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Schoville SD, Burke RL, Dong DY, Ginsberg HS, Maestas L, Paskewitz SM, Tsao JI. Genome resequencing reveals population divergence and local adaptation of blacklegged ticks in the United States. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17460. [PMID: 38963031 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17460] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Tick vectors and tick-borne disease are increasingly impacting human populations globally. An important challenge is to understand tick movement patterns, as this information can be used to improve management and predictive modelling of tick population dynamics. Evolutionary analysis of genetic divergence, gene flow and local adaptation provides insight on movement patterns at large spatiotemporal scales. We develop low coverage, whole genome resequencing data for 92 blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, representing range-wide variation across the United States. Through analysis of population genomic data, we find that tick populations are structured geographically, with gradual isolation by distance separating three population clusters in the northern United States, southeastern United States and a unique cluster represented by a sample from Tennessee. Populations in the northern United States underwent population contractions during the last glacial period and diverged from southern populations at least 50 thousand years ago. Genome scans of selection provide strong evidence of local adaptation at genes responding to host defences, blood-feeding and environmental variation. In addition, we explore the potential of low coverage genome sequencing of whole-tick samples for documenting the diversity of microbial pathogens and recover important tick-borne pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi. The combination of isolation by distance and local adaptation in blacklegged ticks demonstrates that gene flow, including recent expansion, is limited to geographical scales of a few hundred kilometres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean D Schoville
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Russell L Burke
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, USA
| | - Dahn-Young Dong
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Howard S Ginsberg
- United States Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Woodward Hall - PSE, Field Station at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Lauren Maestas
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Edinburg, Texas, USA
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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2
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Zinck CB, Raveendram Thampy P, Uhlemann EME, Adam H, Wachter J, Suchan D, Cameron ADS, Rego ROM, Brisson D, Bouchard C, Ogden NH, Voordouw MJ. Variation among strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in host tissue abundance and lifetime transmission determine the population strain structure in nature. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011572. [PMID: 37607182 PMCID: PMC10473547 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen life history theory assumes a positive relationship between pathogen load in host tissues and pathogen transmission. Empirical evidence for this relationship is surprisingly rare due to the difficulty of measuring transmission for many pathogens. The comparative method, where a common host is experimentally infected with a set of pathogen strains, is a powerful approach for investigating the relationships between pathogen load and transmission. The validity of such experimental estimates of strain-specific transmission is greatly enhanced if they can predict the pathogen population strain structure in nature. Borrelia burgdorferi is a multi-strain, tick-borne spirochete that causes Lyme disease in North America. This study used 11 field-collected strains of B. burgdorferi, a rodent host (Mus musculus, C3H/HeJ) and its tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) to determine the relationship between pathogen load in host tissues and lifetime host-to-tick transmission (HTT). Mice were experimentally infected via tick bite with 1 of 11 strains. Lifetime HTT was measured by infesting mice with I. scapularis larval ticks on 3 separate occasions. The prevalence and abundance of the strains in the mouse tissues and the ticks were determined by qPCR. We used published databases to obtain estimates of the frequencies of these strains in wild I. scapularis tick populations. Spirochete loads in ticks and lifetime HTT varied significantly among the 11 strains of B. burgdorferi. Strains with higher spirochete loads in the host tissues were more likely to infect feeding larval ticks, which molted into nymphal ticks that had a higher probability of B. burgdorferi infection (i.e., higher HTT). Our laboratory-based estimates of lifetime HTT were predictive of the frequencies of these strains in wild I. scapularis populations. For B. burgdorferi, the strains that establish high abundance in host tissues and that have high lifetime transmission are the strains that are most common in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Zinck
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Prasobh Raveendram Thampy
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Eva-Maria E. Uhlemann
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Hesham Adam
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Jenny Wachter
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Danae Suchan
- Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Andrew D. S. Cameron
- Institute for Microbial Systems and Society, Faculty of Science, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Catherine Bouchard
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Centre de recherche en santé publique (CReSP), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maarten J. Voordouw
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Combs MA, Tufts DM, Adams B, Lin YP, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA. Host adaptation drives genetic diversity in a vector-borne disease system. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad234. [PMID: 37559749 PMCID: PMC10408703 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The range of hosts a pathogen can infect is a key trait, influencing human disease risk and reservoir host infection dynamics. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bb), an emerging zoonotic pathogen, causes Lyme disease and is widely considered a host generalist, commonly infecting mammals and birds. Yet the extent of intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth, its role in determining host competence, and potential implications for human infection remain unclear. We conducted a long-term study of Bb diversity, defined by the polymorphic ospC locus, across white-footed mice, passerine birds, and tick vectors, leveraging long-read amplicon sequencing. Our results reveal strong variation in host breadth across Bb genotypes, exposing a spectrum of genotype-specific host-adapted phenotypes. We found support for multiple niche polymorphism, maintaining Bb diversity in nature and little evidence of temporal shifts in genotype dominance, as would be expected under negative frequency-dependent selection. Passerine birds support the circulation of several human-invasive strains (HISs) in the local tick population and harbor greater Bb genotypic diversity compared with white-footed mice. Mouse-adapted Bb genotypes exhibited longer persistence in individual mice compared with nonadapted genotypes. Genotype communities infecting individual mice preferentially became dominated by mouse-adapted genotypes over time. We posit that intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth and adaptation helps maintain overall species fitness in response to transmission by a generalist vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ben Adams
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA27AY, UK
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Burtis JC, Bjork J, Johnson TL, Schiffman E, Neitzel D, Eisen RJ. Seasonal activity patterns of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Minnesota, 2015-2017. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 60:769-777. [PMID: 37075475 PMCID: PMC10593201 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
As the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes and several other medically significant pathogens, Ixodes scapularis presents a threat to public health in the United States. The incidence of Lyme disease is growing rapidly in upper midwestern states, particularly Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The probability of a tick bite, acarological risk, is affected by the phenology of host-seeking I. scapularis. Phenology has been well-studied in northeastern states, but not in the Upper Midwest. We conducted biweekly drag sampling across 4 woodland sites in Minnesota between April and November from 2015 to 2017. The majority of ticks collected were I. scapularis (82%). Adults were active throughout our entire 8-month collection season, with sporadic activity during the summer, larger peaks in activity observed in April, and less consistent and lower peaks observed in October. Nymphs were most active from May through August, with continuing low-level activity in October, and peak activity most commonly observed in June. The observed nymphal peak corresponded with the typical peak in reported human Lyme disease and anaplasmosis cases. These findings are consistent with previous studies from the Upper Midwest and highlight a risk of human exposure to I. scapularis at least from April through November. This information may aid in communicating the seasonality of acarological risk for those living in Minnesota and other upper midwestern states as well as being relevant to the assessment of the ecoepidemiology of Lyme disease and the modeling of transmission dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Burtis
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 North Robert Street, Saint Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Tammi L. Johnson
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
- Present address, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, Uvalde, TX 78801, USA
| | - Elizabeth Schiffman
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 North Robert Street, Saint Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - David Neitzel
- Minnesota Department of Health, 625 North Robert Street, Saint Paul, MN 55164, 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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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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6
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Morris CN, Gaff HD, Berghaus RD, Wilson CM, Gleim ER. Tick Species Composition, Collection Rates, and Phenology Provide Insights into Tick-Borne Disease Ecology in Virginia. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1993-2005. [PMID: 35996864 PMCID: PMC9667727 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To better understand tick ecology in Virginia and the increasing Lyme disease incidence in western Virginia, a comparative phenological study was conducted in which monthly collections were performed at twelve sampling locations in southwestern Virginia (high Lyme disease incidence) and 18 equivalent sampling locations in southeastern Virginia (low Lyme disease incidence) for one year. In western Virginia, we also explored the effect of elevation on collection rates of Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) and Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae). In total, 35,438 ticks were collected (33,106 A. americanum; 2,052 I. scapularis; 134 Ixodes affinis Neumann [Acari: Ixodidae]; 84 Dermacentor variabilis [Say] [Acari: Ixodidae]; 49 Dermacentor albipictus [Packard] [Acari: Ixodidae]; 10 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris [Packard] [Acari: Ixodidae]; 2 Ixodes brunneus Koch [Acari: Ixodidae]; 1 Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann [Acari: Ixodidae]). Within southwestern Virginia, Ixodes scapularis collection rates were not influenced by elevation, unlike A. americanum which were collected more frequently at lower elevations (e.g., below 500 m). Notably, I. scapularis larvae and nymphs were commonly collected in southwestern Virginia (indicating that they were questing on or above the leaf litter) but not in southeastern Virginia. Questing on or above the leaf litter is primarily associated with northern populations of I. scapularis. These findings may support the hypothesis that I. scapularis from the northeastern United States are migrating into western Virginia and contributing to the higher incidence of Lyme disease in this region. This comparative phenological study underscores the value of these types of studies and the need for additional research to further understand the rapidly changing tick-borne disease dynamics in Virginia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciera N Morris
