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Husar K, Pittman DC, Rajala J, Mostafa F, Allen LJS. Lyme Disease Models of Tick-Mouse Dynamics with Seasonal Variation in Births, Deaths, and Tick Feeding. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:25. [PMID: 38294562 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-023-01248-y] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States impacting the Northeast and Midwest at the highest rates. Recently, it has become established in southeastern and south-central regions of Canada. In these regions, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by an infected Ixodes scapularis tick. Understanding the parasite-host interaction is critical as the white-footed mouse is one of the most competent reservoir for B. burgdorferi. The cycle of infection is driven by tick larvae feeding on infected mice that molt into infected nymphs and then transmit the disease to another susceptible host such as mice or humans. Lyme disease in humans is generally caused by the bite of an infected nymph. The main aim of this investigation is to study how diapause delays and demographic and seasonal variability in tick births, deaths, and feedings impact the infection dynamics of the tick-mouse cycle. We model tick-mouse dynamics with fixed diapause delays and more realistic Erlang distributed delays through delay and ordinary differential equations (ODEs). To account for demographic and seasonal variability, the ODEs are generalized to a continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC). The basic reproduction number and parameter sensitivity analysis are computed for the ODEs. The CTMC is used to investigate the probability of Lyme disease emergence when ticks and mice are introduced, a few of which are infected. The probability of disease emergence is highly dependent on the time and the infected species introduced. Infected mice introduced during the summer season result in the highest probability of disease emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kateryna Husar
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
| | - Dana C Pittman
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A &M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Johnny Rajala
- Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Fahad Mostafa
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Linda J S Allen
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
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Rataud A, Henry PY, Moutailler S, Marsot M. Research effort on birds' reservoir host potential for Lyme borreliosis: A systematic review and perspectives. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2512-2522. [PMID: 34453490 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Zoonotic tick-borne diseases threat human and animal health. Understanding the role of hosts in the production of infected ticks in an epidemiological system is essential to be able to design effective measures to reduce the exposure of humans and animals to infectious tick bites. The reservoir host potential, that is, number of infected ticks produced by a host species, depends on three components: tick production, realized reservoir competence and host density. The parameters and factors that determine the reservoir host potential need to be characterized to achieve a robust understanding of the dynamics of pathogen-tick-host systems, and thus to mitigate the acarological risk of emerging infections. Few studies have investigated the role of birds in the local spread of Lyme borreliosis Borrelia. Knowledge of the research effort on the reservoir host potential of birds in Lyme borreliosis Borrelia circulation is necessary to prioritize future research on this topic. We provide a systematic review of the research effort on components of the reservoir host potential of wild birds for Lyme borreliosis Borrelia circulation, and factors that modulate these components in the European epidemiological system. Our review of 242 selected publications showed that tick production has been 1.4 and 21 times more studied than realized reservoir competence and bird density respectively. Only one study achieved to characterize the global host reservoir potential of birds in a given epidemiological system. Investigated factors were mostly related to bird species identity, individual characteristics of birds and tick characteristics, whereas the influence of bird life-history traits have been largely under-investigated. Because simultaneous characterization of all parameters is notoriously complex, interdisciplinary research is needed to combine and accumulate independent field and laboratory investigations targeting each parameter on specific epidemiological system or host species. This can help gain an integrated appraisal of the functioning of the studied system at a local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia Rataud
- Université Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Henry
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV UMR 7179), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Brunoy, France.,Centre de Recherches sur la Biologie des Populations d'Oiseaux (CRBPO), Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Maud Marsot
- Université Paris Est, ANSES, Laboratory for Animal Health, Epidemiology Unit, Maisons-Alfort, France
