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Busi A, Martínez-Sánchez ET, Alvarez-Londoño J, Rivera-Páez FA, Ramírez-Chaves HE, Fontúrbel FE, Castaño-Villa GJ. Environmental and ecological factors affecting tick infestation in wild birds of the Americas. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:254. [PMID: 38922478 PMCID: PMC11208200 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08246-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The Americas hold the greatest bird diversity worldwide. Likewise, ectoparasite diversity is remarkable, including ticks of the Argasidae and Ixodidae families - commonly associated with birds. Considering that ticks have potential health implications for humans, animals, and ecosystems, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effects of bioclimatic, geographic variables, and bird species richness on tick infestation on wild birds across the Americas. We identified 72 articles that met our inclusion criteria and provided data on tick prevalence in wild birds. Using Generalized Additive Models, we assessed the effect of environmental factors, such as habitat type, climatic conditions, bird species richness, and geographic location, on tick infestation. Our findings show that most bird infestation case studies involved immature ticks, such as larvae or nymphs, while adult ticks represented only 13% of case studies. We found birds infested by ticks of the genera Amblyomma (68%), Ixodes (22%), Haemaphysalis (5%), Dermacentor (1%), and Rhipicephalus (0.8%) in twelve countries across the Americas. Our findings revealed that temperature variation and bird species richness were negatively associated with tick infestation, which also varied with geographic location, increasing in mid-latitudes but declining in extreme latitudes. Our results highlight the importance of understanding how environmental and bird community factors influence tick infestation in wild birds across the Americas and the dynamics of tick-borne diseases and their impact on biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Busi
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecosistemas Tropicales, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Doctorado en Ciencias-Agrarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 64B No. 25-65, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Estefani T Martínez-Sánchez
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Doctorado en Ciencias-Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Johnathan Alvarez-Londoño
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Fredy A Rivera-Páez
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Héctor E Ramírez-Chaves
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 65 No. 26-10, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
- Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 58 No. 21-50, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia
| | - Francisco E Fontúrbel
- Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, 2373223, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Gabriel J Castaño-Villa
- Grupo de Investigación en Genética, Biodiversidad y Manejo de Ecosistemas (GEBIOME), Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Caldas, Calle 64B No. 25-65, 170004, Manizales, Caldas, Colombia.
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Gregory N, Fernandez MP, Diuk-Wasser M. Risk of tick-borne pathogen spillover into urban yards in New York City. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:288. [PMID: 35948911 PMCID: PMC9365221 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05416-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of tick-borne disease has increased dramatically in recent decades, with urban areas increasingly recognized as high-risk environments for exposure to infected ticks. Green spaces may play a key role in facilitating the invasion of ticks, hosts and pathogens into residential areas, particularly where they connect residential yards with larger natural areas (e.g. parks). However, the factors mediating tick distribution across heterogeneous urban landscapes remain poorly characterized. METHODS Using generalized linear models in a multimodel inference framework, we determined the residential yard- and local landscape-level features associated with the presence of three tick species of current and growing public health importance in residential yards across Staten Island, a borough of New York City, in the state of New York, USA. RESULTS The amount and configuration of canopy cover immediately surrounding residential yards was found to strongly predict the presence of Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum, but not that of Haemaphysalis longicornis. Within yards, we found a protective effect of fencing against I. scapularis and A. americanum, but not against H. longicornis. For all species, the presence of log and brush piles strongly increased the odds of finding ticks in yards. CONCLUSIONS The results highlight a considerable risk of tick exposure in residential yards in Staten Island and identify both yard- and landscape-level features associated with their distribution. In particular, the significance of log and brush piles for all three species supports recommendations for yard management as a means of reducing contact with ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichar Gregory
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
| | - Maria P. Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA
| | - Maria Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY USA
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Baptism of Fire: Modeling the Effects of Prescribed Fire on Lyme Disease. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2022; 2022:5300887. [PMID: 35686019 PMCID: PMC9174017 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5300887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recently, tick-borne illnesses have been trending upward and are an increasing source of risk to people's health in the United States. This is due to range expansion in tick habitats as a result of climate change. Thus, it is imperative to find a practical and cost-efficient way of managing tick populations. Prescribed burns are a common form of land management that can be cost-efficient if properly managed and can be applied across large amounts of land. In this study, we present a compartmental model for ticks carrying Lyme disease and uniquely incorporate the effects of prescribed fire using an impulsive system to investigate the effects of prescribed fire intensity (high and low) and the duration between burns. Our study found that fire intensity has a larger impact in reducing tick population than the frequency between burns. Furthermore, burning at high intensity is preferable to burning at low intensity whenever possible, although high-intensity burns may be unrealistic due to environmental factors. Annual burns resulted in the most significant reduction in infectious nymphs, which are the primary carriers of Lyme disease.
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Wongnak P, Bord S, Jacquot M, Agoulon A, Beugnet F, Bournez L, Cèbe N, Chevalier A, Cosson JF, Dambrine N, Hoch T, Huard F, Korboulewsky N, Lebert I, Madouasse A, Mårell A, Moutailler S, Plantard O, Pollet T, Poux V, René-Martellet M, Vayssier-Taussat M, Verheyden H, Vourc'h G, Chalvet-Monfray K. Meteorological and climatic variables predict the phenology of Ixodes ricinus nymph activity in France, accounting for habitat heterogeneity. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7833. [PMID: 35552424 PMCID: PMC9098447 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11479-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are the most important vector for Lyme borreliosis in Europe. As climate change might affect their distributions and activities, this study aimed to determine the effects of environmental factors, i.e., meteorological, bioclimatic, and habitat characteristics on host-seeking (questing) activity of I. ricinus nymphs, an important stage in disease transmissions, across diverse climatic types in France over 8 years. Questing activity was observed using a repeated removal sampling with a cloth-dragging technique in 11 sampling sites from 7 tick observatories from 2014 to 2021 at approximately 1-month intervals, involving 631 sampling campaigns. Three phenological patterns were observed, potentially following a climatic gradient. The mixed-effects negative binomial regression revealed that observed nymph counts were driven by different interval-average meteorological variables, including 1-month moving average temperature, previous 3-to-6-month moving average temperature, and 6-month moving average minimum relative humidity. The interaction effects indicated that the phenology in colder climates peaked differently from that of warmer climates. Also, land cover characteristics that support the highest baseline abundance were moderate forest fragmentation with transition borders with agricultural areas. Finally, our model could potentially be used to predict seasonal human-tick exposure risks in France that could contribute to mitigating Lyme borreliosis risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phrutsamon Wongnak
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - Séverine Bord
- Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, INRAE, UMR MIA-Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Maude Jacquot
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
- Ifremer, RBE-SGMM-LGPMM, 17390, La Tremblade, France
| | | | - Frédéric Beugnet
- Global Technical Services, Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - Laure Bournez
- Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), 54220, Malzéville, France
| | - Nicolas Cèbe
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, UR CEFS, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31326, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | | | | | - Naïma Dambrine
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - Thierry Hoch
- INRAE, Oniris, UMR BIOEPAR, 44300, Nantes, France
| | | | | | - Isabelle Lebert
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | | | | | - Sara Moutailler
- ANSES, ENVA, INRAE, UMR 956 BIPAR, 94701, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Thomas Pollet
- ANSES, ENVA, INRAE, UMR 956 BIPAR, 94701, Maisons-Alfort, France
- INRAE, CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, 34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Valérie Poux
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - Magalie René-Martellet
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | | | - Hélène Verheyden
- Université de Toulouse, INRAE, UR CEFS, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- LTSER ZA PYRénées GARonne, 31326, Auzeville-Tolosane, France
| | - Gwenaël Vourc'h
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
| | - Karine Chalvet-Monfray
- Université de Lyon, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France.
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR EPIA, 63122, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France.
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MacDonald H, Akçay E, Brisson D. The role of host phenology for parasite transmission. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2021; 14:123-143. [PMID: 34721722 PMCID: PMC8549968 DOI: 10.1007/s12080-020-00484-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Phenology is a fundamental determinant of species distributions, abundances, and interactions. In host–parasite interactions, host phenology can affect parasite fitness due to the temporal constraints it imposes on host contact rates. However, it remains unclear how parasite transmission is shaped by the wide range of phenological patterns observed in nature. We develop a mathematical model of the Lyme disease system to study the consequences of differential tick developmental-stage phenology for the transmission of B. burgdorferi. Incorporating seasonal tick activity can increase B. burgdorferi fitness compared to continuous tick activity but can also prevent transmission completely. B. burgdorferi fitness is greatest when the activity period of the infectious nymphal stage slightly precedes the larval activity period. Surprisingly, B. burgdorferi is eradicated if the larval activity period begins long after the end of nymphal activity due to a feedback with mouse population dynamics. These results highlight the importance of phenology, a common driver of species interactions, for the fitness of a parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannelore MacDonald
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 USA
| | - Erol Akçay
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 USA
| | - Dustin Brisson
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 USA
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6
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Norte AC, Boyer PH, Castillo-Ramirez S, Chvostáč M, Brahami MO, Rollins RE, Woudenberg T, Didyk YM, Derdakova M, Núncio MS, de Carvalho IL, Margos G, Fingerle V. The Population Structure of Borrelia lusitaniae Is Reflected by a Population Division of Its Ixodes Vector. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9050933. [PMID: 33925391 PMCID: PMC8145215 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9050933] [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] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Populations of vector-borne pathogens are shaped by the distribution and movement of vector and reservoir hosts. To study what impact host and vector association have on tick-borne pathogens, we investigated the population structure of Borrelia lusitaniae using multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Novel sequences were acquired from questing ticks collected in multiple North African and European locations and were supplemented by publicly available sequences at the Borrelia Pubmlst database (accessed on 11 February 2020). Population structure of B. lusitaniae was inferred using clustering and network analyses. Maximum likelihood phylogenies for two molecular tick markers (the mitochondrial 16S rRNA locus and a nuclear locus, Tick-receptor of outer surface protein A, trospA) were used to confirm the morphological species identification of collected ticks. Our results confirmed that B. lusitaniae does indeed form two distinguishable populations: one containing mostly European samples and the other mostly Portuguese and North African samples. Of interest, Portuguese samples clustered largely based on being from north (European) or south (North African) of the river Targus. As two different Ixodes species (i.e., I. ricinus and I. inopinatus) may vector Borrelia in these regions, reference samples were included for I. inopinatus but did not form monophyletic clades in either tree, suggesting some misidentification. Even so, the trospA phylogeny showed a monophyletic clade containing tick samples from Northern Africa and Portugal south of the river Tagus suggesting a population division in Ixodes on this locus. The pattern mirrored the clustering of B. lusitaniae samples, suggesting a potential co-evolution between tick and Borrelia populations that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cláudia Norte
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, 2965-575 Setúbal, Portugal; (M.S.N.); (I.L.d.C.)
| | - Pierre H. Boyer
- CHRU Strasbourg, UR7290 Lyme Borreliosis Group, ITI InnoVec, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Institut de Bactériologie, University of Strasbourg, 3 rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France;
| | - Santiago Castillo-Ramirez
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 565-A, Cuernavaca, CP 62210, Mexico;
| | - Michal Chvostáč
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.C.); (Y.M.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Mohand O. Brahami
- Laboratory of Ecology and Biology of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Faculty Biological and Agronomic Sciences, University Mouloud Mammeri, 15000 Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria;
| | - Robert E. Rollins
- Division of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Faculty of Biology, Grosshaderner Strasse 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany;
| | - Tom Woudenberg
- National Reference Center for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany; (T.W.); (V.F.)
| | - Yuliya M. Didyk
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.C.); (Y.M.D.); (M.D.)
