC6086181 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is the vector of at least seven human pathogens in Minnesota, two of which are known to cause Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Borrelia mayonii). In Minnesota, the statewide incidence of Lyme disease and other I. scapularis–borne diseases and the geographic extent over which cases have been reported have both increased substantially over the last two decades. These changes correspond with an expanding distribution of I. scapularis over a similar time frame. Because the risk of exposure to I. scapularis–borne pathogens is likely related to the number of ticks encountered, we developed an acarological risk model predicting the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs (DON) in Minnesota. The model was informed by sampling 81 sites located in 42 counties in Minnesota. Two main foci were predicted by the model to support elevated densities of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs, which included the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and counties in northern Minnesota, including Lake of the Woods and Koochiching counties. There was substantial heterogeneity observed in predicted DON across the state at the county scale; however, counties classified as high risk for I. scapularis–borne diseases and counties with known established populations of I. scapularis had the highest proportion of the county predicted as suitable for host-seeking nymphs (≥ 0.13 nymphs/100 m2). The model provides insight into areas of potential I. scapularis population expansion and identifies focal areas of predicted suitable habitat within counties where the incidence of I. scapularis–borne diseases has been historically low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammi L Johnson
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Karen A Boegler
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Rebecca J Clark
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Mark J Delorey
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew J Monaghan
- Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
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Lieske DJ, Lloyd VK. Combining public participatory surveillance and occupancy modelling to predict the distributional response of Ixodes scapularis to climate change. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:695-706. [PMID: 29478885 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis, a known vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), is undergoing range expansion in many parts of Canada. The province of New Brunswick, which borders jurisdictions with established populations of I. scapularis, constitutes a range expansion zone for this species. To better understand the current and potential future distribution of this tick under climate change projections, this study applied occupancy modelling to distributional records of adult ticks that successfully overwintered, obtained through passive surveillance. This study indicates that I. scapularis occurs throughout the southern-most portion of the province, in close proximity to coastlines and major waterways. Milder winter conditions, as indicated by the number of degree days <0 °C, was determined to be a strong predictor of tick occurrence, as was, to a lesser degree, rising levels of annual precipitation, leading to a final model with a predictive accuracy of 0.845 (range: 0.828-0.893). Both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate projections predict that a significant proportion of the province (roughly a quarter to a third) will be highly suitable for I. scapularis by the 2080s. Comparison with cases of canine infection show good spatial agreement with baseline model predictions, but the presence of canine Borrelia infections beyond the climate envelope, defined by the highest probabilities of tick occurrence, suggest the presence of Bbss-carrying ticks distributed by long-range dispersal events. This research demonstrates that predictive statistical modelling of multi-year surveillance information is an efficient way to identify areas where I. scapularis is most likely to occur, and can be used to guide subsequent active sampling efforts in order to better understand fine scale species distributional patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Lieske
- Department of Geography and Environment, Mount Allison University, 144 Main Street, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1A7, Canada.
| | - Vett K Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, 63B York Street, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1G7, Canada.
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Hahn MB, Bjork JKH, Neitzel DF, Dorr FM, Whitemarsh T, Boegler KA, Graham CB, Johnson TL, Maes SE, Eisen RJ. Evaluating acarological risk for exposure to Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens in recreational and residential settings in Washington County, Minnesota. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:340-348. [PMID: 29195857 PMCID: PMC9372921 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The distribution of I. scapularis, the tick vector of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, has been expanding over the last two decades in the north-central United States in parallel with increasing incidence of human cases of Lyme disease in that region. However, assessments of residential risk for exposure to ticks are lacking from this region. Here, we measured the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs in two suburban and two rural public recreational sites located in Washington County, Minnesota as well as in nearby residential properties. We sought to compare tick densities across land use types and to identify environmental factors that might impact nymphal density. We also assessed the prevalence of infection in the collected ticks with Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. mayonii), and other I. scapularis-borne pathogens including B. miyamotoi, Babesia microti and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Similar to studies from the eastern United States, on residential properties, I. scapularis nymphal densities were highest in the ecotonal areas between the forest edge and the lawn. Residences with the highest densities of nymphs were more likely to have a higher percentage of forest cover, log piles, and signs of deer on their property. In recreational areas, we found the highest nymphal densities both in the wooded areas next to trails as well as on mowed trails. Among the 303 host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs tested for pathogens, B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, A. phagocytophilum and B. miyamotoi were detected in 42 (13.8%), 14 (4.6%), and 2 (0.6%) nymphs, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah B Hahn
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jenna K H Bjork
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St N, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - David F Neitzel
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St N, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Frances M Dorr
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 Robert St N, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Tessa Whitemarsh
- Washington County Health Department, 14949 62nd St, Stillwater, MN 55082, USA
| | - Karen A Boegler
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Christine B Graham
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Tammi L Johnson
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
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Hahn MB, Jarnevich CS, Monaghan AJ, Eisen RJ. Response: The Geographic Distribution of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Revisited: The Importance of Assumptions About Error Balance. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:1104-1106. [PMID: 28874013 PMCID: PMC5968628 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Micah B. Hahn
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; )
| | - Catherine S. Jarnevich
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. C, Fort Collins, CO 80526 ()
| | - Andrew J. Monaghan
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307 ()
| | - Rebecca J. Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; )
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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Koprivnikar J, Riepe TB, Calhoun DM, Johnson PTJ. Whether larval amphibians school does not affect the parasite aggregation rule: testing the effects of host spatial heterogeneity in field and experimental studies. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Koprivnikar
- Dept of Chemistry and Biology; Ryerson Univ., 350 Victoria Street; Toronto ON, M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Tawni B. Riepe
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of Colorado; Boulder CO USA
| | - Dana M. Calhoun
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of Colorado; Boulder CO USA
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Gabriele-Rivet V, Koffi JK, Pelcat Y, Arsenault J, Cheng A, Lindsay LR, Lysyk TJ, Rochon K, Ogden NH. A Risk Model for the Lyme Disease Vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Prairie Provinces of Canada. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:862-868. [PMID: 28399276 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is emerging in Canada due to geographic range expansion of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis Say. Recent areas of emergence include parts of the southeastern Canadian Prairie region. We developed a map of potential risk areas for future I. scapularis establishment in the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Six I. scapularis risk algorithms were developed using different formulations of three indices for environmental suitability: temperature using annual cumulative degree-days > 0 °C (DD > 0 °C; obtained from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer satellite data as an index of conditions that allow I. scapularis to complete its life cycle), habitat as a combined geolayer of forest cover and agricultural land use, and rainfall. The relative performance of these risk algorithms was assessed using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) analysis with data on presence-absence of I. scapularis obtained from recent field surveillance in the Prairie Provinces accumulated from a number of sources. The ROC AUC values for the risk algorithms were significantly different (P < 0.01). The algorithm with six categories of DD > 0 °C, habitat as a simple dichotomous variable of presence or absence of forest, and normalized rainfall had the highest AUC of 0.74, representing "fair to good" performance of the risk algorithm. This algorithm had good (>80%) sensitivity in predicting positive I. scapularis surveillance sites, but low (50%) specificity as expected in this region where not all environmentally suitable habitats are expected to be occupied. Further prospective studies are needed to validate and perhaps improve the risk algorithm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Gabriele-Rivet
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Jules K Koffi
- Centre for Food-borne, Environmental & Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Yann Pelcat
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Julie Arsenault
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
| | - Angela Cheng
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Timothy J Lysyk
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta
| | - Kateryn Rochon
- Department of Entomology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
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