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VanAcker MC, DeNicola VL, DeNicola AJ, Aucoin SG, Simon R, Toal KL, Diuk-Wasser MA, Cagnacci F. Resource selection by New York City deer reveals the effective interface between wildlife, zoonotic hazards and humans. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:2029-2042. [PMID: 37882483 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Although the role of host movement in shaping infectious disease dynamics is widely acknowledged, methodological separation between animal movement and disease ecology has prevented researchers from leveraging empirical insights from movement data to advance landscape scale understanding of infectious disease risk. To address this knowledge gap, we examine how movement behaviour and resource utilization by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) determines blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) distribution, which depend on deer for dispersal in a highly fragmented New York City borough. Multi-scale hierarchical resource selection analysis and movement modelling provide insight into how deer's movements contribute to the risk landscape for human exposure to the Lyme disease vector-I. scapularis. We find deer select highly vegetated and accessible residential properties which support blacklegged tick survival. We conclude the distribution of tick-borne disease risk results from the individual resource selection by deer across spatial scales in response to habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith C VanAcker
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health Program, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, District of Columbia, Washington, USA
| | | | | | | | - Richard Simon
- City of New York Parks & Recreation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Katrina L Toal
- City of New York Parks & Recreation, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Francesca Cagnacci
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Centre, Palermo, Italy
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2
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Combs MA, Tufts DM, Adams B, Lin YP, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA. Host adaptation drives genetic diversity in a vector-borne disease system. PNAS Nexus 2023; 2:pgad234. [PMID: 37559749 PMCID: PMC10408703 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
The range of hosts a pathogen can infect is a key trait, influencing human disease risk and reservoir host infection dynamics. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bb), an emerging zoonotic pathogen, causes Lyme disease and is widely considered a host generalist, commonly infecting mammals and birds. Yet the extent of intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth, its role in determining host competence, and potential implications for human infection remain unclear. We conducted a long-term study of Bb diversity, defined by the polymorphic ospC locus, across white-footed mice, passerine birds, and tick vectors, leveraging long-read amplicon sequencing. Our results reveal strong variation in host breadth across Bb genotypes, exposing a spectrum of genotype-specific host-adapted phenotypes. We found support for multiple niche polymorphism, maintaining Bb diversity in nature and little evidence of temporal shifts in genotype dominance, as would be expected under negative frequency-dependent selection. Passerine birds support the circulation of several human-invasive strains (HISs) in the local tick population and harbor greater Bb genotypic diversity compared with white-footed mice. Mouse-adapted Bb genotypes exhibited longer persistence in individual mice compared with nonadapted genotypes. Genotype communities infecting individual mice preferentially became dominated by mouse-adapted genotypes over time. We posit that intraspecific variation in Bb host breadth and adaptation helps maintain overall species fitness in response to transmission by a generalist vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Ben Adams
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA27AY, UK
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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3
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Kache PA, Bron GM, Zapata-Ramirez S, Tsao JI, Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM, Diuk-Wasser MA, Fernandez MDP. Evaluating spatial and temporal patterns of tick exposure in the United States using community science data submitted through a smartphone application. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102163. [PMID: 37001417 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Research initiatives that engage the public (i.e., community science or citizen science) increasingly provide insights into tick exposures in the United States. However, these data have important caveats, particularly with respect to reported travel history and tick identification. Here, we assessed whether a smartphone application, The Tick App, provides reliable and novel insights into tick exposures across three domains - travel history, broad spatial and temporal patterns of species-specific encounters, and tick identification. During 2019-2021, we received 11,424 tick encounter submissions from across the United States, with nearly all generated in the Midwest and Northeast regions. Encounters were predominantly with human hosts (71%); although one-fourth of ticks were found on animals. Half of the encounters (51%) consisted of self-reported peri‑domestic exposures, while 37% consisted of self-reported recreational exposures. Using phone-based location services, we detected differences in travel history outside of the users' county of residence along an urbanicity gradient. Approximately 75% of users from large metropolitan and rural counties had travel out-of-county in the four days prior to tick detection, whereas an estimated 50-60% of users from smaller metropolitan areas did. Furthermore, we generated tick encounter maps for Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis that partially accounted for travel history and overall mirrored previously published species distributions. Finally, we evaluated whether a streamlined three-question sequence (on tick size, feeding status, and color) would inform a simple algorithm to optimize image-based tick identification. Visual aides of tick coloration and size engaged and guided users towards species and life stage classification moderately well, with 56% of one-time submitters correctly selecting photos of D. variabilis adults and 76% of frequent-submitters correctly selecting photos of D. variabilis adults. Together, these results indicate the importance of bolstering the use of smartphone applications to engage community scientists and complement other active and passive tick surveillance systems.