- Department of Acarology, I. I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, B. Khmelnytskogo 15, 01030 Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Marketa Derdakova
- Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia; (M.C.); (Y.M.D.); (M.D.)
| | - Maria Sofia Núncio
- Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, 2965-575 Setúbal, Portugal; (M.S.N.); (I.L.d.C.)
- Environmental Health Institute, Medicine Faculty, University of Lisbon, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Isabel Lopes de Carvalho
- Centre for Vector and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Águas de Moura, 2965-575 Setúbal, Portugal; (M.S.N.); (I.L.d.C.)
- Environmental Health Institute, Medicine Faculty, University of Lisbon, 1649-026 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Gabriele Margos
- National Reference Center for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany; (T.W.); (V.F.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +49-9131-6808-5883
| | - Volker Fingerle
- National Reference Center for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, 85764 Oberschleissheim, Germany; (T.W.); (V.F.)
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Tran T, Prusinski MA, White JL, Falco RC, Vinci V, Gall WK, Tober K, Oliver J, Sporn LA, Meehan L, Banker E, Backenson PB, Jensen ST, Brisson D. Spatio-temporal variation in environmental features predicts the distribution and abundance of Ixodes scapularis. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:311-320. [PMID: 33359203 PMCID: PMC7940570 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Many species have experienced dramatic changes in both geographic range and population sizes in recent history. Increases in the geographic range or population size of disease vectors have public health relevance as these increases often precipitate the emergence of infectious diseases in human populations. Accurately identifying environmental factors affecting the biogeographic patterns of vector species is a long-standing analytical challenge, stemming from a paucity of data capturing periods of rapid changes in vector demographics. We systematically investigated the occurrence and abundance of nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks at 532 sampling locations throughout New York State (NY), USA, between 2008 and 2018, a time frame that encompasses the emergence of diseases vectored by these ticks. Analyses of these field-collected data demonstrated a range expansion into northern and western NY during the last decade. Nymphal abundances increased in newly colonised areas, while remaining stable in areas with long-standing populations over the last decade. These trends in the geographic range and abundance of nymphs correspond to both the geographic expansion of human Lyme disease cases and increases in incidence rates. Analytic models fitted to these data incorporating time, space, and environmental factors, accurately identified drivers of the observed changes in nymphal occurrence and abundance. These models accounted for the spatial and temporal variation in the occurrence and abundance of nymphs and can accurately predict nymphal population patterns in future years. Forecasting disease risk at fine spatial scales prior to the transmission season can influence both public health mitigation strategies and individual behaviours, potentially impacting tick-borne disease risk and subsequently human disease incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam Tran
- University of Pennsylvania, Biology Department, 433 S University Ave, 301 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Melissa A Prusinski
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 651, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Jennifer L White
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 651, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Richard C Falco
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Fordham University Louis Calder Center, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Vanessa Vinci
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Fordham University Louis Calder Center, 31 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk, NY 10504, USA
| | - Wayne K Gall
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
| | - Keith Tober
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222, USA
| | - JoAnne Oliver
- Central New York Regional Office, Department of Health, State of New York, 217 South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, USA; Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Agriculture and Technology, State University of New York, Morrisville, NY 13408, USA
| | - Lee Ann Sporn
- Paul Smith's College, Natural Sciences Division, 7777 New York Route 30, Paul Smiths, NY 12970, USA
| | - Lisa Meehan
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, Organic Analytical Chemistry Laboratory, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA(1)
| | - Elyse Banker
- New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Division of Infectious Disease, Griffin Laboratory, Arbovirus Laboratory, Building 2, 5668 State Farm Road, Slingerlands, NY 12159, USA(2)
| | - P Bryon Backenson
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower Building, Room 651, P.O. Box 509, Albany, NY 12201-0509, USA
| | - Shane T Jensen
- University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School, 463 Jon M. Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dustin Brisson
- University of Pennsylvania, Biology Department, 433 S University Ave, 301 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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8
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Zhang L, Zhu X, Hou X, Li H, Yang X, Chen T, Fu X, Miao G, Hao Q, Li S. Prevalence and prediction of Lyme disease in Hainan province. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009158. [PMID: 33735304 PMCID: PMC8009380 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) is one of the most important vector-borne diseases worldwide. However, there is limited information on the prevalence and risk analysis using correlated factors in the tropical areas. A total of 1583 serum samples, collected from five hospitals of Hainan Province, were tested by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot (WB) analyses using anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. Then, we mapped the distribution of positive rate (by IFA) and the spread of confirmed Lyme patients (by WB). Using ArcGIS, we compiled host-vector-human interactions and correlated data as risk factor layers to predict LD risk in Hainan Province. There are three LD hotspots, designated hotspot I, which is located in central Hainan, hotspot II, which contains Sanya district, and hotspot III, which lies in the Haikou-Qiongshan area. The positive rate (16.67% by IFA) of LD in Qiongzhong, located in hotspot I, was higher than that in four other areas. Of confirmed cases of LD, 80.77% of patients (42/52) whose results had been confirmed by WB were in hotspots I and III. Hotspot II, with unknowed prevalence of LD, need to be paid more attention considering human-vector interaction. Wuzhi and Limu mountains might be the most important areas for the prevalence of LD, as the severe host-vector and human-vector interactions lead to a potential origin site for LD. Qiongzhong is the riskiest area and is located to the east of Wuzhi Mountain. In the Sanya and Haikou-Qiongshan area, intervening in the human-vector interaction would help control the prevalence of LD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiong Zhu
- People’s Hospital of Sanya, Hainan province, China
| | - Xuexia Hou
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Huan Li
- People’s Hospital of Sanya, Hainan province, China
| | - Xiaona Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Chen
- People’s Hospital of Sanya, Hainan province, China
| | - Xiaoying Fu
- People’s Hospital of Sanya, Hainan province, China
| | - Guangqing Miao
- Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qin Hao
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Sha Li
- People’s Hospital of Sanya, Hainan province, China
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Gardner AM, Pawlikowski NC, Hamer SA, Hickling GJ, Miller JR, Schotthoefer AM, Tsao JI, Allan BF. Landscape features predict the current and forecast the future geographic spread of Lyme disease. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202278. [PMID: 33352074 PMCID: PMC7779494 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in North America, is increasing in incidence and geographic distribution as the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, spreads to new regions. We re-construct the spatial-temporal invasion of the tick and human disease in the Midwestern US, a major focus of Lyme disease transmission, from 1967 to 2018, to analyse the influence of spatial factors on the geographic spread. A regression model indicates that three spatial factors-proximity to a previously invaded county, forest cover and adjacency to a river-collectively predict tick occurrence. Validation of the predictive capability of this model correctly predicts counties invaded or uninvaded with 90.6% and 98.5% accuracy, respectively. Reported incidence increases in counties after the first report of the tick; based on this modelled relationship, we identify 31 counties where we suspect I. scapularis already occurs yet remains undetected. Finally, we apply the model to forecast tick establishment by 2021 and predict 42 additional counties where I. scapularis will probably be detected based upon historical drivers of geographic spread. Our findings leverage resources dedicated to tick and human disease reporting and provide the opportunity to take proactive steps (e.g. educational efforts) to prevent and limit transmission in areas of future geographic spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Gardner
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Natalie C. Pawlikowski
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Graham J. Hickling
- The Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37966, USA
| | - James R. Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Brian F. Allan
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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10
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A comparative evaluation of northern and southern Ixodes scapularis questing height and hiding behaviour in the USA. Parasitology 2020; 147:1569-1576. [PMID: 32772958 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202000147x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Ticks display a distinct type of host-seeking behaviour called questing. It has been proposed that the questing behaviour of Ixodes scapularis explains the geographic variation in Lyme disease (LD) risk in the eastern USA because the northern population has been shown to quest more often than the southern population. The height at which questing occurs is variable and this study aimed to characterize questing height for I. scapularis. Ticks were collected from a northern and southern state (i.e. Maryland and Texas) and bioassays were conducted. We report that nymphs from Texas quested at lower heights compared to nymphs from Maryland. In addition, only Texas nymphs exhibited a behaviour we call 'hiding behaviour'. These results may reflect the different composition of hosts between these two areas as the south has a higher abundance of lizards. In contrast, there was no significant difference in questing height between Maryland adults and Texas adults which was to be expected since adults are feeding on white-tailed deer in both locations. If all southern I. scapularis nymphs are questing at lower heights, this might make them less likely to come into contact with humans and this may be contributing to the geographical difference in LD prevalence.