- Department of Biology, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA 24020, USA
| | - Holly D Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA
- University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Sciences, Durban, South Africa
| | - Roy D Berghaus
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - C Morgan Wilson
- Department of Biology, Hollins University, Roanoke, VA 24020, USA
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Burtis JC, Foster E, Schwartz AM, Kugeler KJ, Maes SE, Fleshman AC, Eisen RJ. Predicting distributions of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto) and human Lyme disease cases in the eastern United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:102000. [PMID: 35785605 PMCID: PMC10591441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102000] [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: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States (US), with approximately 300,000 -to- 40,000 cases reported annually. The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is the primary vector of the Lyme disease-causing spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, in high incidence regions in the upper midwestern and northeastern US. Using county-level records of the presence of I. scapularis or presence of B. burgdorferi s.s. infected host-seeking I. scapularis, we generated habitat suitability consensus maps based on an ensemble of statistical models for both acarological risk metrics. Overall accuracy of these suitability models was high (AUC = 0.76 for I. scapularis and 0.86 for B. burgdorferi s.s. infected-I. scapularis). We sought to compare which acarological risk metric best described the distribution of counties reporting high Lyme disease incidence (≥10 confirmed cases/100,000 population) by setting the models to a fixed omission rate (10%). We compared the percent of high incidence counties correctly classified by the two models. The I. scapularis consensus map correctly classified 53% of high and low incidence counties, while the B. burgdorferi s.s. infected-I. scapularis consensus map classified 83% correctly. Counties classified as suitable by the B. burgdorferi s.s. map showed a 91% overlap with high Lyme disease incidence counties with over a 38-fold difference in Lyme disease incidence between high- and low-suitability counties. A total of 288 counties were classified as highly suitable for B. burgdorferi s.s., but lacked records of infected-I. scapularis and were not classified as high incidence. These counties were considered to represent a leading edge for B. burgdorferi s.s. infection in ticks and humans. They clustered in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. This information can aid in targeting tick surveillance and prevention education efforts in counties where Lyme disease risk may increase in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Burtis
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
| | - Erik Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Amy M Schwartz
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Kiersten J Kugeler
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Amy C Fleshman
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - 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, United States
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Ackleh AS, Veprauskas A. Modeling the invasion and establishment of a tick-borne pathogen. Ecol Modell 2022; 467. [PMID: 35663375 PMCID: PMC9161809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.109915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
We develop a discrete-time tick–host–pathogen model to describe the spread of a disease in a hard-bodied tick species. This model incorporates the developmental stages for a tick, the dependence of the tick life-cycle and disease transmission on host availability, and three sources of pathogen transmission. We first establish the global dynamics of the disease-free system. We then apply the model to two pathogens, Borellia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophila, using Ixodes ricinus as the tick species to study properties of the invasion and establishment of a disease numerically. In particular, we consider the basic reproduction number, which determines whether a disease can invade the tick-host system, as well as disease prevalence and time to establishment in the case of successful disease invasion. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we calculate the means of each of these disease metrics and their elasticities with respect to various model parameters. We find that increased tick survival may help enable disease invasion, decrease the time to disease establishment, and increase disease prevalence once established. In contrast, though disease invasion is sensitive to tick-to-host transmission and tick searching efficiencies, neither disease prevalence nor time to disease establishment is sensitive to these parameters. These differences emphasize the importance of developing approaches, such as the one highlighted here, that can be used to study disease dynamics beyond just pathogen invasion, including transitional and long-term dynamics.
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Lin YP, Tufts DM, Combs M, Dupuis AP, Marcinkiewicz AL, Hirsbrunner AD, Diaz AJ, Stout JL, Blom AM, Strle K, Davis AD, Kramer LD, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA. Cellular and immunological mechanisms influence host-adapted phenotypes in a vector-borne microparasite. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212087. [PMID: 35193398 PMCID: PMC8864362 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting pathogen emergence and spillover risk requires understanding the determinants of a pathogens' host range and the traits involved in host competence. While host competence is often considered a fixed species-specific trait, it may be variable if pathogens diversify across hosts. Balancing selection can lead to maintenance of pathogen polymorphisms (multiple-niche-polymorphism; MNP). The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), provides a model to study the evolution of host adaptation, as some Bb strains defined by their outer surface protein C (ospC) genotype, are widespread in white-footed mice and others are associated with non-rodent vertebrates (e.g. birds). To identify the mechanisms underlying potential strain × host adaptation, we infected American robins and white-footed mice, with three Bb strains of different ospC genotypes. Bb burdens varied by strain in a host-dependent fashion, and strain persistence in hosts largely corresponded to Bb survival at early infection stages and with transmission to larvae (i.e. fitness). Early survival phenotypes are associated with cell adhesion, complement evasion and/or inflammatory and antibody-mediated removal of Bb, suggesting directional selective pressure for host adaptation and the potential role of MNP in maintaining OspC diversity. Our findings will guide future investigations to inform eco-evolutionary models of host adaptation for microparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Alexander J. Diaz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Jessica L. Stout
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Klemen Strle
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - April D. Davis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Institute for Genomic Health, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Mandli JT, Lee X, Bron GM, Paskewitz SM. Integrated Tick Management in South Central Wisconsin: Impact of Invasive Vegetation Removal and Host-Targeted Acaricides on the Density of Questing Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:2358-2367. [PMID: 34397096 PMCID: PMC8824448 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
As tick-borne disease incidence increases and pathogens expand into new areas, the need for effective tick management strategies is paramount. In this 5-yr study (2014-2018) conducted in south central Wisconsin, we assessed whether an integrated tick management approach, deployed during peak tick activity (May-August), was more effective at reducing black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say (Ixodida: Ixodidae)), than individual interventions. Using a factorial design, invasive vegetation removal (Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii Ruprecht (Dipsacales: Caprifoliaceae) and common buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica Linnaeus (Rosales: Rhamnaceae)) was coupled with deployments of permethrin-treated cotton nesting materials (tick tubes) that target the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque (Rodentia: Cricetidae)). Results show that the probability of encountering a larval tick by drag sampling was unaffected by treatments at the cumulative 5-yr level. However, vegetation removal significantly reduced larval encounters in 2014, 2015, and 2018, by 33%, 57%, and 61% respectively, and reduced the density of questing nymphal (DON) ticks by 45% in 2015 compared to controls. Despite the limited effect on DON, vegetation removal significantly reduced the cumulative 5-yr density of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto infected nymphs (DIN) (70%) compared to controls as a result of decreased nymphal infection prevalence. Sites treated with tick tubes had lower DIN (66%) and DON (54%) across the study and nymphs were reduced every year following the initial year of deployment compared to controls. Combining treatments did not further reduce DIN or DONs. We conclude that long-term integration of tick tubes with invasive vegetation removal does not provide additional benefit over individual treatments alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan T Mandli
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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11
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Citizen Science Provides an Efficient Method for Broad-Scale Tick-Borne Pathogen Surveillance of Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis across the United States. mSphere 2021; 6:e0068221. [PMID: 34585963 PMCID: PMC8550138 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00682-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases have expanded over the last 2 decades as a result of shifts in tick and pathogen distributions. These shifts have significantly increased the need for accurate portrayal of real-time pathogen distributions and prevalence in hopes of stemming increases in human morbidity. Traditionally, pathogen distribution and prevalence have been monitored through case reports or scientific collections of ticks or reservoir hosts, both of which have challenges that impact the extent, availability, and accuracy of these data. Citizen science tick collections and testing campaigns supplement these data and provide timely estimates of pathogen prevalence and distributions to help characterize and understand tick-borne disease threats to communities. We utilized our national citizen science tick collection and testing program to describe the distribution and prevalence of four Ixodes-borne pathogens, Borrelia burgdorferisensu lato, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti, across the continental United States. IMPORTANCE In the 21st century, zoonotic pathogens continue to emerge, while previously discovered pathogens continue to have changes within their distribution and prevalence. Monitoring these pathogens is resource intensive, requiring both field and laboratory support; thus, data sets are often limited within their spatial and temporal extents. Citizen science collections provide a method to harness the general public to collect samples, enabling real-time monitoring of pathogen distribution and prevalence.
