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McClung KL, Sundstrom KD, Lineberry MW, Grant AN, Little SE. Seasonality of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) Activity and Prevalence of Infection with Tick-Borne Disease Agents in North Central Oklahoma. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2023; 23:561-567. [PMID: 37668606 PMCID: PMC10654644 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0009] [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] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Amblyomma americanum is the most common tick infesting both animals and humans in the southern United States and transmits a variety of zoonotic agents. The rise in tick-borne diseases (TBD) globally imparts a need for more active surveillance of tick populations to accurately quantify prevalence and risk of tick-borne infectious organisms. To better understand TBD risk in north central Oklahoma, this study aimed to describe the current seasonal activity of A. americanum in this region and investigate the seasonality of tick-borne infectious agents. Materials and Methods: Tick collections were performed twice a month for a duration of 2 years at a field site in Payne County, Oklahoma. Total nucleic acid was extracted from a subset of adult A. americanum and tested for Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Borrelia spp. using established PCR protocols. Results: Peak activity times for each life stage were observed, with adults primarily active 1 month earlier than historical seasonal trends describe, and male A. americanum active earlier in the year than female A. americanum. Rickettsia spp., Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Borrelia lonestari were found in 26.4%, 6.1%, 2.5%, and 1.1% of adult A. americanum, respectively. No seasonal trend in spotted fever group Rickettsia spp. (SFGR) was observed in peak activity months. Conclusions: This study found an apparently shifting phenology for A. americanum adults in Oklahoma. While these results did not show a trend in SFGR, further investigation is needed to better understand the potential seasonality of infection prevalence within A. americanum across the expanding range of this vector, especially considering the extended activity of males in winter months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin L. McClung
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Kellee D. Sundstrom
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Megan W. Lineberry
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
- Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Zoetis, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
| | - Amber N. Grant
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Susan E. Little
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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Bhosale CR, Wilson KN, Ledger KJ, White ZS, Dorleans R, De Jesus CE, Wisely SM. Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Recreational Greenspaces in North Central Florida, USA. Microorganisms 2023; 11:756. [PMID: 36985329 PMCID: PMC10057063 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne infections are an increasing medical and veterinary concern in the southeastern United States, but there is limited understanding of how recreational greenspaces influence the hazard of pathogen transmission. This study aimed to estimate the potential human and companion animal encounter risk with different questing tick species, and the bacterial or protozoal agents they carry in recreational greenspaces. We collected ticks bimonthly along trails and designated recreational areas in 17 publicly accessible greenspaces, in and around Gainesville, Florida, USA. We collected Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma maculatum, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes affinis, and Haemaphysalis leporispalustris. Across the six tick species collected, we detected 18 species of bacteria or protozoa within the Babesia, Borrelia, Cytauxzoon, Cryptoplasma (Allocryptoplasma), Ehrlichia, Hepatozoon, Rickettsia, and Theileria genera, including pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. While tick abundance and associated microorganism prevalence and richness were the greatest in natural habitats surrounded by forests, we found both ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in manicured groundcover. This relationship is important for public health and awareness, because it suggests that the probability of encountering an infected tick is measurable and substantial even on closely manicured turf or gravel, if the surrounding landcover is undeveloped. The presence of medically important ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in recreational greenspaces indicates that public education efforts regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases are warranted in this region of the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanakya R. Bhosale
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
| | - Kristen N. Wilson
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Kimberly J. Ledger
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Zoe S. White
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Rayann Dorleans
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Carrie E. De Jesus
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Use of an exclusion assay to detect novel rickettsiae in field collected Amblyomma americanum. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101959. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Mittal A, Elias ML, Schwartz RA, Kapila R. Recognition and treatment of devastating vasculopathic systemic disorders: Coronavirus disease 2019 and rickettsioses. Dermatol Ther 2021; 34:e14984. [PMID: 34003557 PMCID: PMC8209862 DOI: 10.1111/dth.14984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cutaneous involvement can be an important sign of both COVID‐19 and rickettsioses. Rickettsial infections may be first evident as an exanthem with eschars as a key finding. In contrast, eschars and necrotic lesions can be seen in critically ill COVID‐19 patients. Both illnesses share a similar mechanism of infecting endothelial cells resulting in vasculopathy. Rickettsia parkeri and Rickettsia 364D are both characterized by eschars unlike Rickettsia rickettsii. Other eschar causing rickettsioses such as Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia africae, and Orientia tsutsugamushi are commonly diagnosed in people from or having traveled through endemic areas. While there is no consensus on treatment for COVID‐19, rickettsioses are treatable. Due to possibly serious consequences of delayed treatment, doxycycline should be administered given an eschar‐presenting patient's travel history and sufficient suspicion of vector exposure. The proliferation of COVID‐19 cases has rendered it critical to differentiate between the two, both of which may have overlapping vasculopathic cutaneous findings. We review these diseases, emphasizing the importance of cutaneous involvement, while also discussing possible therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anugya Mittal
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Marcus L Elias
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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Hensley JR, Zambrano ML, Williams-Newkirk AJ, Dasch GA. Detection of Rickettsia Species, and Coxiella-Like and Francisella-Like Endosymbionts in Amblyomma americanum and Amblyomma maculatum from a Shared Field Site in Georgia, United States of America. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:509-516. [PMID: 33956519 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Two abundant species of aggressive ticks commonly feed on humans in Georgia: the Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) and the Lone Star tick (A. americanum). A. maculatum is the primary host of Rickettsia parkeri, "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae," and a Francisella-like endosymbiont (AmacFLE), whereas A. americanum is the primary host for R. amblyommatis, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, E. ewingii, and a Coxiella-like endosymbiont (AamCLE). Horizontal transmission of R. parkeri from A. maculatum to A. americanum by co-feeding has been described, and R. amblyommatis has been found infrequently in A. maculatum ticks. We assessed the prevalence of these agents and whether exchange of tick-associated bacteria is common between A. maculatum and A. americanum collected from the same field site. Unengorged ticks were collected May-August 2014 in west-central Georgia from a 4.14 acre site by flagging and from humans and canines traversing that site. All DNA samples were screened with quantitative PCR assays for the bacteria found in both ticks, and the species of any Rickettsia detected was identified by species-specific TaqMan assays or sequencing of the rickettsial ompA gene. Only R. amblyommatis (15) and AamCLE (39) were detected in 40 A. americanum, while the 74 A. maculatum only contained R. parkeri (30), "Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae" (3), and AmacFLE (74). Neither tick species had either Ehrlichia species. Consequently, we obtained no evidence for the frequent exchange of these tick-borne agents in a natural setting despite high levels of carriage of each agent and the common observance of infestation of both ticks on both dogs and humans at this site. Based on these data, exchange of these Rickettsia, Coxiella, and Francisella agents between A. maculatum and A. americanum appears to be an infrequent event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R Hensley
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Maria L Zambrano
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda J Williams-Newkirk
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Sciences and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory A Dasch
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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