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11
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Wilson JM, Keshavarz B, Retterer M, Workman LJ, Schuyler AJ, McGowan EC, Lane C, Kandeel A, Purser J, Rönmark E, LaRussa J, Commins SP, Merritt T, Platts-Mills TAE. A dynamic relationship between two regional causes of IgE-mediated anaphylaxis: α-Gal syndrome and imported fire ant. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020; 147:643-652.e7. [PMID: 32522461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.05.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A syndrome of mammalian meat allergy relating to IgE specific for galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal) was first reported 10 years ago in the southeastern United States and has been related to bites of the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). OBJECTIVE Here we investigated the epidemiology of the "α-Gal syndrome" in the United States and sought additional evidence for the connection to tick bites. METHODS A survey of allergists was conducted by using a snowball approach. A second tier of the survey included questions about anaphylaxis to imported fire ants (IFAs). History of tick bites and tick-related febrile illness were assessed as part of a case-control study in Virginia. Antibody assays were conducted on sera from subjects reporting allergic reactions to mammalian meat or IFA. RESULTS In North America the α-Gal syndrome is recognized across the Southeast, Midwest, and Atlantic Coast, with many providers in this area managing more than 100 patients each. The distribution of cases generally conformed to the reported range of A americanum, although within this range there was an inverse relationship between α-Gal cases and cases of IFA anaphylaxis that were closely related to the territory of IFA. The connection between tick bites and α-Gal sensitization was further supported by patients' responses to a questionnaire and the results of serologic tests. CONCLUSIONS The α-Gal syndrome is commonly acquired in adulthood as a consequence of tick bites and has a regional distribution that largely conforms to the territory of the lone star tick. The epidemiology of the syndrome is expected to be dynamic and shifting north because of climate change and ecologic competition from IFA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Wilson
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | - Behnam Keshavarz
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | - Maya Retterer
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | - Lisa J Workman
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | - Alexander J Schuyler
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | - Emily C McGowan
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
| | | | | | | | - Eva Rönmark
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, OLIN Unit, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Scott P Commins
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tina Merritt
- The Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville, Ark
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12
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Platts-Mills TAE, Commins SP, Biedermann T, van Hage M, Levin M, Beck LA, Diuk-Wasser M, Jappe U, Apostolovic D, Minnicozzi M, Plaut M, Wilson JM. On the cause and consequences of IgE to galactose-α-1,3-galactose: A report from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Workshop on Understanding IgE-Mediated Mammalian Meat Allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2020; 145:1061-1071. [PMID: 32057766 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2020.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian meat allergy known as the "α-Gal syndrome" relates to IgE specific for galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-Gal), an oligosaccharide that is present in cells and tissues of nonprimate mammals. The recognition of delayed reactions to food derived from mammals in patients with IgE to α-Gal and also the association with tick bites have been increasing worldwide. In 2018, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, sponsored a workshop on this emerging tick-related disease. International experts from the fields of tick biology, allergy, immunology, infectious disease, and dermatology discussed the current state of our understanding of this emerging medical condition. The participants provided suggestions for specific research priorities and for the development of resources to advance our knowledge of the mechanisms, diagnosis, management, and prevention of this allergic disease. This publication is a summary of the workshop and the panel's recommendations are presented herein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott P Commins
- Departments of Medicine & Pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tilo Biedermann
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich and Unit Clinical Allergology (EKA), Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marianne van Hage
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Levin
- Division of Paediatric Allergy, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lisa A Beck
- Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
| | - Maria Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Uta Jappe
- Division of Clinical and Molecular Allergology, Research Center Borstel, Airway Research, Center North (ARCN), Member of the German Center for Lung Research, Borstel, Germany; Interdisciplinary Allergy Outpatient Clinic, Department of Pneumology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Danijela Apostolovic
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael Minnicozzi
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy, Asthma and Airway Biology Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, Md
| | - Marshall Plaut
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy, Asthma and Airway Biology Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, Md
| | - Jeffrey M Wilson
- Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va
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13
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VanAcker MC, Little EAH, Molaei G, Bajwa WI, Diuk-Wasser MA. Enhancement of Risk for Lyme Disease by Landscape Connectivity, New York, New York, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 25:1136-1143. [PMID: 31107213 PMCID: PMC6537717 DOI: 10.3201/eid2506.181741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Most tickborne disease studies in the United States are conducted in low-intensity residential development and forested areas, leaving much unknown about urban infection risks. To understand Lyme disease risk in New York, New York, USA, we conducted tick surveys in 24 parks throughout all 5 boroughs and assessed how park connectivity and landscape composition contribute to Ixodes scapularis tick nymphal densities and Borrelia burgdorferi infection. We used circuit theory models to determine how parks differentially maintain landscape connectivity for white-tailed deer, the reproductive host for I. scapularis ticks. We found forested parks with vegetated buffers and increased connectivity had higher nymph densities, and the degree of park connectivity strongly determined B. burgdorferi nymphal infection prevalence. Our study challenges the perspective that tickborne disease risk is restricted to suburban and natural settings and emphasizes the need to understand how green space design affects vector and host communities in areas of emerging urban tickborne disease.
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14
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Landscape determinants of density of blacklegged ticks, vectors of Lyme disease, at the northern edge of their distribution in Canada. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16652. [PMID: 31723147 PMCID: PMC6853933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50858-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In eastern North America, including Canada, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and transmitted to humans by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. The last decade has seen a growing incidence of Lyme disease in Canada, following the northward range expansion of I. scapularis tick populations from endemic areas in eastern United States. This may be attributable to movement of the many hosts that they parasitize, including songbirds, deer and small mammals. In this study, we wanted to test the effect of spatial, temporal and ecological variables, on blacklegged tick density and infection rates, near the northern limit of their distribution in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. We found an effect of both proportion of forested areas and distance to roads, on density of I. scapularis ticks and prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. We also found an effect of both sampling year and ordinal sampling data on prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. In six adjacent sites showing evidence of reproducing I. scapularis populations, we found that forest composition and structure influenced density of I. scapularis ticks. Our results suggest that blacklegged tick density and infection rate in Canada may be influenced by a variety of factors.
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15
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Ledger KJ, Keenan RM, Sayler KA, Wisely SM. Multi-scale patterns of tick occupancy and abundance across an agricultural landscape in southern Africa. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0222879. [PMID: 31539412 PMCID: PMC6754170 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Land use influences the prevalence and distribution of ticks due to the intimate relationship of ticks with their environment. This relationship occurs because land use alters two essential tick requirements: vertebrate hosts for blood meals and a suitable microclimate when off-host. Given the risks to human and animal health associated with pathogens transmitted by ticks, there is an ongoing need to understand the impact of environmental drivers on tick distributions. Here, we assessed how landscape features, neighborhood effects, and edges influenced tick occupancy and abundance across an agricultural landscape in southern Africa. We found that Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Rhipicephalus simus increased in abundance closer to protected savanna, while Haemaphysalis elliptica increased in abundance closer to human habitation. The composition of the landscape surrounding savanna patches also differentially influenced the occupancy of each tick species; H. elliptica was more likely to be found in savanna patches surrounded by subsistence agriculture while R. appendiculatus and R. simus were more likely to be found in savanna surrounded by sugarcane monocultures. At the local scale we found that R. appendiculatus and R. simus avoided savanna edges. The availability of hosts and variation in vegetation structure between commercial agriculture, subsistence agriculture, and savanna likely drove the distribution of ticks at the landscape scale. Understanding how anthropogenic land use influences where ticks occur is useful for land use planning and for assessing public and animal health risks associated with ticks and tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly J. Ledger
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ryan M. Keenan
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Katherine A. Sayler
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Samantha M. Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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16
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Ogden NH, Bouchard C, Badcock J, Drebot MA, Elias SP, Hatchette TF, Koffi JK, Leighton PA, Lindsay LR, Lubelczyk CB, Peregrine AS, Smith RP, Webster D. What is the real number of Lyme disease cases in Canada? BMC Public Health 2019; 19:849. [PMID: 31253135 PMCID: PMC6599318 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7219-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme disease is emerging in Canada due to expansion of the range of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis from the United States. National surveillance for human Lyme disease cases began in Canada in 2009. Reported numbers of cases increased from 144 cases in 2009 to 2025 in 2017. It has been claimed that few (< 10%) Lyme disease cases are reported associated with i) supposed under-diagnosis resulting from perceived inadequacies of serological testing for Lyme disease, ii) expectation that incidence in Canadian provinces and neighbouring US states should be similar, and iii) analysis of serological responses of dogs to the agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. We argue that performance of serological testing for Lyme disease is well studied, and variations in test performance at different disease stages are accounted for in clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease, and in surveillance case definitions. Extensive surveillance for tick vectors has taken place in Canada providing a clear picture of the emergence of risk in the Canadian environment. This surveillance shows that the geographic scope of I. scapularis populations and Lyme disease risk is limited but increasing in Canada. The reported incidence of Lyme disease in Canada is consistent with this pattern of environmental risk, and the differences in Lyme disease incidence between US states and neighbouring Canadian provinces are consistent with geographic differences in environmental risk. Data on serological responses in dogs from Canada and the US are consistent with known differences in environmental risk, and in numbers of reported Lyme disease cases, between the US and Canada. CONCLUSION The high level of consistency in data from human case and tick surveillance, and data on serological responses in dogs, suggests that a high degree of under-reporting in Canada is unlikely. We speculate that approximately one third of cases are reported in regions of emergence of Lyme disease, although prospective studies are needed to fully quantify under-reporting. In the meantime, surveillance continues to identify and track the ongoing emergence of Lyme disease, and the risk to the public, in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - C. Bouchard
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St. Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - J. Badcock
- Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, New Brunswick Department of Health, Fredericton, Canada
| | - M. A. Drebot
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - S. P. Elias
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - T. F. Hatchette
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS Canada
| | - J. K. Koffi
- Policy Integration and Zoonoses Division, Centre for Food-Borne, Environmental and Zoonotic Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - P. A. Leighton
- Département de pathologie et microbiologie, and Groupe de recherche en épidémiologie des zoonoses et santé publique (GREZOSP), Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - L. R. Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - C. B. Lubelczyk
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - A. S. Peregrine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - R. P. Smith
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME USA
| | - D. Webster
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint John Regional Hospital, Dalhousie University, Saint John, New Brunswick Canada
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17
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Modeling the Distribution of Medically Important Tick Species in Florida. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10070190. [PMID: 31261713 PMCID: PMC6681331 DOI: 10.3390/insects10070190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The lone star (Amblyomma americanum), black-legged (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) are species of great public health importance as they are competent vectors of several notable pathogens. While the regional distributions of these species are well characterized, more localized distribution estimates are sparse. We used records of field collected ticks and an ensemble modeling approach to predict habitat suitability for each of these species in Florida. Environmental variables capturing climatic extremes were common contributors to habitat suitability. Most frequently, annual precipitation (Bio12), mean temperature of the driest quarter (Bio9), minimum temperature of the coldest month (Bio6), and mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were included in the final models for each species. Agreement between the modeling algorithms used in this study was high and indicated the distribution of suitable habitat for all three species was reduced at lower latitudes. These findings are important for raising awareness of the potential for tick-borne pathogens in Florida.