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12
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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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13
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Sidge JL, Foster ES, Buttke DE, Hojgaard A, Graham CB, Tsao JI. Lake Michigan insights from island studies: the roles of chipmunks and coyotes in maintaining Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi in the absence of white-tailed deer. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101761. [PMID: 34167044 PMCID: PMC11373426 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Deer management (e.g., reduction) has been proposed as a tool to reduce the acarological risk of Lyme disease. There have been few opportunities to investigate Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick) and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto dynamics in the absence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in midwestern North America. A pair of islands in Lake Michigan presented a unique opportunity to study the role of alternative hosts for the adult stage of the blacklegged tick for maintaining a tick population as a deer herd exists on North Manitou Island but not on South Manitou Island, where coyotes (Canis latrans) and hares (Lepus americanus) are the dominant medium mammals. Additionally, we were able to investigate the maintenance of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in small mammal communities on both islands, which were dominated by eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). From 2011 to 2015, we surveyed both islands for blacklegged ticks by drag cloth sampling, bird mist netting, and small and medium-sized mammal trapping. We assayed questing ticks, on-host ticks, and mammal biopsies for the Lyme disease pathogen, B. burgdorferi. We detected all three life stages of the blacklegged tick on both islands. Of the medium mammals sampled, no snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus, 0/23) were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, but 2/2 coyotes (Canis latrans) sampled on South Manitou Island in 2014 were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, suggesting that coyotes played a role in maintaining the tick population in the absence of deer. We also detected I. scapularis ticks on passerine birds from both islands, providing support that birds contribute to maintaining as well as introducing blacklegged ticks and B. burgdorferi to the islands. We observed higher questing adult and nymphal tick densities, and higher B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in small mammals and in adult ticks on the island with deer as compared to the deer-free island. On the islands, we also found that 25% more chipmunks were tick-infested than mice, fed more larvae and nymphs relative to their proportional abundance compared to mice, and thus may play a larger role compared to mice in the maintenance of B. burgdorferi. Our investigation demonstrated that alternative hosts could maintain a local population of blacklegged ticks and an enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease bacterium in the absence of white-tailed deer. Thus, alternative adult blacklegged tick hosts should be considered when investigating deer-targeted management tools for reducing tick-borne disease risk, especially when the alternative host community may be abundant and diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Sidge
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, State of Michigan, 525 West Allegan Street, Lansing, MI, USA, 48933.
| | - Erik S Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Danielle E Buttke
- Biological Resources Division/Wildlife Health Branch and Office of Public Health, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80525
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Christine B Graham
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824
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14
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Zembsch TE, Lee X, Bron GM, Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM. Coinfection of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs With Babesia spp. (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in Wisconsin. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1891-1899. [PMID: 33855361 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes Lyme disease, is endemic and widespread in Wisconsin. Research in the northeastern United States has revealed a positive association between Babesia microti, the main pathogen that causes babesiosis in humans, and Bo. burgdorferi in humans and in ticks. This study was conducted to examine associations between the disease agents in the Upper midwestern United States. Ixodes scapularis Say nymphs (N = 2,858) collected between 2015 and 2017 from nine locations in Wisconsin were tested for Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. using real-time PCR. Two species of Babesia were detected; Ba. microti and Babesia odocoilei (a parasite of members of the family Cervidae). Prevalence of infection at the nine locations ranged from 0 to 13% for Ba. microti, 11 to 31% for Bo. burgdorferi sensu stricto, and 5.7 to 26% for Ba. odocoilei. Coinfection of nymphs with Bo. burgdorferi and Ba. odocoilei was detected in eight of the nine locations and significant positive associations were observed in two of the eight locations. The prevalence of nymphal coinfection with both and Bo. burgdorferi and Ba. microti ranged from 0.81 to 6.5%. These two pathogens were significantly positively associated in one of the five locations where both pathogens were detected. In the other four locations, the observed prevalence of coinfection was higher than expected in all but one site-year. Clinics and healthcare providers should be aware of the association between Ba. microti and Bo. burgdorferi pathogens when treating patients who report tick bites.
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Affiliation(s)
- T E Zembsch
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - X Lee
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - G M Bron
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - L C Bartholomay
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - S M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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15
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Ogden NH, Beard CB, Ginsberg HS, Tsao JI. Possible Effects of Climate Change on Ixodid Ticks and the Pathogens They Transmit: Predictions and Observations. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1536-1545. [PMID: 33112403 PMCID: PMC9620468 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The global climate has been changing over the last century due to greenhouse gas emissions and will continue to change over this century, accelerating without effective global efforts to reduce emissions. Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) are inherently climate-sensitive due to the sensitivity of tick lifecycles to climate. Key direct climate and weather sensitivities include survival of individual ticks, and the duration of development and host-seeking activity of ticks. These sensitivities mean that in some regions a warming climate may increase tick survival, shorten life-cycles and lengthen the duration of tick activity seasons. Indirect effects of climate change on host communities may, with changes in tick abundance, facilitate enhanced transmission of tick-borne pathogens. High temperatures, and extreme weather events (heat, cold, and flooding) are anticipated with climate change, and these may reduce tick survival and pathogen transmission in some locations. Studies of the possible effects of climate change on TTBDs to date generally project poleward range expansion of geographical ranges (with possible contraction of ranges away from the increasingly hot tropics), upslope elevational range spread in mountainous regions, and increased abundance of ticks in many current endemic regions. However, relatively few studies, using long-term (multi-decade) observations, provide evidence of recent range changes of tick populations that could be attributed to recent climate change. Further integrated 'One Health' observational and modeling studies are needed to detect changes in TTBD occurrence, attribute them to climate change, and to develop predictive models of public- and animal-health needs to plan for TTBD emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada J2S 2M2
- Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada J2S 2M2
- Corresponding author,
| | - C. Ben Beard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521
| | - Howard S. Ginsberg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Rhode Island Field Station, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881
| | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
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16
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Larson RT, Bron GM, Lee X, Paskewitz SM. High Proportion of Unfed Larval Blacklegged Ticks, Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae), Collected From Modified Nest Boxes for Mice. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1448-1453. [PMID: 33471096 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is the primary vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease and babesiosis, in the eastern United States and active collection methods for this species include dragging or wild animal sampling. Nest boxes targeting mice may be an alternative strategy for the surveillance and collection of immature I. scapularis feeding on these hosts and would be much safer for animals compared to small mammal trapping. We constructed double-walled insulated nest boxes (DWINs) with collection tubes mounted below the nesting chamber and deployed eleven in southern Wisconsin from June until September of 2020. The DWINs were occupied by Peromyscus spp. and birds (wren species, Troglodytidae family). We collected 192 ticks from collection tubes, all of which were identified as either I. scapularis (95%) or Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) (5%). Only 12% (21/182) and 20% (2/10) of I. scapularis and D. variabilis were blood-fed, respectively. The high proportion of unfed ticks found in collection tubes may be due to grooming by hosts inside the nest boxes. Alternatively, immature ticks may have climbed trees and entered the DWIN seeking a host. Results suggest that nest boxes could be a tool for finding ticks in areas of low density or at the leading edge of invasion, when small mammal trapping or drag sampling is not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- R T Larson
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
- Lieutenant Commander, Medical Service Corps, U.S. Navy
- Naval Medical Leader & Professional Development Command (NML & PDC), 8955 Wood Road, Bethesda, MD
| | - G M Bron
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
| | - X Lee
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
| | - S M Paskewitz
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
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17
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Bron GM, Lee X, Paskewitz SM. Do-It-Yourself Tick Control: Granular Gamma-Cyhalothrin Reduces Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphs in Residential Backyards. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:749-755. [PMID: 33107559 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with hotspots in the Northeast and Midwest. Integrated vector control for mosquito-borne disease prevention is often organized at the community level, but tick control is primarily coordinated at the household and individual level. Management of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), the vector of the causative agent of Lyme disease in the Midwest and eastern United States in peridomestic environments may be critical as many tick encounters are reported to occur in the yard. Therefore, we assessed the effectiveness of a widely available and low-cost pesticide that targets common lawn pests and is labeled for use against ticks. In June 2019, we evaluated a granular form of gamma-cyhalothrin in a placebo-controlled residential backyard study (n = 90) in two communities in Wisconsin. The product applied by the research team reduced nymphal blacklegged ticks in plots established in the lawn part of the ecotone by 97% one week after application at both communities and by 89-97% three to four weeks postapplication. The proportion of homes with at least one nymphal tick postapplication was significantly lower at acaricide-treated homes and ranged from 4.2 to 29.2% compared with placebo homes where at least one nymphal tick was found at 50-81.5% of homes. These results support the efficacy of a low-cost do-it-yourself strategy for homeowners seeking to reduce blacklegged ticks in the yard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI
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18
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Piedmonte NP, Vinci VC, Daniels TJ, Backenson BP, Falco RC. Seasonal Activity of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Southern New York State. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:676-681. [PMID: 33051658 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, is a species native to eastern Asia that has recently been discovered in the United States. In its native range, H. longicornis transmits pathogens that cause disease in humans and livestock. It is currently unknown whether H. longicornis will act as a vector in the United States. Understanding its seasonal activity patterns will be important in identifying which times of the year represent greatest potential risk to humans and livestock should this species become a threat to animal or public health. A study site was established in Yonkers, NY near the residence associated with the first reported human bite from H. longicornis in the United States. Ticks were collected once each week from July 2018 to November 2019. Haemaphysalis longicornis larvae were most active from August to November, nymphs from April to July, and adult females from June to September. This pattern of activity suggests that H. longicornis is capable of completing a generation within a single year and matches the patterns observed in its other ranges in the northern hemisphere. The data presented here contribute to a growing database for H. longicornis phenology in the northeastern United States. Potential implications of the short life cycle for the tick's vectorial capacity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa C Vinci
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, NY
| | | | - Bryon P Backenson
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY
| | - Richard C Falco
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, NY
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19
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Lehane A, Maes SE, Graham CB, Jones E, Delorey M, Eisen RJ. Prevalence of single and coinfections of human pathogens in Ixodes ticks from five geographical regions in the United States, 2013-2019. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101637. [PMID: 33360805 PMCID: PMC11351056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As the geographic distributions of medically important ticks and tick-borne pathogens continue to expand in the United States, the burden of tick-borne diseases continues to increase along with a growing risk of coinfections. Coinfection with multiple tick-borne pathogens may amplify severity of disease and complicate diagnosis and treatment. By testing 13,400 Ixodes ticks from 17 US states spanning five geographical regions for etiological agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto [s.s.] and Borrelia mayonii), Borrelia miyamotoi disease (Borrelia miyamotoi), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), and babesiosis (Babesia microti) we show that B. burgdorferi s.s. was the most prevalent and widespread pathogen. Borrelia miyamotoi, A. phagocytophilum, and B. microti were widespread but less prevalent than B. burgdorferi s.s. Coinfections with B. burgdorferi s.s. and A. phagocytophilum or B. microti were most common in the Northeast and occurred at rates higher than expected based on rates of single infections in that region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aine Lehane