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Tufts DM, Adams B, Diuk-Wasser MA. Ecological interactions driving population dynamics of two tick-borne pathogens, Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230642. [PMID: 37357860 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) and Babesia microti (Bm) are vector-borne zoonotic pathogens commonly found co-circulating in Ixodes scapularis and Peromyscus leucopus populations. The restricted distribution and lower prevalence of Bm has been historically attributed to lower host-to-tick transmission efficiency and limited host ranges. We hypothesized that prevalence patterns are driven by coinfection dynamics and vertical transmission. We use a multi-year, multiple location, longitudinal dataset with mathematical modelling to elucidate coinfection dynamics between Bb and Bm in natural populations of P. leucopus, the most competent reservoir host for both pathogens in the eastern USA. Our analyses indicate that, in the absence of vertical transmission, Bb is viable at lower tick numbers than Bm. However, with vertical transmission, Bm is viable at lower tick numbers than Bb. Vertical transmission has a particularly strong effect on Bm prevalence early in the active season while coinfection has an increasing role during the nymphal peak. Our analyses indicate that coinfection processes, such as facilitation of Bm infection by Bb, have relatively little influence on the persistence of either parasite. We suggest future work examines the sensitivity of Bm vertical transmission and other key processes to local environmental conditions to inform surveillance and control of tick-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ben Adams
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Combs M, Marcinkiewicz AL, Dupuis AP, Davis AD, Lederman P, Nowak TA, Stout JL, Strle K, Fingerle V, Margos G, Ciota AT, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Phylogenomic Diversity Elucidates Mechanistic Insights into Lyme Borreliae-Host Association. mSystems 2022; 7:e0048822. [PMID: 35938719 PMCID: PMC9426539 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00488-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Host association-the selective adaptation of pathogens to specific host species-evolves through constant interactions between host and pathogens, leaving a lot yet to be discovered on immunological mechanisms and genomic determinants. The causative agents of Lyme disease (LD) are spirochete bacteria composed of multiple species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, including B. burgdorferi (Bb), the main LD pathogen in North America-a useful model for the study of mechanisms underlying host-pathogen association. Host adaptation requires pathogens' ability to evade host immune responses, such as complement, the first-line innate immune defense mechanism. We tested the hypothesis that different host-adapted phenotypes among Bb strains are linked to polymorphic loci that confer complement evasion traits in a host-specific manner. We first examined the survivability of 20 Bb strains in sera in vitro and/or bloodstream and tissues in vivo from rodent and avian LD models. Three groups of complement-dependent host-association phenotypes emerged. We analyzed complement-evasion genes, identified a priori among all strains and sequenced and compared genomes for individual strains representing each phenotype. The evolutionary history of ospC loci is correlated with host-specific complement-evasion phenotypes, while comparative genomics suggests that several gene families and loci are potentially involved in host association. This multidisciplinary work provides novel insights into the functional evolution of host-adapted phenotypes, building a foundation for further investigation of the immunological and genomic determinants of host association. IMPORTANCE Host association is the phenotype that is commonly found in many pathogens that preferential survive in particular hosts. The Lyme disease (LD)-causing agent, B. burgdorferi (Bb), is an ideal model to study host association, as Bb is mainly maintained in nature through rodent and avian hosts. A widespread yet untested concept posits that host association in Bb strains is linked to Bb functional genetic variation conferring evasion to complement, an innate defense mechanism in vertebrate sera. Here, we tested this concept by grouping 20 Bb strains into three complement-dependent host-association phenotypes based on their survivability in sera and/or bloodstream and distal tissues in rodent and avian LD models. Phylogenomic analysis of these strains further correlated several gene families and loci, including ospC, with host-specific complement-evasion phenotypes. Such multifaceted studies thus pave the road to further identify the determinants of host association, providing mechanistic insights into host-pathogen interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Ashley L. Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - April D. Davis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Patricia Lederman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Tristan A. Nowak
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Jessica L. Stout
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Klemen Strle
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Volker Fingerle
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- German National Reference Centre for Borrelia, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleissheim, Germany
| | - Alexander T. Ciota
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Institute for Genomics in Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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6
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Fernandez MP, Ernst KC, Bron GM, Berry K, Diuk-Wasser MA, Hayden MH. Outdoor Activity Associated with Higher Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being During COVID-19. Ecohealth 2022; 19:154-158. [PMID: 35687197 PMCID: PMC9186007 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-022-01598-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Shifts in activity patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic might have impacted the benefits of outdoor activities for mental health. By leveraging an existing mobile application, we collected self-reported data on daily outdoor activities, emotional well-being, and the influence of COVID-19 on participant's outdoor activity levels during April-July 2020. Individuals reporting outdoor activities, in greenspaces or in their residence, had higher well-being scores and this effect increased with age. Self-reported impacts of COVID-19 on emotional well-being were associated with lower well-being scores. This work suggests that outdoor activities may have improved mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pilar Fernandez
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Kacey C Ernst
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ, USA
| | - Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kevin Berry
- College of Business and Public Policy, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary H Hayden
- Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at UCCS, 4863 North Nevada Avenue, Fourth floor, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA.