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18
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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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19
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Naren Babu N, Jayaram A, Hemanth Kumar H, Pareet P, Pattanaik S, Auti AM, Abdulmajeed J, Maity H, Devadiga S, Bhandari Y, Agre Deepchand H, Shakir M, Kumar N, Arunkumar G. Spatial distribution of Haemaphysalis species ticks and human Kyasanur Forest Disease cases along the Western Ghats of India, 2017-2018. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2019; 77:435-447. [PMID: 30809731 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00345-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a viral haemorrhagic fever, transmitted to humans and other hosts by a tick vector of genus Haemaphysalis. It affects 400-500 people annually in the Western Ghats region of India through spring to summer season. To understand the species composition, distribution, and abundance of Haemaphysalis ticks in endemic taluks (sub-districts) of India, a surveillance for ticks was conducted between October 2017 and January 2018. In total 105 sites were selected based on grid sampling from five taluks representing five KFD endemic states in south India. A sum of 8373 ticks were collected by using standard flagging method. The study showed a wide distribution of host seeking tick species among the selected taluks, wherein Haemaphysalis spinigera was predominant in 3/5 taluks, Haemaphysalis bispinosa in 1/5 taluks, and both the species in 1/5 taluks. Further, the H. spinigera abundance was categorised and compared with the incidence of human cases during the same season. The grids with very high and high H. spinigera abundance had 70% of the 205 human cases reported. This method of tick surveillance could be efficiently used as a standard model for KFD transmission risk assessment and prediction of impending outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Naren Babu
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Anup Jayaram
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - H Hemanth Kumar
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Prashant Pareet
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Sarthak Pattanaik
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Amogh Milind Auti
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Jazeel Abdulmajeed
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Hindol Maity
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Santhosha Devadiga
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Yuvraj Bhandari
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - H Agre Deepchand
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Muhammed Shakir
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Nishikant Kumar
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India
| | - Govindakarnavar Arunkumar
- Manipal Centre for Virus Research (Regional Reference Laboratory for Influenza Viruses and ICMR Virology Network Laboratory-Grade-I), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Manipal, Karnataka State, 576104, India.
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Detection of municipalities at-risk of Lyme disease using passive surveillance of Ixodes scapularis as an early signal: A province-specific indicator in Canada. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212637. [PMID: 30779789 PMCID: PMC6380584 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in North America, is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, which is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis in eastern Canada and Ixodes pacificus in western Canada. Recently, the northward range expansion of I. scapularis ticks, in south-eastern Canada, has resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of human Lyme disease. Detecting emerging areas of Lyme disease risk allows public health to target disease prevention efforts. We analysed passive tick surveillance data from Ontario and Manitoba to i) assess the relationship between the total numbers of I. scapularis submissions in passive surveillance from humans, and the number of human Lyme disease cases, and ii) develop province-specific acarological indicators of risk that can be used to generate surveillance-based risk maps. We also assessed associations between numbers of nymphal I. scapularis tick submissions only and Lyme disease case incidence. Using General Estimating Equation regression, the relationship between I. scapularis submissions (total numbers and numbers of nymphs only) in each census sub-division (CSD) and the number of reported Lyme disease cases was positively correlated and highly significant in the two provinces (P ≤ 0.001). The numbers of I. scapularis submissions over five years discriminated CSDs with ≥ 3 Lyme disease cases from those with < 3 cases with high accuracy when using total numbers of tick submission (Receiver Operating Characteristics area under the curve [AUC] = 0.89) and moderate accuracy (AUC = 0.78) when using nymphal tick submissions only. In Ontario the optimal cut-off point was a total 12 tick submissions from a CSD over five years (Sensitivity = 0.82, Specificity = 0.84), while in Manitoba the cut-off point was five ticks (Sensitivity = 0.71, Specificity = 0.79) suggesting regional variability of the risk of acquiring Lyme disease from an I. scapularis bite. The performances of the acarological indicators developed in this study for Ontario and Manitoba support the ability of passive tick surveillance to provide an early signal of the existence Lyme disease risk areas in regions where ticks and the pathogens they transmit are expanding their range.
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Johnson TL, Boegler KA, Clark RJ, Delorey MJ, Bjork JKH, Dorr FM, Schiffman EK, Neitzel DF, Monaghan AJ, Eisen RJ. An Acarological Risk Model Predicting the Density and Distribution of Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis Nymphs in Minnesota. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2018; 98:1671-1682. [PMID: 29637876 PMCID: PMC6086181 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.17-0539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is the vector of at least seven human pathogens in Minnesota, two of which are known to cause Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Borrelia mayonii). In Minnesota, the statewide incidence of Lyme disease and other I. scapularis–borne diseases and the geographic extent over which cases have been reported have both increased substantially over the last two decades. These changes correspond with an expanding distribution of I. scapularis over a similar time frame. Because the risk of exposure to I. scapularis–borne pathogens is likely related to the number of ticks encountered, we developed an acarological risk model predicting the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs (DON) in Minnesota. The model was informed by sampling 81 sites located in 42 counties in Minnesota. Two main foci were predicted by the model to support elevated densities of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs, which included the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and counties in northern Minnesota, including Lake of the Woods and Koochiching counties. There was substantial heterogeneity observed in predicted DON across the state at the county scale; however, counties classified as high risk for I. scapularis–borne diseases and counties with known established populations of I. scapularis had the highest proportion of the county predicted as suitable for host-seeking nymphs (≥ 0.13 nymphs/100 m2). The model provides insight into areas of potential I. scapularis population expansion and identifies focal areas of predicted suitable habitat within counties where the incidence of I. scapularis–borne diseases has been historically low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tammi L Johnson
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Karen A Boegler
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Rebecca J Clark
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Mark J Delorey
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrew J Monaghan
- Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado
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22
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Ripoche M, Lindsay LR, Ludwig A, Ogden NH, Thivierge K, Leighton PA. Multi-Scale Clustering of Lyme Disease Risk at the Expanding Leading Edge of the Range of Ixodes scapularis in Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E603. [PMID: 29584627 PMCID: PMC5923645 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Since its detection in Canada in the early 1990s, Ixodes scapularis, the primary tick vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America, has continued to expand northward. Estimates of the tick's broad-scale distribution are useful for tracking the extent of the Lyme disease risk zone; however, tick distribution may vary widely within this zone. Here, we investigated I. scapularis nymph distribution at three spatial scales across the Lyme disease emergence zone in southern Quebec, Canada. We collected ticks and compared the nymph densities among different woodlands and different plots and transects within the same woodland. Hot spot analysis highlighted significant nymph clustering at each spatial scale. In regression models, nymph abundance was associated with litter depth, humidity, and elevation, which contribute to a suitable habitat for ticks, but also with the distance from the trail and the type of trail, which could be linked to host distribution and human disturbance. Accounting for this heterogeneous nymph distribution at a fine spatial scale could help improve Lyme disease management strategies but also help people to understand the risk variation around them and to adopt appropriate behaviors, such as staying on the trail in infested parks to limit their exposure to the vector and associated pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Ripoche
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Leslie Robbin Lindsay
- Zoonoses and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Antoinette Ludwig
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Karine Thivierge
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Quebec Public Health Laboratory, Quebec Public Health Institute (INSPQ), 20045 Chemin Sainte-Marie, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3R5, Canada.
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
- Epidemiology of Zoonoses and Public Health Research Unit (GREZOSP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
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Transient influence of blood meal and natural environment on blacklegged tick bacterial communities. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:563-572. [PMID: 29409718 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) spend the majority of their life cycle off host, typically in woodland habitat, but require a blood meal at each of three life stages (larva, nymph, adult) to reach maturity and reproduce. Blood feeding usually lasts for several days each time and as blood is imbibed, a range of known pathogens from the host may also be acquired. Using next generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we examined the influence of host blood meal on the internal bacterial community within nymphal blacklegged ticks across host-seeking, feeding, blood meal digestion, and after molting into the adult stage. Results demonstrate bacterial community structuring across host and ticks with 287 taxa found exclusively in ticks, suggesting the field environment plays a significant role in shaping the internal tick microbiome. A decrease in bacterial diversity was noted from unfed nymphs through feeding/digestion and after molting into adults, suggesting that bacterial species are lost during the corresponding physiological changes. The similarity in biochemical pathways across the different tick categories suggests that the loss of bacterial taxa does not mirror a large change in microbial function. Ticks likely lose bacterial taxa after feeding, but continual exposure to bacteria from the field environment counters this loss.
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Borrelia burgdorferi surface protein Lmp1 facilitates pathogen dissemination through ticks as studied by an artificial membrane feeding system. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1910. [PMID: 29382879 PMCID: PMC5790009 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20208-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In its natural infection cycle, the pathogen of Lyme borreliosis transits between a tick vector and a mammalian host. As relatively a minor fraction of spirochetes transits between the host and the vector precluding their reliable detection at early infection, artificial membrane feeders emerged as useful tools to study roles of spirochete proteins in pathogen entry, persistence, and exit through ticks. Here we report the development of a modified membrane feeder to study the role of a Borrelia burgdorferi surface protein called Lmp1 in spirochete transitions between the murine host and ticks. We show that our membrane feeder supports the blood meal engorgement process where ticks can acquire spirochetes from the feeder containing extremely low levels of pathogens (102 cells/ml of blood). Our data revealed that in comparison to wild-type spirochetes, lmp1 deletion mutants are significantly impaired for acquisition in naïve ticks as well as transmission from infected ticks. Taking together, our data suggest that Lmp1 plays an essential role in spirochete transitions between hosts and the vector. These studies also underscore the usefulness of artificial membrane feeding system as a valuable tool to study the role of B. burgdorferi gene-products in pathogen persistence in and passage through vector ticks.