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Christine B Graham
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Emma Jones
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mark Delorey
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
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20
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Ginsberg HS, Hickling GJ, Burke RL, Ogden NH, Beati L, LeBrun RA, Arsnoe IM, Gerhold R, Han S, Jackson K, Maestas L, Moody T, Pang G, Ross B, Rulison EL, Tsao JI. Why Lyme disease is common in the northern US, but rare in the south: The roles of host choice, host-seeking behavior, and tick density. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001066. [PMID: 33507921 PMCID: PMC7842935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is common in the northeastern United States, but rare in the southeast, even though the tick vector is found in both regions. Infection prevalence of Lyme spirochetes in host-seeking ticks, an important component to the risk of Lyme disease, is also high in the northeast and northern midwest, but declines sharply in the south. As ticks must acquire Lyme spirochetes from infected vertebrate hosts, the role of wildlife species composition on Lyme disease risk has been a topic of lively academic discussion. We compared tick–vertebrate host interactions using standardized sampling methods among 8 sites scattered throughout the eastern US. Geographical trends in diversity of tick hosts are gradual and do not match the sharp decline in prevalence at southern sites, but tick–host associations show a clear shift from mammals in the north to reptiles in the south. Tick infection prevalence declines north to south largely because of high tick infestation of efficient spirochete reservoir hosts (rodents and shrews) in the north but not in the south. Minimal infestation of small mammals in the south results from strong selective attachment to lizards such as skinks (which are inefficient reservoirs for Lyme spirochetes) in the southern states. Selective host choice, along with latitudinal differences in tick host-seeking behavior and variations in tick densities, explains the geographic pattern of Lyme disease in the eastern US. Lyme disease is common in the northeastern United States, but rare in the southeast, even though the tick vector is found in both regions. This study shows that this is largely because the tick vectors attach abundantly to rodents (which are good hosts for the Lyme bacteria) in the north, and to lizards (which are relatively poor hosts for Lyme bacteria) in the south.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard S. Ginsberg
- US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Woodward-PSE, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Graham J. Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Russell L. Burke
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ste-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lorenza Beati
- US National Tick Collection, Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Roger A. LeBrun
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Isis M. Arsnoe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Richard Gerhold
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Seungeun Han
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kaetlyn Jackson
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
| | - Lauren Maestas
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Teresa Moody
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Genevieve Pang
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Breann Ross
- Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, United States of America
| | - Eric L. Rulison
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
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Passerine birds as hosts for Ixodes ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in southeastern Virginia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101650. [PMID: 33486431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101650] [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: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The ecology of vector-borne diseases in a region can be attributed to vector-host interactions. In the United States, tick-borne pathogens are the cause of the highest number of reported vector-borne diseases. In the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern United States, tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, have increased in incidence, with tick-host-pathogen interactions considered a contributing factor to this increase. Ticks become infected with pathogens after taking a blood meal from a systemically infected host or through a localized infection while co-feeding on a host with other infected ticks. The host not only plays a role in pathogen acquisition by the tick, but can also facilitate dispersal of the tick locally within a region or over greater distances into new geographical ranges outside of their historical distributional range. In this study conducted in southeastern Virginia (USA), we examined the interaction between both resident and migratory bird species and Ixodes ticks, the primary vectors of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) the main causative agent of Lyme disease on the East coast of the United States. Over a two-year period (2012-2014), 1879 passerine birds were surveyed, with 255 Ixodes ticks tested for the presence of Borrelia spp. Eighty passerine birds (4.3 %) representing 17 bird species were parasitized by at least one Ixodes tick, but only three bird species were parasitized by Ixodes ticks that tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. Twenty Ixodes ticks (7.8 %) tested positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. with nearly all collected from resident bird species including the Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) and brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum). Given that millions of birds pass through southeastern Virginia during migration, even with the low number of Ixodes ticks parasitizing passerine birds and the low prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.s. found within Ixodes ticks collected, the sheer volume of passerine birds suggests they may play a role in the maintenance and dispersal of B. burgdorferi s.s. in southeastern Virginia.
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Porter WT, Barrand ZA, Wachara J, DaVall K, Mihaljevic JR, Pearson T, Salkeld DJ, Nieto NC. Predicting the current and future distribution of the western black-legged tick, Ixodes pacificus, across the Western US using citizen science collections. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0244754. [PMID: 33400719 PMCID: PMC7785219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, ticks and tick-borne diseases have expanded their ranges and impact across the US. With this spread, it has become vital to monitor vector and disease distributions, as these shifts have public health implications. Typically, tick-borne disease surveillance (e.g., Lyme disease) is passive and relies on case reports, while disease risk is calculated using active surveillance, where researchers collect ticks from the environment. Case reports provide the basis for estimating the number of cases; however, they provide minimal information on vector population or pathogen dynamics. Active surveillance monitors ticks and sylvatic pathogens at local scales, but it is resource-intensive. As a result, data are often sparse and aggregated across time and space to increase statistical power to model or identify range changes. Engaging public participation in surveillance efforts allows spatially and temporally diverse samples to be collected with minimal effort. These citizen-driven tick collections have the potential to provide a powerful tool for tracking vector and pathogen changes. We used MaxEnt species distribution models to predict the current and future distribution of Ixodes pacificus across the Western US through the use of a nationwide citizen science tick collection program. Here, we present niche models produced through citizen science tick collections over two years. Despite obvious limitations with citizen science collections, the models are consistent with previously-predicted species ranges in California that utilized more than thirty years of traditional surveillance data. Additionally, citizen science allows for an expanded understanding of I. pacificus distribution in Oregon and Washington. With the potential for rapid environmental changes instigated by a burgeoning human population and rapid climate change, the development of tools, concepts, and methodologies that provide rapid, current, and accurate assessment of important ecological qualities will be invaluable for monitoring and predicting disease across time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Tanner Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Zachary A. Barrand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Julie Wachara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Kaila DaVall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Joseph R. Mihaljevic
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Talima Pearson
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Salkeld
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nathan C. Nieto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America
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23
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Lynn GE, Diktas H, DePonte K, Fikrig E. Naturally Acquired Resistance to Ixodes scapularis Elicits Partial Immunity against Other Tick Vectors in a Laboratory Host. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2021; 104:175-183. [PMID: 33258439 PMCID: PMC7790098 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In many regions where ticks negatively impact public health or economic production, multiple medically important tick species may have overlapping geographic distribution, and in North America, this includes members of Ixodes, Dermacentor, and Amblyomma genera. Acquired tick resistance is the process by which some animals develop an immune response against feeding ticks after one or more exposures. This form of immunity can restrict the ability of ticks to feed and may inhibit transmission of pathogens. Likewise, many proteins present in tick saliva are conserved among tick species, and prior studies have reported cross-protective host immunity against certain combinations of ticks. In this study, we used a guinea pig model to assess whether host resistance against Ixodes scapularis could confer protection against two other medically important tick vectors, Dermacentor variabilis and Amblyomma americanum. Tick challenges using nymphs were used to induce host resistance against a primary species, followed by additional challenge using a secondary tick species. Tick attachment to hosts and engorgement weights were reduced significantly for D. variabilis and A. americanum feeding on I. scapularis-sensitized hosts. Reciprocally, I. scapularis engorgement weights were reduced to a lesser extent, and attachment was unaffected when feeding on hosts sensitized with either D. variabilis or A. americanum. These results indicate that immunity against I. scapularis could potentially be exploited for use in an anti-tick vaccine targeting multiple tick species and their associated pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey E. Lynn
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Husrev Diktas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kathleen DePonte
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland
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24
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Salomon J, Hamer SA, Swei A. A Beginner's Guide to Collecting Questing Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae): A Standardized Tick Dragging Protocol. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2020; 20:11. [PMID: 33135760 PMCID: PMC7604844 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaa073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are emerging globally, necessitating increased research and coordination of tick surveillance practices. The most widely used technique for active collection of host-seeking, human-biting tick vectors is 'tick dragging', by which a cloth is dragged across the top of the vegetation or forest floor and regularly checked for the presence of ticks. Use of variable dragging protocols limits the ability of researchers to combine data sets for comparative analyses or determine patterns and trends across different spatial and temporal scales. Standardization of tick drag collection and reporting methodology will greatly benefit the field of tick-pathogen studies. Based on the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other ecological considerations, we propose that tick dragging should be conducted to sample at least 750 m2 along linear transects when habitat allows in a manner that reduces bias in the sampled area, and report density of each tick species and life stage separately. A protocol for constructing a standard drag cloth, establishing linear transects, and drag sampling is presented, along with a downloadable datasheet that can be modified to suit the needs of different projects. Efforts to align tick surveillance according to these standard best practices will help generate robust data on tick population biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Salomon
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
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25
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Han S, Hickling GJ, Ogden NH, Ginsberg HS, Kobbekaduwa V, Rulison EL, Beati L, Tsao JI. Seasonality of acarological risk of exposure to Borrelia miyamotoi from questing life stages of Ixodes scapularis collected from Wisconsin and Massachusetts, USA. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101556. [PMID: 33035757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Measures of acarological risk of exposure to Ixodes scapularis-borne disease agents typically focus on nymphs; however, the relapsing fever group spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi can be passed transovarially, and I. scapularis larvae are capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi to their hosts. To quantify the larval contribution to acarological risk, relative to nymphs and adults, we collected questing I. scapularis for 3 yr at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin (WI, n = 23,367 ticks), and Cape Cod, Massachusetts (MA, n = 4190) in the United States. Borrelia miyamotoi infection prevalence was estimated for I. scapularis larvae, nymphs, females, and males, respectively, as 0.88, 2.05, 0.63, and 1.22 % from the WI site and 0.33, 2.32, 2.83, and 2.11 % from the MA site. Densities of B. miyamotoi-infected ticks (DIT, per 1000 m2) were estimated for larvae, nymphs, females, and males, respectively, as 0.36, 0.14, 0.01, and 0.03 from the WI site and 0.05, 0.06, 0.03, and 0.02 from the MA site. Thus, although larval infection prevalence with B. miyamotoi was significantly lower than that of nymphs and similar to that of adults, because of their higher abundance, the larval contribution to the overall DIT was similar to that of nymphs and trended towards a greater contribution than adults. Assuming homogenous contact rates with humans, these results suggest that eco-epidemiological investigations of B. miyamotoi disease in North America should include larvae. A fuller appreciation of the epidemiological implications of these results, therefore, requires an examination of the heterogeneity in contact rates with humans among life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungeun Han
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Howard S Ginsberg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Kingston, RI 02881, United States.