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Tardy O, Bouchard C, Chamberland E, Fortin A, Lamirande P, Ogden NH, Leighton PA. Mechanistic movement models reveal ecological drivers of tick-borne pathogen spread. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210134. [PMID: 34376091 PMCID: PMC8355688 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying ecological drivers of tick-borne pathogen spread has great value for tick-borne disease management. However, theoretical investigations into the consequences of host movement behaviour on pathogen spread dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes remain limited because spatially explicit epidemiological models that incorporate more realistic mechanisms governing host movement are rare. We built a mechanistic movement model to investigate how the interplay between multiple ecological drivers affects the risk of tick-borne pathogen spread across heterogeneous landscapes. We used the model to generate simulations of tick dispersal by migratory birds and terrestrial hosts across theoretical landscapes varying in resource aggregation, and we performed a sensitivity analysis to explore the impacts of different parameters on the infected tick spread rate, tick infection prevalence and infected tick density. Our findings highlight the importance of host movement and tick population dynamics in explaining the infected tick spread rate into new regions. Tick infection prevalence and infected tick density were driven by predictors related to the infection process and tick population dynamics, respectively. Our results suggest that control strategies aiming to reduce tick burden on tick reproduction hosts and encounter rate between immature ticks and pathogen amplification hosts will be most effective at reducing tick-borne disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Tardy
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
- Centre for Public Health Research (CReSP), Université de Montréal and the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3N 1X9
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
| | - Eric Chamberland
- Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Éléments Finis (GIREF), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - André Fortin
- Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Éléments Finis (GIREF), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Patricia Lamirande
- Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Recherche en Éléments Finis (GIREF), Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
- Centre for Public Health Research (CReSP), Université de Montréal and the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3N 1X9
| | - Patrick A. Leighton
- Research Group on Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada J2S 2M2
- Centre for Public Health Research (CReSP), Université de Montréal and the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, 7101 avenue du Parc, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3N 1X9
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Modelling triatomine bug population and Trypanosoma rangeli transmission dynamics: Co-feeding, pathogenic effect and linkage with chagas disease. Math Biosci 2020; 324:108326. [PMID: 32092467 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2020.108326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma rangeli (T. rangeli), a parasite, is not pathogenic to human but pathogenic to some vector species to induce the behavior changes of infected vectors and subsequently impact the transmission dynamics of other diseases such as Chagas disease which shares the same vector species. Here we develop a mathematical model and conduct qualitative analysis for the transmission dynamics of T. rangeli. We incorporate both systemic and co-feeding transmission routes, and account for the pathogenic effect using infection-induced fecundity and fertility change of the triatomine bugs. We derive two thresholds Rv (the triatomine bug basic reproduction number) and R0 (the T. rangeli basic reproduction number) to delineate the dynamical behaviors of the ecological and epidemiological systems. We show that when Rv>1 and R0>1, a unique parasite positive equilibrium E* appears. We find that E* can be unstable and periodic oscillations can be observed where the pathogenic effect plays a significant role. Implications of the qualitative analysis and numerical simulations suggest the need of an integrative vector-borne disease prevention and control strategy when multiple vector-borne diseases are transmitted by the same set of vector species.
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Molaei G, Karpathy SE, Andreadis TG. First Report of the Introduction of an Exotic Tick, Amblyomma coelebs (Acari: Ixodidae), Feeding on a Human Traveler Returning to the United States from Central America. J Parasitol 2019. [DOI: 10.1645/19-74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Goudarz Molaei
- Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Sandor E. Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30329
| | - Theodore G. Andreadis
- Center for Vector Biology and Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
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Ghafar MW, Amer SAM. A preliminary molecular survey of Babesia divergens and first evidence of Theileria annulata in cattle from Saudi Arabia. Vet World 2019; 12:266-270. [PMID: 31040569 PMCID: PMC6460880 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2019.266-270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Babesia divergens causes human babesiosis in Europe where the parasite utilizes cattle as animal reservoir and Ixodes ricinus as tick vector. Importation of infected animals and passive carriage of infected ticks through migratory birds can lead to tick/pathogen geographic expansion and emergence of diseases in naïve land. Given the information that Saudi Arabia imports cattle from the European countries and that two global bird flyways pass through the country geographic coordinates, we speculate that B. divergens might be introduced into the Kingdom. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was to molecularly detect and characterize B. divergens and other piroplasms (including Theileria spp.) in cattle from Taif district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods Blood samples from 20 cattle residing Taif district were collected, and polymerase chain reaction tested using wide and species-specific primers. Amplicons from a positive genus-wide reaction were purified, sequenced, and analyzed. Phylogenetic trees were constructed, and similarity to existing GenBank zoonotic piroplasms was also assessed. Results All samples were negative for B. divergens, and only one sample proved positive for Theileria annulata in a wide reaction. Phylogeny clustered our strain with T. annulata from Spanish dog and another one detected in a cow from France. BLAST analysis showed genetic distance from zoonotic piroplasms with identity ranged from 88% to 91%. Conclusion Although B. divergens was not detected, we are not able to rule out or affirm the existence of the pathogen in the country. On the other hand, identifying T. annulata strain with a southern European origin strongly supports our speculation that bovine zoonotic Babesia might be introduced into KSA. This study is not only the first molecular survey of B. divergens but also the first report of the molecular identity of T. annulata in Saudi Arabia. A national-wide bovine and tick surveillance are needed to further prove our speculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed W Ghafar
- Department of Zoonoses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt
| | - Sayed A M Amer
- Department of Forensic Biology, College of Forensic Sciences, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt
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Brinkerhoff RJ, Dang L, Streby HM, Gimpel M. Life history characteristics of birds influence patterns of tick parasitism. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2018; 9:1547096. [PMID: 30598737 PMCID: PMC6263100 DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2018.1547096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Birds serve as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens as well as hosts for multiple tick species of public health relevance. Birds may perpetuate life cycles of vectors and vector-borne pathogens and disperse disease vectors over long distances, supplementing populations at range margins or seeding invading populations beyond the edges of current tick distributions. Our goal for this study was to identify life history characteristics of birds that most strongly affect tick parasitism. Materials and Methods: We collected 6203 ticks from 5426 birds from two sites in eastern North America and used field-derived parasitism data and published literature to analyze impacts of life history factors on tick parasitism in birds. Results and Discussion: We identified body size and nest site to have the strongest impact on tick prevalence and abundance in the songbird species included in this study. Our findings reveal site-independent patterns in tick parasitism on birds and suggest that physical more than behavioral characteristics may influence a bird species’ suitability as a host for ticks. Conclusions: The data and results published here will contribute to a growing body of literature and information on bird-tick interactions and will help elucidate patterns of tick and tick-borne pathogen geographic expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jory Brinkerhoff
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Lena Dang
- Department of Biology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Henry M Streby
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Maren Gimpel
- Forman's Branch Bird Observatory, Washington College, Chestertown, MD, USA
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Sakamoto JM. Progress, challenges, and the role of public engagement to improve tick-borne disease literacy. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2018; 28:81-89. [PMID: 30551772 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases have increased worldwide, facilitated by globalization and variations in climate. Tick and tick-borne disease researchers, veterinarians, medical practitioners, and public health specialists are working to share their expertise on tick ecology, disease transmission, diagnostics, and treatment in order to control tick-borne epidemics and potential pandemics. This review will be a brief overview of the current status of tick-borne diseases, challenges on the scientific and public fronts, and the role of public engagement in improving citizen education within the context of ticks and tick-borne disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce M Sakamoto
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 United States; Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 United States.
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Sonenshine DE. Range Expansion of Tick Disease Vectors in North America: Implications for Spread of Tick-Borne Disease. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018. [PMID: 29522469 PMCID: PMC5877023 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15030478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Ticks are the major vectors of most disease-causing agents to humans, companion animals and wildlife. Moreover, ticks transmit a greater variety of pathogenic agents than any other blood-feeding arthropod. Ticks have been expanding their geographic ranges in recent decades largely due to climate change. Furthermore, tick populations in many areas of their past and even newly established localities have increased in abundance. These dynamic changes present new and increasing severe public health threats to humans, livestock and companion animals in areas where they were previously unknown or were considered to be of minor importance. Here in this review, the geographic status of four representative tick species are discussed in relation to these public health concerns, namely, the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, the Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma maculatum and the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Both biotic and abiotic factors that may influence future range expansion and successful colony formation in new habitats are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Sonenshine
- Laboratory for Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA.
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