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Marchant A, Le Coupanec A, Joly C, Perthame E, Sertour N, Garnier M, Godard V, Ferquel E, Choumet V. Infection of Ixodes ricinus by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in peri-urban forests of France. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183543. [PMID: 28846709 PMCID: PMC5573218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, it is transmitted by Ixodes ticks that carry bacteria belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. The objective of this work was to explore eco-epidemiological factors of Lyme borreliosis in peri-urban forests of France (Sénart, Notre-Dame and Rambouillet). We investigated whether the introduction of Tamias sibiricus in Sénart could alter the density of infected ticks. Moreover, the density and tick infection were investigated according to the tree species found in various patches of Sénart forest. For this purpose, ticks were sampled during 3 years. In the Sénart forest, the density of nymph and adult ticks showed no significant difference between 2008, 2009 and 2011. The nymph density varied significantly as a function of the month of collection. Regarding the nymphs, a higher rate of infection and infected density were found in 2009. Plots with chipmunks (C) presented a lower density of both nymphs and adult ticks than plots without chipmunks (NC) did. A higher rate of infection of nymphs with Borrelia was seen in C plots. The prevalence of the various species of Borrelia was also found to vary between C and NC plots with the year of the collect. The presence of chestnut trees positively influenced the density of both nymphs and adults. The infected nymph density showed a significant difference depending on the peri-urban forest studied, Sénart being higher than Rambouillet. The prevalence of Borrelia species also differed between the various forests studied. Concerning the putative role that Tamias sibiricus may play in the transmission of Borrelia, our results suggest that its presence is correlated with a higher rate of infection of questing ticks by Borrelia genospecies and if its population increases, it could play a significant role in the risk of transmission of Lyme borreliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Marchant
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Alain Le Coupanec
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Claire Joly
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Emeline Perthame
- Institut Pasteur – Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub – C3BI, USR 3756 IP CNRS –Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, Paris, France
| | - Natacha Sertour
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Martine Garnier
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Godard
- CNRS-UMR7533/LADYSS, Université de Paris 8 - Saint-Denis, France
| | - Elisabeth Ferquel
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Valerie Choumet
- Centre National de Référence des Borrelia, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Unité Environnement et Risques Infectieux, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Ginsberg HS, Albert M, Acevedo L, Dyer MC, Arsnoe IM, Tsao JI, Mather TN, LeBrun RA. Environmental Factors Affecting Survival of Immature Ixodes scapularis and Implications for Geographical Distribution of Lyme Disease: The Climate/Behavior Hypothesis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168723. [PMID: 28076359 PMCID: PMC5226345 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent reports suggest that host-seeking nymphs in southern populations of Ixodes scapularis remain below the leaf litter surface, while northern nymphs seek hosts on leaves and twigs above the litter surface. This behavioral difference potentially results in decreased tick contact with humans in the south, and fewer cases of Lyme disease. We studied whether north-south differences in tick survival patterns might contribute to this phenomenon. Four month old larvae resulting from a cross between Wisconsin males and South Carolina females died faster under southern than under northern conditions in the lab, as has previously been reported for ticks from both northern and southern populations. However, newly-emerged larvae from Rhode Island parents did not differ consistently in mortality under northern and southern conditions, possibly because of their younger age. Survival is lower, and so the north-south survival difference might be greater in older ticks. Larval survival was positively related to larval size (as measured by scutal area), while survival was positively related to larval fat content in some, but not all, trials. The difference in larval survival under northern vs. southern conditions might simply result from faster metabolism under warmer southern conditions leading to shorter life spans. However, ticks consistently died faster under southern than under northern conditions in the laboratory when relative humidity was low (75%), but not under moderate (85%) or high (95%) RH. Therefore, mortality due to desiccation stress is greater under southern than under northern conditions. We hypothesize that mortality resulting from the greater desiccation stress under southern conditions acts as a selective pressure resulting in the evolution of host-seeking behavior in which immatures remain below the leaf litter surface in southern I. scapularis populations, so as to avoid the desiccating conditions at the surface. If this hypothesis is correct, it has implications for the effect of climate change on the future distribution of Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard S. Ginsberg
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Woodward Hall–PSE, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Marisa Albert
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
| | - Lixis Acevedo
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
| | - Megan C. Dyer
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
| | - Isis M. Arsnoe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America
| | - Thomas N. Mather
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
| | - Roger A. LeBrun
- Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, Woodward Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States of America
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Co-feeding transmission facilitates strain coexistence in Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent. Epidemics 2016; 19:33-42. [PMID: 28089780 PMCID: PMC5474356 DOI: 10.1016/j.epidem.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 12/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Coexistence of multiple tick-borne pathogens or strains is common in natural hosts and can be facilitated by resource partitioning of the host species, within-host localization, or by different transmission pathways. Most vector-borne pathogens are transmitted horizontally via systemic host infection, but transmission may occur in the absence of systemic infection between two vectors feeding in close proximity, enabling pathogens to minimize competition and escape the host immune response. In a laboratory study, we demonstrated that co-feeding transmission can occur for a rapidly-cleared strain of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease agent, between two stages of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis while feeding on their dominant host, Peromyscus leucopus. In contrast, infections rapidly became systemic for the persistently infecting strain. In a field study, we assessed opportunities for co-feeding transmission by measuring co-occurrence of two tick stages on ears of small mammals over two years at multiple sites. Finally, in a modeling study, we assessed the importance of co-feeding on R0, the basic reproductive number. The model indicated that co-feeding increases the fitness of rapidly-cleared strains in regions with synchronous immature tick feeding. Our results are consistent with increased diversity of B. burgdorferi in areas of higher synchrony in immature feeding – such as the midwestern United States. A higher relative proportion of rapidly-cleared strains, which are less human pathogenic, would also explain lower Lyme disease incidence in this region. Finally, if co-feeding transmission also occurs on refractory hosts, it may facilitate the emergence and persistence of new pathogens with a more limited host range.
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28
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Jara RF, Wydeven AP, Samuel MD. Gray Wolf Exposure to Emerging Vector-Borne Diseases in Wisconsin with Comparison to Domestic Dogs and Humans. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0165836. [PMID: 27898670 PMCID: PMC5127498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
World-wide concern over emerging vector-borne diseases has increased in recent years for both animal and human health. In the United Sates, concern about vector-borne diseases in canines has focused on Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and heartworm which infect domestic and wild canids. Of these diseases, Lyme and anaplasmosis are also frequently diagnosed in humans. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) recolonized Wisconsin in the 1970s, and we evaluated their temporal and geographic patterns of exposure to these four vector-borne diseases in Wisconsin as the population expanded between 1985 and 2011. A high proportion of the Wisconsin wolves were exposed to the agents that cause Lyme (65.6%) and anaplasma (47.7%), and a smaller proportion to ehrlichiosis (5.7%) and infected with heartworm (9.2%). Wolf exposure to tick borne diseases was consistently higher in older animals. Wolf exposure was markedly higher than domestic dog (Canis familiaris) exposure for all 4 disease agents during 2001–2013. We found a cluster of wolf exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi in northwestern Wisconsin, which overlaps human and domestic dog clusters for the same pathogen. In addition, wolf exposure to Lyme disease in Wisconsin has increased, corresponding with the increasing human incidence of Lyme disease in a similar time period. Despite generally high prevalence of exposure none of these diseases appear to have slowed the growth of the Wisconsin wolf population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocio F. Jara
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Adrian P. Wydeven
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Retired, Ashland, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Michael D. Samuel
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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29
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Burtis JC, Sullivan P, Levi T, Oggenfuss K, Fahey TJ, Ostfeld RS. The impact of temperature and precipitation on blacklegged tick activity and Lyme disease incidence in endemic and emerging regions. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:606. [PMID: 27887625 PMCID: PMC5124264 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1894-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The incidence of Lyme disease shows high degrees of inter-annual variation in the northeastern United States, but the factors driving this variation are not well understood. Complicating matters, it is also possible that these driving factors may vary in regions with differing histories of Lyme disease endemism. We evaluated the effect of the number of hot (T > 25 °C), dry (precipitation = 0) days during the questing periods of the two immature Ixodes scapularis life stages (larval and nymphal) on inter-annual variation in Lyme disease incidence between 2000 and 2011 in long-term endemic versus recently endemic areas. We also evaluated the effect of summer weather on tick questing activity and the number of ticks found on small mammals between 1994 and 2012 on six sites in Millbrook, NY. RESULTS The number of hot, dry days during the larval period of the previous year did not affect the human incidence of Lyme disease or the density of questing nymphs the following season. However, dry summer weather during the nymphal questing period had a significant negative effect on the incidence of Lyme disease in the long-term endemic areas, and on the density of questing nymphs. Summer weather conditions had a more pronounced effect on actively questing I. scapularis collected via dragging than on the number of ticks found feeding on small mammals. In recently endemic areas Lyme disease incidence increased significantly over time, but no trend was detected between disease incidence and dry summer weather. CONCLUSIONS Recently endemic regions showed an increase in Lyme disease incidence over time, while incidence in long-term endemic regions appears to have stabilized. Only within the stabilized areas were we able to detect reduced Lyme disease incidence in years with hot, dry summer weather. These patterns were reflected in our field data, which showed that questing activity of nymphal I. scapularis was reduced by hot, dry summer weather.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Burtis
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Patrick Sullivan
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kelly Oggenfuss
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY, USA
| | - Timothy J Fahey
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Richard S Ostfeld
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, 2801 Sharon Turnpike, Millbrook, NY, USA
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Zolnik CP, Prill RJ, Falco RC, Daniels TJ, Kolokotronis SO. Microbiome changes through ontogeny of a tick pathogen vector. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:4963-77. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine P. Zolnik
- Department of Biological Sciences; Fordham University; 441 East Fordham Road Bronx NY 10458 USA
- Vector Ecology Laboratory; Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station; Fordham University; 53 Whippoorwill Road Armonk NY 10504 USA
| | - Robert J. Prill
- IBM Almaden Research Center; 650 Harry Road San Jose CA 95120 USA
| | - Richard C. Falco
- New York State Department of Health; Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station; Fordham University; 53 Whippoorwill Road Armonk NY 10504 USA
| | - Thomas J. Daniels
- Vector Ecology Laboratory; Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station; Fordham University; 53 Whippoorwill Road Armonk NY 10504 USA
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Clow KM, Ogden NH, Lindsay LR, Michel P, Pearl DL, Jardine CM. Distribution of Ticks and the Risk of Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Pathogens of Public Health Significance in Ontario, Canada. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2016; 16:215-22. [PMID: 26870937 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2015.1890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, the northward spread of Ixodes scapularis across Ontario, Canada, has accelerated and the risk of Lyme disease has increased. Active surveillance is a recognized and effective method for detecting reproducing populations of I. scapularis. In this study, we conducted field sampling consistent with an active surveillance approach from May to October 2014 at 104 sites in central, eastern, and southern Ontario to determine the current distribution of I. scapularis and other tick species, and enhance our understanding of the geographic risk associated with Borrelia burgdorferi and other tick-borne pathogens of public health significance in this region. I. scapularis was present at 20 of the 104 sites visited. Individuals of the tick species Dermacentor variabilis, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, and Ixodes dentatus were also collected. I. scapularis was positive by PCR for B. burgdorferi at five sites. These sites formed a significant spatial cluster in eastern Ontario. No ticks were PCR positive for Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. This study provides an up-to-date picture of the distribution of I. scapularis and other tick species, and the risk of B. burgdorferi and other pathogens of public health significance in central, eastern, and southern Ontario. This information may allow for more effective surveillance efforts and public health interventions for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M Clow
- 1 Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Guelph, Canada