| | - Vishvapali Kobbekaduwa
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Eric L Rulison
- California Department of Transportation, Redding, CA 96001, United States.
| | - Lorenza Beati
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, United States.
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States.
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26
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Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease and is transmitted to vertebrate hosts by Ixodes spp. ticks. The spirochaete relies heavily on its arthropod host for basic metabolic functions and has developed complex interactions with ticks to successfully colonize, persist and, at the optimal time, exit the tick. For example, proteins shield spirochaetes from immune factors in the bloodmeal and facilitate the transition between vertebrate and arthropod environments. On infection, B. burgdorferi induces selected tick proteins that modulate the vector gut microbiota towards an environment that favours colonization by the spirochaete. Additionally, the recent sequencing of the Ixodes scapularis genome and characterization of tick immune defence pathways, such as the JAK–STAT, immune deficiency and cross-species interferon-γ pathways, have advanced our understanding of factors that are important for B. burgdorferi persistence in the tick. In this Review, we summarize interactions between B. burgdorferi and I. scapularis during infection, as well as interactions with tick gut and salivary gland proteins important for establishing infection and transmission to the vertebrate host. Borrelia burgdorferi has a complex life cycle with several different hosts, causing Lyme disease when it infects humans. In this Review, Fikrig and colleagues discuss how B. burgdorferi infects and interacts with its tick vector to ensure onward transmission.
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27
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Xu G, Wielstra B, Rich SM. Northern and southern blacklegged (deer) ticks are genetically distinct with different histories and Lyme spirochete infection rates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10289. [PMID: 32581236 PMCID: PMC7314838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the archetypal emerging zoonosis and is dependent on transmission by ticks in the genus Ixodes. Understanding the origin, maintenance, and spread of these ticks contributes much to our understanding of the spread of LB and other disease agents borne by these ticks. We collected 1232 Ixodes scapularis ticks from 17 east coast sites ranging from New Hampshire to Florida and used mtDNA, three nuclear genetic loci, and incorporated Bayesian analyses to resolve geographically distinct tick populations and compare their demographic histories. A sparse, stable, and genetically diverse population of ticks in the Southeastern US, that is rarely infected with the agent of LB is genetically distinct from an abundant, expanding, and comparatively uniform population in the Northeast, where epidemic LB now constitutes the most important vector borne disease in the United States. The contrasting geography and demography of tick populations, interpreted in the context of the geological history of the region, suggests that during the last glacial period such ticks occupied distinct refugia, with only the northern-most site of refuge giving rise to those ticks and pathogens now fueling the epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Xu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America.
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen M Rich
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America
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28
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Gaff H, Eisen RJ, Eisen L, Nadolny R, Bjork J, Monaghan AJ. LYMESIM 2.0: An Updated Simulation of Blacklegged Tick (Acari: Ixodidae) Population Dynamics and Enzootic Transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:715-727. [PMID: 32002549 PMCID: PMC9376966 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States, and the number of cases reported each year continues to rise. The complex nature of the relationships between the pathogen (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto), the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis Say), multiple vertebrate hosts, and numerous environmental factors creates challenges for understanding and predicting tick population and pathogen transmission dynamics. LYMESIM is a mechanistic model developed in the late 1990s to simulate the life-history of I. scapularis and transmission dynamics of B. burgdorferi s.s. Here we present LYMESIM 2.0, a modernized version of LYMESIM, that includes several modifications to enhance the biological realism of the model and to generate outcomes that are more readily measured under field conditions. The model is tested for three geographically distinct locations in New York, Minnesota, and Virginia. Model-simulated timing and densities of questing nymphs, infected nymphs, and abundances of nymphs feeding on hosts are consistent with field observations and reports for these locations. Sensitivity analysis highlighted the importance of temperature in host finding for the density of nymphs, the importance of transmission from small mammals to ticks on the density of infected nymphs, and temperature-related tick survival for both density of nymphs and infected nymphs. A key challenge for accurate modeling of these metrics is the need for regionally representative inputs for host populations and their fluctuations. LYMESIM 2.0 is a useful public health tool that downstream can be used to evaluate tick control interventions and can be adapted for other ticks and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - Robyn Nadolny
- Army Public Health Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164
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29
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Parise CM, Breuner NE, Hojgaard A, Osikowicz LM, Replogle AJ, Eisen RJ, Eisen L. Experimental Demonstration of Reservoir Competence of the White-Footed Mouse, Peromyscus leucopus (Rodentia: Cricetidae), for the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia mayonii (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2020; 57:927-932. [PMID: 31819966 PMCID: PMC8056285 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The white-footed mouse, Peromyscus leucopus (Rafinesque), is a reservoir for the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern half of the United States, where the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), is the primary vector. In the Midwest, an additional Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia mayonii, was recorded from naturally infected I. scapularis and P. leucopus. However, an experimental demonstration of reservoir competence was lacking for a natural tick host. We therefore experimentally infected P. leucopus with B. mayonii via I. scapularis nymphal bites and then fed uninfected larvae on the mice to demonstrate spirochete acquisition and passage to resulting nymphs. Of 23 mice fed on by B. mayonii-infected nymphs, 21 (91%) developed active infections. The infection prevalence for nymphs fed as larvae on these infected mice 4 wk post-infection ranged from 56 to 98%, and the overall infection prevalence for 842 nymphs across all 21 P. leucopus was 75% (95% confidence interval, 72-77%). To assess duration of infectivity, 10 of the P. leucopus were reinfested with uninfected larval ticks 12 wk after the mice were infected. The overall infection prevalence for 480 nymphs across all 10 P. leucopus at the 12-wk time point was 26% (95% confidence interval, 23-31%), when compared with 76% (95% confidence interval, 71-79%) for 474 nymphs from the same subset of 10 mice at the 4-wk time point. We conclude that P. leucopus is susceptible to infection with B. mayonii via bite by I. scapularis nymphs and an efficient reservoir for this Lyme disease spirochete.