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- 2 National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint Hyacinthe, Canada
| | - L Robbin Lindsay
- 3 National Microbiology Laboratory , Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Pascal Michel
- 4 Office of the Chief Science Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - David L Pearl
- 5 Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Guelph, Canada
| | - Claire M Jardine
- 1 Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph , Guelph, Canada
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Gulia-Nuss M, Nuss AB, Meyer JM, Sonenshine DE, Roe RM, Waterhouse RM, Sattelle DB, de la Fuente J, Ribeiro JM, Megy K, Thimmapuram J, Miller JR, Walenz BP, Koren S, Hostetler JB, Thiagarajan M, Joardar VS, Hannick LI, Bidwell S, Hammond MP, Young S, Zeng Q, Abrudan JL, Almeida FC, Ayllón N, Bhide K, Bissinger BW, Bonzon-Kulichenko E, Buckingham SD, Caffrey DR, Caimano MJ, Croset V, Driscoll T, Gilbert D, Gillespie JJ, Giraldo-Calderón GI, Grabowski JM, Jiang D, Khalil SMS, Kim D, Kocan KM, Koči J, Kuhn RJ, Kurtti TJ, Lees K, Lang EG, Kennedy RC, Kwon H, Perera R, Qi Y, Radolf JD, Sakamoto JM, Sánchez-Gracia A, Severo MS, Silverman N, Šimo L, Tojo M, Tornador C, Van Zee JP, Vázquez J, Vieira FG, Villar M, Wespiser AR, Yang Y, Zhu J, Arensburger P, Pietrantonio PV, Barker SC, Shao R, Zdobnov EM, Hauser F, Grimmelikhuijzen CJP, Park Y, Rozas J, Benton R, Pedra JHF, Nelson DR, Unger MF, Tubio JMC, Tu Z, Robertson HM, Shumway M, Sutton G, Wortman JR, Lawson D, Wikel SK, Nene VM, Fraser CM, Collins FH, Birren B, Nelson KE, Caler E, Hill CA. Genomic insights into the Ixodes scapularis tick vector of Lyme disease. Nat Commun 2016; 7:10507. [PMID: 26856261 PMCID: PMC4748124 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 328] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks transmit more pathogens to humans and animals than any other arthropod. We describe the 2.1 Gbp nuclear genome of the tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), which vectors pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other diseases. The large genome reflects accumulation of repetitive DNA, new lineages of retro-transposons, and gene architecture patterns resembling ancient metazoans rather than pancrustaceans. Annotation of scaffolds representing ∼57% of the genome, reveals 20,486 protein-coding genes and expansions of gene families associated with tick-host interactions. We report insights from genome analyses into parasitic processes unique to ticks, including host 'questing', prolonged feeding, cuticle synthesis, blood meal concentration, novel methods of haemoglobin digestion, haem detoxification, vitellogenesis and prolonged off-host survival. We identify proteins associated with the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging disease, and the encephalitis-causing Langat virus, and a population structure correlated to life-history traits and transmission of the Lyme disease agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Gulia-Nuss
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Andrew B. Nuss
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Jason M. Meyer
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Daniel E. Sonenshine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginina 23529, USA
| | - R. Michael Roe
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Robert M. Waterhouse
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - David B. Sattelle
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory Department, Division of Medicine, University College London, Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo sn, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, Oklahama 74078, USA
| | - Jose M. Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, NIAID, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Karine Megy
- VectorBase/EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Jyothi Thimmapuram
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | | | | | - Sergey Koren
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Shelby Bidwell
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Martin P. Hammond
- VectorBase/EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Sarah Young
- Genome Sequencing and Analysis Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Qiandong Zeng
- Genome Sequencing and Analysis Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Jenica L. Abrudan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Francisca C. Almeida
- Departament de Genètica & Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona E-08028, Spain
| | - Nieves Ayllón
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo sn, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain
| | - Ketaki Bhide
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Brooke W. Bissinger
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Elena Bonzon-Kulichenko
- Vascular Physiopathology, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Steven D. Buckingham
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory Department, Division of Medicine, University College London, Rayne Building, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JF, UK
| | - Daniel R. Caffrey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Melissa J. Caimano
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Vincent Croset
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Driscoll
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology Program, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Don Gilbert
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA
| | - Joseph J. Gillespie
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology Program, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Gloria I. Giraldo-Calderón
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Grabowski
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Department Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - David Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Sayed M. S. Khalil
- Department of Microbial Molecular Biology, Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Giza 12619, Egypt
| | - Donghun Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Katherine M. Kocan
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, 250 McElroy Hall, Stillwater, Oklahama 74078, USA
| | - Juraj Koči
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Richard J. Kuhn
- Department Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Timothy J. Kurtti
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Kristin Lees
- Department of Neurosystems, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Emma G. Lang
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Ryan C. Kennedy
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Hyeogsun Kwon
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Rushika Perera
- Department Biological Sciences, Markey Center for Structural Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Yumin Qi
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Justin D. Radolf
- Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030, USA
| | - Joyce M. Sakamoto
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Gracia
- Departament de Genètica & Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona E-08028, Spain
| | - Maiara S. Severo
- Department of Entomology, Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California 92506, USA
| | - Neal Silverman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Ladislav Šimo
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Marta Tojo
- Department of Pathology, Cambridge Genomic Services, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine-CIMUS-Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Cristian Tornador
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Janice P. Van Zee
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Jesús Vázquez
- Vascular Physiopathology, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Filipe G. Vieira
- Departament de Genètica & Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona E-08028, Spain
| | - Margarita Villar
- SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo sn, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain
| | - Adam R. Wespiser
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01605, USA
| | - Yunlong Yang
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Jiwei Zhu
- Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
| | - Peter Arensburger
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California 91768, USA
| | | | - Stephen C. Barker
- Parasitology Section, School of Chemistry & Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Renfu Shao
- GeneCology Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, Queensland 4556, Australia
| | - Evgeny M. Zdobnov
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Frank Hauser
- Department of Biology, Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Cornelis J. P. Grimmelikhuijzen
- Department of Biology, Center for Functional and Comparative Insect Genomics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark
| | - Yoonseong Park
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Julio Rozas
- Departament de Genètica & Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona E-08028, Spain
| | - Richard Benton
- Center for Integrative Genomics, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Joao H. F. Pedra
- Department of Entomology, Center for Disease Vector Research, University of California, Riverside, California 92506, USA
| | - David R. Nelson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA
| | - Maria F. Unger
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Jose M. C. Tubio
- Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, Vigo 36310, Spain
| | - Zhijian Tu
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Hugh M. Robertson
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Martin Shumway
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Granger Sutton
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | | | - Daniel Lawson
- VectorBase/EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Stephen K. Wikel
- Department of Medical Sciences, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut 06518, USA
| | | | - Claire M. Fraser
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA
| | - Frank H. Collins
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA
| | - Bruce Birren
- The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | | | - Elisabet Caler
- J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Catherine A. Hill
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in North America and Europe. The etiologic agent, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is transmitted to humans by certain species of Ixodes ticks, which are found widely in temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere. Clinical features are diverse, but death is rare. The risk of human infection is determined by the geographic distribution of vector tick species, ecologic factors that influence tick infection rates, and human behaviors that promote tick bite. Rates of infection are highest among children 5 to 15 years old and adults older than 50 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul S Mead
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Activity, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
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Golovchenko M, Vancová M, Clark K, Oliver JH, Grubhoffer L, Rudenko N. A divergent spirochete strain isolated from a resident of the southeastern United States was identified by multilocus sequence typing as Borrelia bissettii. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:68. [PMID: 26846867 PMCID: PMC4743114 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1353-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Out of 20 spirochete species from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex recognized to date some are considered to have a limited distribution, while others are worldwide dispersed. Among those are Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) and Borrelia bissettii which are distributed both in North America and in Europe. While B. burgdorferi s.s. is recognized as a cause of Lyme borreliosis worldwide, involvement of B. bissettii in human Lyme disease was not so definite yet. Findings Multilocus sequence typing of spirochete isolates originating from residents of Georgia and Florida, USA, revealed the presence of two Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto strains highly similar to those from endemic Lyme borreliosis regions of the northeastern United States, and an unusual strain that differed from any previously described in Europe or North America. Based on phylogenetic analysis of eight chromosomally located housekeeping genes divergent strain clustered between Borrelia bissettii and Borrelia carolinensis, two species from the B.burgdorferi s.l. complex, widely distributed among the multiple hosts and vector ticks in the southeastern United States. The genetic distance analysis showed a close relationship of the diverged strain to B. bissettii. Conclusions Here, we present the analysis of the first North American human originated live spirochete strain that revealed close relatedness to B. bissettii. The potential of B. bissettii to cause human disease, even if it is infrequent, is of importance for clinicians due to the extensive range of its geographic distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Golovchenko
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic. .,The James H. Oliver Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Sciences, Statesboro, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, 30460-8056, USA.
| | - Marie Vancová
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic.
| | - Kerry Clark
- University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA.
| | - James H Oliver
- The James H. Oliver Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Sciences, Statesboro, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, 30460-8056, USA.
| | - Libor Grubhoffer
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic. .,University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic.
| | - Nataliia Rudenko
- Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Parasitology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic. .,The James H. Oliver Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Sciences, Statesboro, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, 30460-8056, USA.
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Complex population structure of Borrelia burgdorferi in southeastern and south central Canada as revealed by phylogeographic analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 81:1309-18. [PMID: 25501480 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03730-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, is an emerging zoonotic disease in Canada and is vectored by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Here we used Bayesian analyses of sequence types (STs), determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), to investigate the phylogeography of B. burgdorferi populations in southern Canada and the United States by analyzing MLST data from 564 B. burgdorferi-positive samples collected during surveillance. A total of 107 Canadian samples from field sites were characterized as part of this study, and these data were combined with existing MLST data for samples from the United States and Canada. Only 17% of STs were common between both countries, while 49% occurred only in the United States, and 34% occurred only in Canada. However, STs in southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec were typically identical to those in the northeastern United States, suggesting a recent introduction into this region from the United States. In contrast, STs in other locations in Canada (the Maritimes; Long Point, Ontario; and southeastern Manitoba) were frequently unique to those locations but were putative descendants of STs previously found in the United States. The picture in Canada is consistent with relatively recent introductions from multiple refugial populations in the United States. These data thus point to a geographic pattern of populations of B. burgdorferi in North America that may be more complex than simply comprising northeastern, midwestern, and Californian groups. We speculate that this reflects the complex ecology and spatial distribution of key reservoir hosts.
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36
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Zolnik CP, Falco RC, Kolokotronis SO, Daniels TJ. No Observed Effect of Landscape Fragmentation on Pathogen Infection Prevalence in Blacklegged Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in the Northeastern United States. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139473. [PMID: 26430734 PMCID: PMC4591970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen prevalence within blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say, 1821) tends to vary across sites and geographic regions, but the underlying causes of this variation are not well understood. Efforts to understand the ecology of Lyme disease have led to the proposition that sites with higher host diversity will result in lower disease risk due to an increase in the abundance of inefficient reservoir species relative to the abundance of species that are highly competent reservoirs. Although the Lyme disease transmission cycle is often cited as a model for this “dilution effect hypothesis”, little empirical evidence exists to support that claim. Here we tested the dilution effect hypothesis for two pathogens transmitted by the blacklegged tick along an urban-to-rural gradient in the northeastern United States using landscape fragmentation as a proxy for host biodiversity. Percent impervious surface and habitat fragment size around each site were determined to assess the effect of landscape fragmentation on nymphal blacklegged tick infection with Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Our results do not support the dilution effect hypothesis for either pathogen and are in agreement with the few studies to date that have tested this idea using either a landscape proxy or direct measures of host biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine P. Zolnik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Vector Ecology Laboratory, Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, New York, United States of America
| | - Richard C. Falco
- New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center, Armonk, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Thomas J. Daniels
- Vector Ecology Laboratory, Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Springer YP, Jarnevich CS, Barnett DT, Monaghan AJ, Eisen RJ. Modeling the Present and Future Geographic Distribution of the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum (Ixodida: Ixodidae), in the Continental United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 93:875-90. [PMID: 26217042 PMCID: PMC4596614 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.) is the primary vector for pathogens of significant public health importance in North America, yet relatively little is known about its current and potential future distribution. Building on a published summary of tick collection records, we used an ensemble modeling approach to predict the present-day and future distribution of climatically suitable habitat for establishment of the Lone star tick within the continental United States. Of the nine climatic predictor variables included in our five present-day models, average vapor pressure in July was by far the most important determinant of suitable habitat. The present-day ensemble model predicted an essentially contiguous distribution of suitable habitat extending to the Atlantic coast east of the 100th western meridian and south of the 40th northern parallel, but excluding a high elevation region associated with the Appalachian Mountains. Future ensemble predictions for 2061-2080 forecasted a stable western range limit, northward expansion of suitable habitat into the Upper Midwest and western Pennsylvania, and range contraction along portions of the Gulf coast and the lower Mississippi river valley. These findings are informative for raising awareness of A. americanum-transmitted pathogens in areas where the Lone Star tick has recently or may become established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri P Springer
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado; National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Catherine S Jarnevich
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado; National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - David T Barnett
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado; National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Andrew J Monaghan
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado; National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins, Colorado; National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc., Boulder, Colorado; National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado
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Estimating Ixodes ricinus densities on the landscape scale. Int J Health Geogr 2015; 14:23. [PMID: 26272596 PMCID: PMC4536605 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-015-0015-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The study describes the estimation of the spatial distribution of questing nymphal tick densities by investigating Ixodes ricinus in Southwest Germany as an example. The production of high-resolution maps of questing tick densities is an important key to quantify the risk of tick-borne diseases. Previous I. ricinus maps were based on quantitative as well as semi-quantitative categorisations of the tick density observed at study sites with different vegetation types or indices, all compiled on local scales. Here, a quantitative approach on the landscape scale is introduced. Methods During 2 years, 2013 and 2014, host-seeking ticks were collected each month at 25 sampling sites by flagging an area of 100 square meters. All tick stages were identified to species level to select nymphal ticks of I. ricinus, which were used to develop and calibrate Poisson regression models. The environmental variables height above sea level, temperature, relative humidity, saturation deficit and land cover classification were used as explanatory variables. Results The number of flagged nymphal tick densities range from zero (mountain site) to more than 1,000 nymphs/100 m2. Calibrating the Poisson regression models with these nymphal densities results in an explained variance of 72 % and a prediction error of 110 nymphs/100 m2 in 2013. Generally, nymphal densities (maximum 374 nymphs/100 m2), explained variance (46 %) and prediction error (61 nymphs/100 m2) were lower in 2014. The models were used to compile high-resolution maps with 0.5 km2 grid size for the study region of the German federal state Baden-Württemberg. The accuracy of the mapped tick densities was investigated by leave-one-out cross-validation resulting in root-mean-square-errors of 227 nymphs/100 m2 for 2013 and 104 nymphs/100 m2 for 2014. Conclusions The methodology introduced here may be applied to further tick species or extended to other study regions. Finally, the study is a first step towards the spatial estimation of tick-borne diseases in Central Europe. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12942-015-0015-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Abstract
Geographic expansion of Ixodes scapularis ticks has increased human exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted in the eastern United States by the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), is increasing in incidence and expanding geographically. Recent environmental modeling based on extensive field collections of host-seeking I. scapularis ticks predicted a coastal distribution of ticks in mid-Atlantic states and an elevational limit of 510 m. However, human Lyme disease cases are increasing most dramatically at higher elevations in Virginia, a state where Lyme disease is rapidly emerging. Our goal was to explore the apparent incongruity, during 2000–2011, between human Lyme disease data and predicted and observed I. scapularis distribution. We found significantly higher densities of infected ticks at our highest elevation site than at lower elevation sites. We also found that I. scapularis ticks in Virginia are more closely related to northern than to southern tick populations. Clinicians and epidemiologists should be vigilant in light of the changing spatial distributions of risk.
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Arsnoe IM, Hickling GJ, Ginsberg HS, McElreath R, Tsao JI. Different populations of blacklegged tick nymphs exhibit differences in questing behavior that have implications for human lyme disease risk. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0127450. [PMID: 25996603 PMCID: PMC4440738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior can have profound effects on pathogen transmission and disease incidence. We studied the questing (= host-seeking) behavior of blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) nymphs, which are the primary vectors of Lyme disease in the eastern United States. Lyme disease is common in northern but not in southern regions, and prior ecological studies have found that standard methods used to collect host-seeking nymphs in northern regions are unsuccessful in the south. This led us to hypothesize that there are behavior differences between northern and southern nymphs that alter how readily they are collected, and how likely they are to transmit the etiological agent of Lyme disease to humans. To examine this question, we compared the questing behavior of I. scapularis nymphs originating from one northern (Lyme disease endemic) and two southern (non-endemic) US regions at field sites in Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Florida. Laboratory-raised uninfected nymphs were monitored in circular 0.2 m2 arenas containing wooden dowels (mimicking stems of understory vegetation) for 10 (2011) and 19 (2012) weeks. The probability of observing nymphs questing on these stems (2011), and on stems, on top of leaf litter, and on arena walls (2012) was much greater for northern than for southern origin ticks in both years and at all field sites (19.5 times greater in 2011; 3.6-11.6 times greater in 2012). Our findings suggest that southern origin I. scapularis nymphs rarely emerge from the leaf litter, and consequently are unlikely to contact passing humans. We propose that this difference in questing behavior accounts for observed geographic differences in the efficacy of the standard sampling techniques used to collect questing nymphs. These findings also support our hypothesis that very low Lyme disease incidence in southern states is, in part, a consequence of the type of host-seeking behavior exhibited by southern populations of the key Lyme disease vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis M. Arsnoe
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Graham J. Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Howard S. Ginsberg
- United States Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Rhode Island Field Station, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Richard McElreath
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, 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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Monaghan AJ, Moore SM, Sampson KM, Beard CB, Eisen RJ. Climate change influences on the annual onset of Lyme disease in the United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2015; 6:615-22. [PMID: 26025268 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2015.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States. Lyme disease occurrence is highly seasonal and the annual springtime onset of cases is modulated by meteorological conditions in preceding months. A meteorological-based empirical model for Lyme disease onset week in the United States is driven with downscaled simulations from five global climate models and four greenhouse gas emissions scenarios to project the impacts of 21st century climate change on the annual onset week of Lyme disease. Projections are made individually and collectively for the 12 eastern States where >90% of cases occur. The national average annual onset week of Lyme disease is projected to become 0.4-0.5 weeks earlier for 2025-2040 (p<0.05), and 0.7-1.9 weeks earlier for 2065-2080 (p<0.01), with the largest shifts for scenarios with the highest greenhouse gas emissions. The more southerly mid-Atlantic States exhibit larger shifts (1.0-3.5 weeks) compared to the Northeastern and upper Midwestern States (0.2-2.3 weeks) by 2065-2080. Winter and spring temperature increases primarily cause the earlier onset. Greater spring precipitation and changes in humidity partially counteract the temperature effects. The model does not account for the possibility that abrupt shifts in the life cycle of Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi in the eastern United States, may alter the disease transmission cycle in unforeseen ways. The results suggest 21st century climate change will make environmental conditions suitable for earlier annual onset of Lyme disease cases in the United States with possible implications for the timing of public health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Monaghan
- Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, 3090 Center Green Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, USA.
| | - Sean M Moore
- Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Kevin M Sampson
- Research Applications Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, 3090 Center Green Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, USA.
| | - Charles B Beard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3150 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3150 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA.