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30
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ARGAS (PERSICARGAS) GIGANTEUS SOFT TICK INFECTION WITH RICKETTSIA HOOGSTRAALI AND RELAPSING FEVER BORRELIA ON WILD AVIAN SPECIES OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, USA. J Wildl Dis 2020. [DOI: 10.7589/2018-11-275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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31
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Aivelo T, Norberg A, Tschirren B. Bacterial microbiota composition of Ixodes ricinus ticks: the role of environmental variation, tick characteristics and microbial interactions. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8217. [PMID: 31875152 PMCID: PMC6925955 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological factors, host characteristics and/or interactions among microbes may all shape the occurrence of microbes and the structure of microbial communities within organisms. In the past, disentangling these factors and determining their relative importance in shaping within-host microbiota communities has been hampered by analytical limitations to account for (dis)similar environmental preferences ('environmental filtering'). Here we used a joint species distribution modelling (JSDM) approach to characterize the bacterial microbiota of one of the most important disease vectors in Europe, the sheep tick Ixodes ricinus, along ecological gradients in the Swiss Alps. Although our study captured extensive environmental variation along elevational clines, the explanatory power of such large-scale ecological factors was comparably weak, suggesting that tick-specific traits and behaviours, microhabitat and -climate experienced by ticks, and interactions among microbes play an important role in shaping tick microbial communities. Indeed, when accounting for shared environmental preferences, evidence for significant patterns of positive or negative co-occurrence among microbes was found, which is indicative of competition or facilitation processes. Signals of facilitation were observed primarily among human pathogens, leading to co-infection within ticks, whereas signals of competition were observed between the tick endosymbiont Spiroplasma and human pathogens. These findings highlight the important role of small-scale ecological variation and microbe-microbe interactions in shaping tick microbial communities and the dynamics of tick-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Aivelo
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology research program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Norberg
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology research program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Barbara Tschirren
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
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Remesar S, Díaz P, Venzal JM, Prieto A, Estrada-Peña A, López CM, Panadero R, Fernández G, Díez-Baños P, Morrondo P. Longitudinal Study of Infection with Borrelia spp. in Questing Ticks from North-Western Spain. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:785-792. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Susana Remesar
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díaz
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Venzal
- Laboratorio de Vectores y Enfermedades Transmitidas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, CENUR Litoral Norte, Salto, Uruguay
| | - Alberto Prieto
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ceferino Manuel López
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Rosario Panadero
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Fernández
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Pablo Díez-Baños
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
| | - Patrocinio Morrondo
- Departamento de Patología Animal (Grupo INVESAGA), Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain
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Margos G, Fingerle V, Reynolds S. Borrelia bavariensis: Vector Switch, Niche Invasion, and Geographical Spread of a Tick-Borne Bacterial Parasite. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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Card LR, McShea WJ, Fleischer RC, Maldonado JE, Stewardson K, Campana MG, Jansen PA, Calabrese JM. Tick Burdens in a Small-Mammal Community in Virginia. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2019. [DOI: 10.1656/045.026.0317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Leah R. Card
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630
| | - William J. McShea
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630
| | - Robert C. Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
| | - Jesús. E. Maldonado
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
| | - Kristin Stewardson
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
| | - Michael G. Campana
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at the National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
| | - Patrick A. Jansen
- Center for Tropical Forest Science, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Roosevelt Avenue, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Justin M. Calabrese
- Conservation Ecology Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630
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Tonelli BA, Dearborn DC. An individual-based model for the dispersal of Ixodes scapularis by ovenbirds and wood thrushes during fall migration. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:1096-1104. [PMID: 31186200 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is responsible for the transmission of a variety of pathogens in North America, including Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti. Songbirds have previously been described as agents of tick dispersal, and a combination of empirical data and modeling efforts have implicated songbirds in the range expansion of I. scapularis northward into Canada during spring bird migration. The role of fall bird migration has received comparatively less attention, particularly at a continental scale. The aim of the current research was to use a novel individual-based modeling approach (IBM) to investigate the role of southward migrating songbirds in the dispersal of I. scapularis within the continental United States. The IBM used in this research explicitly models dispersal by two extensively studied migrating songbird species, wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina and ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus. Our IBM predicts the annual dispersal of more than four million ticks by H. mustelina and S. aurocapillus, notably into areas as far west as the Dakotas, and as far south as Central Alabama. Predicted dispersal locations include areas where the southern phenotype of I. scapularis dominates, suggestive of a possible mechanism for previously described unidirectional gene flow from north to south. In addition, the model demonstrates that three species-specific songbird traits - breeding range, migration timing, and propensity for tick attachment - each play a major role in the relative magnitude of tick dispersal by different songbird species. The pattern of I. scapularis dispersal predicted by this model suggests that migrating songbirds may have contributed to the range expansion of the tick historically, and may continue to do so presently and into the future, particularly as climate changes the geographic areas that are suitable for I. scapularis. Ultimately, widespread tick dispersal by migrating songbirds likely increases the human risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in the United States.
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Porter WT, Motyka PJ, Wachara J, Barrand ZA, Hmood Z, McLaughlin M, Pemberton K, Nieto NC. Citizen science informs human-tick exposure in the Northeastern United States. Int J Health Geogr 2019; 18:9. [PMID: 31064416 PMCID: PMC6505254 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-019-0173-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne disease is the result of spillover of pathogens into the human population. Traditionally, literature has focused on characterization of tick-borne disease pathogens and ticks in their sylvatic cycles. A limited amount of research has focused on human-tick exposure in this system, especially in the Northeastern United States. Human-tick interactions are crucial to consider when assessing the risk of tick-borne disease since a tick bite is required for spillover to occur. METHODS Citizen scientists collected ticks from the Northeastern US through a free nationwide program. Submitted ticks were identified to species, stage, and sex. Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, were tested for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and hard-tick relapsing fever Borrelia. Seasonality of exposure and the citizen science activity during tick exposure was recorded by the citizen scientist. A negative binomial model was fit to predict county level CDC Lyme disease cases in 2016 using citizen science Ixodes scapularis submissions, state, and county population as predictor variables. RESULTS A total of 3740 submissions, comprising 4261 ticks, were submitted from the Northeastern US and were reported to be parasitizing humans. Of the three species submitted, blacklegged ticks were the most prevalent followed by American dog ticks and lone star ticks. Submissions peaked in May with the majority of exposure occurring during every-day activities. The most common pathogen in blacklegged ticks was B. burgdorferi s.l. followed by hard-tick relapsing fever Borrelia. Negative binomial model performance was best in New England states followed by Middle Atlantic states. CONCLUSIONS Citizen science provides a low-cost and effective methodology for describing the seasonality and characteristics of human-tick exposure. In the Northeastern US, everyday activities were identified as a major mechanism for tick exposure, supporting the role of peri-domestic exposure in tick-borne disease. Citizen science provides a method for broad pathogen and tick surveillance, which is highly related to human disease, allowing for inferences to be made about the epidemiology of tick-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Tanner Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Peter J. Motyka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Julie Wachara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Zachary A. Barrand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Zahraa Hmood
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Marya McLaughlin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Kelsey Pemberton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
| | - Nathan C. Nieto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, 617 S. Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
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Arsnoe I, Tsao JI, Hickling GJ. Nymphal Ixodes scapularis questing behavior explains geographic variation in Lyme borreliosis risk in the eastern United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:553-563. [PMID: 30709659 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Most people who contract Lyme borreliosis in the eastern United States (US) acquire infection from the bite of the nymphal life stage of the vector tick Ixodes scapularis, which is present in all eastern states. Yet <5% of Lyme borreliosis cases are reported from outside the north-central and northeastern US. Geographical differences in nymphal questing (i.e., host-seeking behavior) may be epidemiologically important in explaining this latitudinal gradient in Lyme borreliosis incidence. Using field enclosures and a 'common garden' experimental design at two field sites, we directly tested this hypothesis by observing above-litter questing of laboratory-raised nymphal I. scapularis whose parents were collected from 15 locations (= origins) across the species' range. Relative to southern nymphs from origins considered to be of low acarologic risk, northern nymphs from high-risk origins were eight times as likely to quest on or above the surface of the leaf litter. This regional variation in vector behavior (specifically, the propensity of southern nymphs to remain under leaf litter) was highly correlated with Lyme borreliosis incidence in nymphs' counties of origin. We conclude that nymphal host-seeking behavior is a key factor contributing to the low incidence of Lyme borreliosis in southern states. Expansion of northern I. scapularis populations could lead to increased incidence in southern states of Lyme borreliosis and other diseases vectored by this tick, if the 'northern' host-seeking behavior of immigrant nymphs is retained. Systematic surveillance for I. scapularis nymphs questing above the leaf litter in southern states will help predict future geographic change in I. scapularis-borne disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis Arsnoe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48933, USA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA; Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48933, USA; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48933, USA
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA.
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McClure M, Diuk-Wasser MA. Climate impacts on blacklegged tick host-seeking behavior. Int J Parasitol 2018; 49:37-47. [PMID: 30447202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The nymph of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the primary North American vector of the causative agent of Lyme disease, must attach to a host by the end of its questing season in order to feed and subsequently molt into an adult. The proper timing of this behavior is critical both for the tick's survival and for perpetuating the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Questing also depletes limited nymphal lipid reserves and increases desiccation risk. Given this tradeoff, questing behavior and its environmental influences can be expressed in a dynamic state variable model. We develop what we believe to be the first such model for a tick, and investigate the influence of climate on nymph fitness predictions. We apply these results to the hypothesized inland migration of I. scapularis from island refugia, evaluating fitness under suboptimal questing strategies and uncertain environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max McClure
- Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA.
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39
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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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40
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Ogden NH, Pang G, Ginsberg HS, Hickling GJ, Burke RL, Beati L, Tsao JI. Evidence for Geographic Variation in Life-Cycle Processes Affecting Phenology of the Lyme Disease Vector Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:1386-1401. [PMID: 29986046 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The seasonal activity pattern of immature Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) varies geographically in the United States, which may affect the efficiency of transmission cycles of pathogens transmitted by this species. To study the factors that determine seasonality, a multiyear study at seven sites across the geographic range of I. scapularis systematically collected questing ticks by flagging/dragging, and feeding ticks by capture of their hosts. The observed phenology patterns were consistent with previous studies reporting geographic variation in seasonal tick activity. Predictions of seasonal activity for each site were obtained from an I. scapularis simulation model calibrated using contemporaneous weather data. A range of scenarios for life-cycle processes-including different regimes of temperature-independent behavioral and developmental diapause, variations in temperature-development rate relationships, and temperature-dependent tick activity-were used in model formulations. These formulations produced a range of simulations of seasonal activity for each site and were compared against the field observed tick data using negative binomial regression models. Best fit scenarios were chosen for each site on the basis of Akaike's information criterion and regression model parameters. This analysis suggests that temperature-independent diapause mechanisms explain some key observed variations in I. scapularis seasonality, and are responsible in part for geographic variations in I. scapularis seasonality in the United States. However, diapause appears to operate in idiosyncratic ways in different regions of the United States, so further studies on populations in different regions will be needed to enable predictive modeling of climatic and climate change effects on I. scapularis seasonal activity and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Genevieve Pang
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
| | - Howard S Ginsberg
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center Coastal Field Station, Kingston, RI
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN
| | | | - Lorenza Beati
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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Halsey SJ, Allan BF, Miller JR. The role of Ixodes scapularis, Borrelia burgdorferi and wildlife hosts in Lyme disease prevalence: A quantitative review. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:1103-1114. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Campagnolo ER, Tewari D, Farone TS, Livengood JL, Mason KL. Evidence of Powassan/deer tick virus in adult black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) recovered from hunter-harvested white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Pennsylvania: A public health perspective. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 65:589-594. [PMID: 29707917 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Studies reporting tick infection rates for Powassan virus (POWV), an emerging zoonotic arthropod-borne pathogen responsible for POWV disease in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, are limited. To determine the presence and ascertain a statewide prevalence of POWV, ticks were collected from 9,912 hunter-harvested white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) heads presented to six regional Pennsylvania Game Commission Chronic Wasting Disease sampling stations in early December of 2013, 2014 and 2015. Of the 2,973 ticks recovered, 1,990 (66.9%) were identified as adult Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick). The 1,990 I. scapularis ticks were PCR-tested for the presence of POWV. The ticks had a statewide Powassan/deer tick virus infection rate of 0.05%, providing evidence of this pathogen in Pennsylvania's adult I. scapularis ticks and supporting the need for more comprehensive pathogen prevalence assessment strategies, as well as increased public health awareness for this emerging zoonotic arthropod-borne pathogen of public health concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Campagnolo
- Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.,Division of State and Local Readiness, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - D Tewari
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - T S Farone
- Department of Biology, Grove City College, Grove City, Pennsylvania
| | - J L Livengood
- Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - K L Mason
- Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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Leo SST, Gonzalez A, Millien V. The Genetic Signature of Range Expansion in a Disease Vector-The Black-Legged Tick. J Hered 2018; 108:176-183. [PMID: 28173203 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esw073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring and predicting the spread of emerging infectious diseases requires that we understand the mechanisms of range expansion by its vectors. Here, we examined spatial and temporal variation of genetic structure among 13 populations of the Lyme disease vector, the black-legged tick, in southern Quebec, where this tick species is currently expanding and Lyme disease is emerging. Our objective was to identify the primary mode of tick movement into Canada based on observed spatial and temporal genetic patterns. Upon genotyping 10 microsatellite loci from 613 tick specimens, we found multiple genetic signatures of frequent long-distance dispersal events, supporting the hypothesis that migratory birds are the primary carriers of black-legged ticks into southern Quebec. When we compared results from analyses of pairwise differences among ticks collected from 8 different sites at different years between 2011 and 2014, we found that genetic variation observed among tick individuals appeared to be better explained by collection year than sampling locality. This suggests that while cohorts of black-legged ticks can rapidly invade large areas across southern Quebec, they also appear to be undergoing frequent turnover. Finally, the amount of genetic variation in tick populations across our study area appeared to be related to their degree of establishment, with established populations displaying a lower amount of temporal genetic variation than adventitious ones. Given that Lyme disease infection risk in a region can be influenced by the relative presence of established and/or adventitious tick populations, our results are useful for understanding both the seasonality and spatial variation of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S T Leo
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Estrada-Peña A, Álvarez-Jarreta J, Cabezas-Cruz A. Reservoir and vector evolutionary pressures shaped the adaptation of Borrelia. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2018; 66:308-318. [PMID: 29654924 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The life cycle of spirochetes of the genus Borrelia includes complex networks of vertebrates and ticks. The tripartite association of Borrelia-vertebrate-tick has proved ecologically successful for these bacteria, which have become some of the most prominent tick-borne pathogens in the northern hemisphere. To keep evolutionary pace with its double-host life history, Borrelia must adapt to the evolutionary pressures exerted by both sets of hosts. In this review, we attempt to reconcile functional, phylogenetic, and ecological perspectives to propose a coherent scenario of Borrelia evolution. Available empirical information supports that the association of Borrelia with ticks is very old. The major split between the tick families Argasidae-Ixodidae (dated some 230-290 Mya) resulted in most relapsing fever (Rf) species being restricted to Argasidae and few associated with Ixodidae. A further key event produced the diversification of the Lyme borreliosis (Lb) species: the radiation of ticks of the genus Ixodes from the primitive stock of Ixodidae (around 217 Mya). The ecological interactions of Borrelia demonstrate that Argasidae-transmitted Rf species remain restricted to small niches of one tick species and few vertebrates. The evolutionary pressures on this group are consequently low, and speciation processes seem to be driven by geographical isolation. In contrast to Rf, Lb species circulate in nested networks of dozens of tick species and hundreds of vertebrate species. This greater variety confers a remarkably variable pool of evolutionary pressures, resulting in large speciation of the Lb group, where different species adapt to circulate through different groups of vertebrates. Available data, based on ospA and multilocus sequence typing (including eight concatenated in-house genes) phylogenetic trees, suggest that ticks could constitute a secondary bottleneck that contributes to Lb specialization. Both sets of adaptive pressures contribute to the resilience of highly adaptable meta-populations of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Álvarez-Jarreta
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort 94700, France; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Ehrmann S, Ruyts SC, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Bauhus J, Brunet J, Cousins SAO, Deconchat M, Decocq G, De Frenne P, De Smedt P, Diekmann M, Gallet-Moron E, Gärtner S, Hansen K, Kolb A, Lenoir J, Lindgren J, Naaf T, Paal T, Panning M, Prinz M, Valdés A, Verheyen K, Wulf M, Liira J. Habitat properties are key drivers of Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) prevalence in Ixodes ricinus populations of deciduous forest fragments. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:23. [PMID: 29310722 PMCID: PMC5759830 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2590-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tick Ixodes ricinus has considerable impact on the health of humans and other terrestrial animals because it transmits several tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) such as B. burgdorferi (sensu lato), which causes Lyme borreliosis (LB). Small forest patches of agricultural landscapes provide many ecosystem services and also the disservice of LB risk. Biotic interactions and environmental filtering shape tick host communities distinctively between specific regions of Europe, which makes evaluating the dilution effect hypothesis and its influence across various scales challenging. Latitude, macroclimate, landscape and habitat properties drive both hosts and ticks and are comparable metrics across Europe. Therefore, we instead assess these environmental drivers as indicators and determine their respective roles for the prevalence of B. burgdorferi in I. ricinus. METHODS We sampled I. ricinus and measured environmental properties of macroclimate, landscape and habitat quality of forest patches in agricultural landscapes along a European macroclimatic gradient. We used linear mixed models to determine significant drivers and their relative importance for nymphal and adult B. burgdorferi prevalence. We suggest a new prevalence index, which is pool-size independent. RESULTS During summer months, our prevalence index varied between 0 and 0.4 per forest patch, indicating a low to moderate disservice. Habitat properties exerted a fourfold larger influence on B. burgdorferi prevalence than macroclimate and landscape properties combined. Increasingly available ecotone habitat of focal forest patches diluted and edge density at landscape scale amplified B. burgdorferi prevalence. Indicators of habitat attractiveness for tick hosts (food resources and shelter) were the most important predictors within habitat patches. More diverse and abundant macro- and microhabitat had a diluting effect, as it presumably diversifies the niches for tick-hosts and decreases the probability of contact between ticks and their hosts and hence the transmission likelihood. CONCLUSIONS Diluting effects of more diverse habitat patches would pose another reason to maintain or restore high biodiversity in forest patches of rural landscapes. We suggest classifying habitat patches by their regulating services as dilution and amplification habitat, which predominantly either decrease or increase B. burgdorferi prevalence at local and landscape scale and hence LB risk. Particular emphasis on promoting LB-diluting properties should be put on the management of those habitats that are frequently used by humans. In the light of these findings, climate change may be of little concern for LB risk at local scales, but this should be evaluated further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Ehrmann
- Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sanne C. Ruyts
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, B-9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | | | - Jürgen Bauhus
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Sara A. O. Cousins
- Landscape Ecology, Department of Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Marc Deconchat