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Alonso-Carné J, García-Martín A, Estrada-Peña A. Assessing the statistical relationships among water-derived climate variables, rainfall, and remotely sensed features of vegetation: implications for evaluating the habitat of ticks. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2015; 65:107-124. [PMID: 25183388 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-014-9849-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are sensitive to changes in relative humidity and saturation deficit at the microclimate scale. Trends and changes in rainfall are commonly used as descriptors of field observations of tick populations, to capture the climate niche of ticks or to predict the climate suitability for ticks under future climate scenarios. We evaluated daily and monthly relationships between rainfall, relative humidity and saturation deficit over different ecosystems in Europe using daily climate values from 177 stations over a period of 10 years. We demonstrate that rainfall is poorly correlated with both relative humidity and saturation deficit in any of the ecological domains studied. We conclude that the amount of rainfall recorded in 1 day does not correlate with the values of humidity or saturation deficit recorded 24 h later: rainfall is not an adequate surrogate for evaluating the physiological processes of ticks at regional scales. We compared the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a descriptor of photosynthetic activity, at a spatial resolution of 0.05°, with monthly averages of relative humidity and saturation deficit and also determined a lack of significant correlation. With the limitations of spatial scale and habitat coverage of this study, we suggest that the rainfall or NDVI cannot replace relative humidity or saturation deficit as descriptors of tick processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alonso-Carné
- Department of Geography and Territorial Planning, University of Zaragoza, Saragossa, Spain
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Tran P, Waller L. Variability in results from negative binomial models for Lyme disease measured at different spatial scales. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 136:373-380. [PMID: 25460658 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease has been the subject of many studies due to increasing incidence rates year after year and the severe complications that can arise in later stages of the disease. Negative binomial models have been used to model Lyme disease in the past with some success. However, there has been little focus on the reliability and consistency of these models when they are used to study Lyme disease at multiple spatial scales. This study seeks to explore how sensitive/consistent negative binomial models are when they are used to study Lyme disease at different spatial scales (at the regional and sub-regional levels). The study area includes the thirteen states in the Northeastern United States with the highest Lyme disease incidence during the 2002-2006 period. Lyme disease incidence at county level for the period of 2002-2006 was linked with several previously identified key landscape and climatic variables in a negative binomial regression model for the Northeastern region and two smaller sub-regions (the New England sub-region and the Mid-Atlantic sub-region). This study found that negative binomial models, indeed, were sensitive/inconsistent when used at different spatial scales. We discuss various plausible explanations for such behavior of negative binomial models. Further investigation of the inconsistency and sensitivity of negative binomial models when used at different spatial scales is important for not only future Lyme disease studies and Lyme disease risk assessment/management but any study that requires use of this model type in a spatial context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe Tran
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, US.
| | - Lance Waller
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, US
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Turney S, Gonzalez A, Millien V. The negative relationship between mammal host diversity and Lyme disease incidence strengthens through time. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/14-0980.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Ginsberg HS, Rulison EL, Azevedo A, Pang GC, Kuczaj IM, Tsao JI, LeBrun RA. Comparison of survival patterns of northern and southern genotypes of the North American tick Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) under northern and southern conditions. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:394. [PMID: 25160464 PMCID: PMC4153913 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Several investigators have reported genetic differences between northern and southern populations of Ixodes scapularis in North America, as well as differences in patterns of disease transmission. Ecological and behavioral correlates of these genetic differences, which might have implications for disease transmission, have not been reported. We compared survival of northern with that of southern genotypes under both northern and southern environmental conditions in laboratory trials. Methods Subadult I. scapularis from laboratory colonies that originated from adults collected from deer from several sites in the northeastern, north central, and southern U.S. were exposed to controlled conditions in environmental chambers. Northern and southern genotypes were exposed to light:dark and temperature conditions of northern and southern sites with controlled relative humidities, and mortality through time was recorded. Results Ticks from different geographical locations differed in survival patterns, with larvae from Wisconsin surviving longer than larvae from Massachusetts, South Carolina or Georgia, when held under the same conditions. In another experiment, larvae from Florida survived longer than larvae from Michigan. Therefore, survival patterns of regional genotypes did not follow a simple north–south gradient. The most consistent result was that larvae from all locations generally survived longer under northern conditions than under southern conditions. Conclusions Our results suggest that conditions in southern North America are less hospitable than in the north to populations of I. scapularis. Southern conditions might have resulted in ecological or behavioral adaptations that contribute to the relative rarity of I. scapularis borne diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis, in the southern compared to the northern United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard S Ginsberg
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, RI Field Station, Woodward Hall - PSE, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
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Lorenz A, Dhingra R, Chang HH, Bisanzio D, Liu Y, Remais JV. Inter-model comparison of the landscape determinants of vector-borne disease: implications for epidemiological and entomological risk modeling. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103163. [PMID: 25072884 PMCID: PMC4114569 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Extrapolating landscape regression models for use in assessing vector-borne disease risk and other applications requires thoughtful evaluation of fundamental model choice issues. To examine implications of such choices, an analysis was conducted to explore the extent to which disparate landscape models agree in their epidemiological and entomological risk predictions when extrapolated to new regions. Agreement between six literature-drawn landscape models was examined by comparing predicted county-level distributions of either Lyme disease or Ixodes scapularis vector using Spearman ranked correlation. AUC analyses and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess the ability of these extrapolated landscape models to predict observed national data. Three models based on measures of vegetation, habitat patch characteristics, and herbaceous landcover emerged as effective predictors of observed disease and vector distribution. An ensemble model containing these three models improved precision and predictive ability over individual models. A priori assessment of qualitative model characteristics effectively identified models that subsequently emerged as better predictors in quantitative analysis. Both a methodology for quantitative model comparison and a checklist for qualitative assessment of candidate models for extrapolation are provided; both tools aim to improve collaboration between those producing models and those interested in applying them to new areas and research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson Lorenz
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Radhika Dhingra
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Howard H. Chang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Donal Bisanzio
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Justin V. Remais
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Feria-Arroyo TP, Castro-Arellano I, Gordillo-Perez G, Cavazos AL, Vargas-Sandoval M, Grover A, Torres J, Medina RF, de León AAP, Esteve-Gassent MD. Implications of climate change on the distribution of the tick vector Ixodes scapularis and risk for Lyme disease in the Texas-Mexico transboundary region. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:199. [PMID: 24766735 PMCID: PMC4022269 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disease risk maps are important tools that help ascertain the likelihood of exposure to specific infectious agents. Understanding how climate change may affect the suitability of habitats for ticks will improve the accuracy of risk maps of tick-borne pathogen transmission in humans and domestic animal populations. Lyme disease (LD) is the most prevalent arthropod borne disease in the US and Europe. The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi causes LD and it is transmitted to humans and other mammalian hosts through the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. LD risk maps in the transboundary region between the U.S. and Mexico are lacking. Moreover, none of the published studies that evaluated the effect of climate change in the spatial and temporal distribution of I. scapularis have focused on this region. METHODS The area of study included Texas and a portion of northeast Mexico. This area is referred herein as the Texas-Mexico transboundary region. Tick samples were obtained from various vertebrate hosts in the region under study. Ticks identified as I. scapularis were processed to obtain DNA and to determine if they were infected with B. burgdorferi using PCR. A maximum entropy approach (MAXENT) was used to forecast the present and future (2050) distribution of B. burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis in the Texas-Mexico transboundary region by correlating geographic data with climatic variables. RESULTS Of the 1235 tick samples collected, 109 were identified as I. scapularis. Infection with B. burgdorferi was detected in 45% of the I. scapularis ticks collected. The model presented here indicates a wide distribution for I. scapularis, with higher probability of occurrence along the Gulf of Mexico coast. Results of the modeling approach applied predict that habitat suitable for the distribution of I. scapularis in the Texas-Mexico transboundary region will remain relatively stable until 2050. CONCLUSIONS The Texas-Mexico transboundary region appears to be part of a continuum in the pathogenic landscape of LD. Forecasting based on climate trends provides a tool to adapt strategies in the near future to mitigate the impact of LD related to its distribution and risk for transmission to human populations in the Mexico-US transboundary region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria D Esteve-Gassent
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Pultorak EL, Breitschwerdt EB. Survey of veterinarians' perceptions of borreliosis in North Carolina. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2014; 244:592-6. [PMID: 24548235 DOI: 10.2460/javma.244.5.592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the practices and perceptions of veterinarians in North Carolina regarding borreliosis in dogs in various geographic regions of the state. DESIGN--Cross-sectional survey. SAMPLE--Data from 208 completed surveys. PROCEDURES--Surveys were distributed to veterinary clinics throughout North Carolina. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize perceptions pertaining to borreliosis among dogs in North Carolina. RESULts--A significantly higher proportion of responding veterinarians believed that borreliosis was endemic in the coastal (67.2%) and Piedmont (60.9%) areas of North Carolina, compared with more western regions (37.5%). The 3 variables found to be significantly different between the northern and southern regions of the state were the estimated number of borreliosis cases diagnosed by each responding veterinary clinic during the past year, the perception of borreliosis endemicity, and the perceptions related to the likelihood of a dog acquiring borreliosis in the state. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE--Veterinarians' perception of the risk of borreliosis in North Carolina was consistent with recent scientific reports pertaining to geographic expansion of borreliosis in the state. As knowledge of the epidemiological features of borreliosis in North Carolina continues to evolve, veterinarians should promote routine screening of dogs for Borrelia burgdorferi exposure as a simple, inexpensive form of surveillance that can be used to better educate their clients on the threat of transmission of borreliosis in this transitional geographic region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Pultorak
- Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, and the Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607
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Werden L, Barker IK, Bowman J, Gonzales EK, Leighton PA, Lindsay LR, Jardine CM. Geography, deer, and host biodiversity shape the pattern of Lyme disease emergence in the Thousand Islands Archipelago of Ontario, Canada. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85640. [PMID: 24416435 PMCID: PMC3887107 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Thousand Islands region of eastern Ontario, Canada, Lyme disease is emerging as a serious health risk. The factors that influence Lyme disease risk, as measured by the number of blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) vectors infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, are complex and vary across eastern North America. Despite study sites in the Thousand Islands being in close geographic proximity, host communities differed and both the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection in them varied among sites. Using this archipelago in a natural experiment, we examined the relative importance of various biotic and abiotic factors, including air temperature, vegetation, and host communities on Lyme disease risk in this zone of recent invasion. Deer abundance and temperature at ground level were positively associated with tick abundance, whereas the number of ticks in the environment, the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection, and the number of infected nymphs all decreased with increasing distance from the United States, the presumed source of this new endemic population of ticks. Higher species richness was associated with a lower number of infected nymphs. However, the relative abundance of Peromyscus leucopus was an important factor in modulating the effects of species richness such that high biodiversity did not always reduce the number of nymphs or the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infection. Our study is one of the first to consider the interaction between the relative abundance of small mammal hosts and species richness in the analysis of the effects of biodiversity on disease risk, providing validation for theoretical models showing both dilution and amplification effects. Insights into the B. burgdorferi transmission cycle in this zone of recent invasion will also help in devising management strategies as this important vector-borne disease expands its range in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Werden
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Parks Canada Agency, Thousand Islands National Park, Mallorytown, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ian K. Barker
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeff Bowman
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Patrick A. Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faulty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Claire M. Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Goltz L, Varela-Stokes A, Goddard J. Survey of adult Ixodes scapularis Say for disease agents in Mississippi. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2013; 38:401-403. [PMID: 24581371 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2013.12056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Goltz
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, U.S.A
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