- DYNAFOR, Université de Toulouse, INRA, INPT, Chemin de Borde Rouge, CS 52627, F-31326 Castanet, France
| | - Guillaume Decocq
- UR “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRS-UPJV), Jules Verne University of Picardie, 1 rue des Louvels, F-80037 Amiens Cedex 1, France
- UF PRiMAX, Clinical Pharmacology Department, CHU Amiens-Picardie, Amiens, France
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, B-9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
- Department of Plant Production, Ghent University, Proefhoevestraat 22, BE-9090 Melle, Belgium
| | - Pallieter De Smedt
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, B-9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Martin Diekmann
- Faculty of Biology/Chemistry (FB 02), Institute of Ecology, Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 5, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Emilie Gallet-Moron
- UR “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRS-UPJV), Jules Verne University of Picardie, 1 rue des Louvels, F-80037 Amiens Cedex 1, France
| | - Stefanie Gärtner
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- Black Forest National Park, Kniebisstraße 67, 77740 Bad Peterstal-Griesbach, Germany
| | - Karin Hansen
- Natural Resources & Environmental Effects, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 210 60, SE-100 31 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annette Kolb
- Faculty of Biology/Chemistry (FB 02), Institute of Ecology, Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 5, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UR “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRS-UPJV), Jules Verne University of Picardie, 1 rue des Louvels, F-80037 Amiens Cedex 1, France
| | - Jessica Lindgren
- Landscape Ecology, Department of Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tobias Naaf
- Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibniz-ZALF (e.V.), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Taavi Paal
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai 40, EE-51005 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marcus Panning
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 11, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maren Prinz
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Strasse 11, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Alicia Valdés
- UR “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN, FRE 3498 CNRS-UPJV), Jules Verne University of Picardie, 1 rue des Louvels, F-80037 Amiens Cedex 1, France
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, B-9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Monika Wulf
- Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibniz-ZALF (e.V.), Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Jaan Liira
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Lai 40, EE-51005 Tartu, Estonia
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Nadolny RM, Gaff HD. Natural history of Ixodes affinis in Virginia. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:109-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Kada S, McCoy KD, Boulinier T. Impact of life stage-dependent dispersal on the colonization dynamics of host patches by ticks and tick-borne infectious agents. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:375. [PMID: 28778181 PMCID: PMC5544987 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND When colonization and gene flow depend on host-mediated dispersal, a key factor affecting vector dispersal potential is the time spent on the host for the blood meal, a characteristic that can vary strongly among life history stages. Using a 2-patch vector-pathogen population model and seabird ticks as biological examples, we explore how vector colonization rates and the spread of infectious agents may be shaped by life stage-dependent dispersal. We contrast hard (Ixodidae) and soft (Argasidae) tick systems, which differ strongly in blood- feeding traits. RESULTS We find that vector life history characteristics (i.e. length of blood meal) and demographic constraints (Allee effects) condition the colonization potential of ticks; hard ticks, which take a single, long blood meal per life stage, should have much higher colonization rates than soft ticks, which take repeated short meals. Moreover, this dispersal potential has direct consequences for the spread of vector-borne infectious agents, in particular when transmission is transovarial. CONCLUSIONS These results have clear implications for predicting the dynamics of vector and disease spread in the context of large-scale environmental change. The findings highlight the need to include life-stage dispersal in models that aim to predict species and disease distributions, and provide testable predictions related to the population genetic structure of vectors and pathogens along expansion fronts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kada
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) - CNRS Université Montpellier UMR 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Karen D. McCoy
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, UMR CNRS 5290 - UR IRD 224 - Université Montpellier, Centre IRD, 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) - CNRS Université Montpellier UMR 5175, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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Parker CM, Miller JR, Allan BF. Avian and Habitat Characteristics Influence Tick Infestation Among Birds in Illinois. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:550-558. [PMID: 28399205 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Avian movements are an important mechanism by which ticks and associated pathogens can colonize new locations. The temporal and geographic extent of tick and pathogen dispersal is dependent on tick phenology and host movements across a landscape. We evaluated bird-host traits and habitat characteristics that may influence tick infestation and subsequent dispersal in Illinois. To determine which characteristics of host species and habitats influence infestation, we examined captured birds in 22 forest patches across east-central Illinois during migratory periods in fall of 2012 and 2013, and spring of 2013 and 2014. We examined 1,028 birds of 78 species; 136 (13.2%) individuals representing 33 (42.3%) species were infested with at least one tick. We determined that infestation prevalence was greatest among birds that 1) forage primarily in the forest understory; 2) use large forest patches; 3) use patches with less invasive shrub cover. Furthermore, infestation intensity was greatest among birds captured during fall migration. These findings highlight the importance of avian and habitat traits that may influence tick infestation among passerine birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Parker
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, N-407 Turner Hall, MC-047, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801 (; )
| | - James R Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, N-407 Turner Hall, MC-047, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801 (; )
| | - Brian F Allan
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 505 South Goodwin Avenue, 320 Morrill Hall Urbana, IL 61801
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Johnson TL, Graham CB, Boegler KA, Cherry CC, Maes SE, Pilgard MA, Hojgaard A, Buttke DE, Eisen RJ. Prevalence and Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in Eastern National Parks. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:742-751. [PMID: 28028138 PMCID: PMC5657145 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens transmitted by Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), also known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick, are increasing in incidence and geographic distribution in the United States. We examined the risk of tick-borne disease exposure in 9 national parks across six Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia in 2014 and 2015. To assess the recreational risk to park visitors, we sampled for ticks along frequently used trails and calculated the density of I. scapularis nymphs (DON) and the density of infected nymphs (DIN). We determined the nymphal infection prevalence of I. scapularis with a suite of tick-borne pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. Ixodes scapularis nymphs were found in all national park units; DON ranged from 0.40 to 13.73 nymphs per 100 m2. Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, was found at all sites where I. scapularis was documented; DIN with B. burgdorferi ranged from 0.06 to 5.71 nymphs per 100 m2. Borrelia miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum were documented at 60% and 70% of the parks, respectively, while Ba. microti occurred at just 20% of the parks. Ixodes scapularis is well established across much of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States, and our results are generally consistent with previous studies conducted near the areas we sampled. Newly established I. scapularis populations were documented in two locations: Washington, D.C. (Rock Creek Park) and Greene County, Virginia (Shenandoah National Park). This research demonstrates the potential risk of tick-borne pathogen exposure in national parks and can be used to educate park visitors about the importance of preventative actions to minimize tick exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammi L Johnson
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Christine B Graham
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Karen A Boegler
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Cara C Cherry
- Biological Resources Division, Wildlife Health Branch and Office of Public Health, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Dr., Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 ( ; )
- Epidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Scientific Education and Professional Development, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329-4027
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Mark A Pilgard
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
| | - Danielle E Buttke
- Biological Resources Division, Wildlife Health Branch and Office of Public Health, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Dr., Suite 200, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (; )
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80521 (; ; ; ; ; ; )
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Rynkiewicz EC, Brown J, Tufts DM, Huang CI, Kampen H, Bent SJ, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Closely-related Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) strains exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:64. [PMID: 28166814 PMCID: PMC5292797 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1964-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wild hosts are commonly co-infected with complex, genetically diverse, pathogen communities. Competition is expected between genetically or ecologically similar pathogen strains which may influence patterns of coexistence. However, there is little data on how specific strains of these diverse pathogen species interact within the host and how this impacts pathogen persistence in nature. Ticks are the most common disease vector in temperate regions with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, being the most common vector-borne pathogen in North America. Borrelia burgdorferi is a pathogen of high public health concern and there is significant variation in infection phenotype between strains, which influences predictions of pathogen dynamics and spread. Methods In a laboratory experiment, we investigated whether two closely-related strains of B. burgdorferi (sensu stricto) showed similar transmission phenotypes, how the transmission of these strains changed when a host was infected with one strain, re-infected with the same strain, or co-infected with two strains. Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, nymphs were used to sequentially infect laboratory-bred Peromyscus leucopus, white-footed mice, with one strain only, homologous infection with the same stain, or heterologous infection with both strains. We used the results of this laboratory experiment to simulate long-term persistence and maintenance of each strain in a simple simulation model. Results Strain LG734 was more competitive than BL206, showing no difference in transmission between the heterologous infection groups and single-infection controls, while strain BL206 transmission was significantly reduced when strain LG734 infected first. The results of the model show that this asymmetry in competition could lead to extinction of strain BL206 unless there was a tick-to-host transmission advantage to this less competitive strain. Conclusions This asymmetric competitive interaction suggests that strain identity and the biotic context of co-infection is important to predict strain dynamics and persistence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1964-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Rynkiewicz
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Julia Brown
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Ching-I Huang
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Suedufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephen J Bent
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Durland Fish
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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