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7
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Combs MA, Kache PA, VanAcker MC, Gregory N, Plimpton LD, Tufts DM, Fernandez MP, Diuk-Wasser MA. Socio-ecological drivers of multiple zoonotic hazards in highly urbanized cities. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:1705-1724. [PMID: 34889003 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of pathogen spillover from wildlife to human hosts, particularly in densely populated urban centers. Prevention of future zoonotic disease is contingent on informed surveillance for known and novel threats across diverse human-wildlife interfaces. Cities are a key venue for potential spillover events because of the presence of zoonotic pathogens transmitted by hosts and vectors living in close proximity to dense human settlements. Effectively identifying and managing zoonotic hazards requires understanding the socio-ecological processes driving hazard distribution and pathogen prevalence in dynamic and heterogeneous urban landscapes. Despite increasing awareness of the human health impacts of zoonotic hazards, the integration of an eco-epidemiological perspective into public health management plans remains limited. Here we discuss how landscape patterns, abiotic conditions, and biotic interactions influence zoonotic hazards across highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in temperate climates to promote their efficient and effective management by a multi-sectoral coalition of public health stakeholders. We describe how to interpret both direct and indirect ecological processes, incorporate spatial scale, and evaluate networks of connectivity specific to different zoonotic hazards to promote biologically-informed and targeted decision-making. Using New York City, USA as a case study, we identify major zoonotic threats, apply knowledge of relevant ecological factors, and highlight opportunities and challenges for research and intervention. We aim to broaden the toolbox of urban public health stakeholders by providing ecologically-informed, practical guidance for the evaluation and management of zoonotic hazards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pallavi A Kache
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nichar Gregory
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Laura D Plimpton
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Lin YP, Tufts DM, Combs M, Dupuis AP, Marcinkiewicz AL, Hirsbrunner AD, Diaz AJ, Stout JL, Blom AM, Strle K, Davis AD, Kramer LD, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA. Cellular and immunological mechanisms influence host-adapted phenotypes in a vector-borne microparasite. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212087. [PMID: 35193398 PMCID: PMC8864362 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting pathogen emergence and spillover risk requires understanding the determinants of a pathogens' host range and the traits involved in host competence. While host competence is often considered a fixed species-specific trait, it may be variable if pathogens diversify across hosts. Balancing selection can lead to maintenance of pathogen polymorphisms (multiple-niche-polymorphism; MNP). The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), provides a model to study the evolution of host adaptation, as some Bb strains defined by their outer surface protein C (ospC) genotype, are widespread in white-footed mice and others are associated with non-rodent vertebrates (e.g. birds). To identify the mechanisms underlying potential strain × host adaptation, we infected American robins and white-footed mice, with three Bb strains of different ospC genotypes. Bb burdens varied by strain in a host-dependent fashion, and strain persistence in hosts largely corresponded to Bb survival at early infection stages and with transmission to larvae (i.e. fitness). Early survival phenotypes are associated with cell adhesion, complement evasion and/or inflammatory and antibody-mediated removal of Bb, suggesting directional selective pressure for host adaptation and the potential role of MNP in maintaining OspC diversity. Our findings will guide future investigations to inform eco-evolutionary models of host adaptation for microparasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA,Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Combs
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Alexander J. Diaz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Jessica L. Stout
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Klemen Strle
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA,Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - April D. Davis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, NYSDOH, Albany, NY, USA,Department of Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Albany, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA,Institute for Genomic Health, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Mathisson DC, Kross SM, Palmer MI, Diuk-Wasser MA. Effect of Vegetation on the Abundance of Tick Vectors in the Northeastern United States: A Review of the Literature. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:2030-2037. [PMID: 34080018 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne illnesses have been on the rise in the United States, with reported cases up sharply in the past two decades. In this literature review, we synthesize the available research on the relationship between vegetation and tick abundance for four tick species in the northeastern United States that are of potential medical importance to humans. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) is found to be positively associated with closed canopy forests and dense vegetation thickets, and negatively associated with open canopy environments, such as grasslands or old agricultural fields. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) has little habitat overlap with I. scapularis, with abundance highest in grasses and open-canopy fields. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) (Linnaeus; Acari: Ixodidae) is a habitat generalist without consistent associations with particular types of vegetation. The habitat associations of the recently introduced Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) (Neumann; Acari: Ixodidae) in the northeastern United States, and in other regions where it has invaded, are still unknown, although based on studies in its native range, it is likely to be found in grasslands and open-canopy habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mathisson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara M Kross
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew I Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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10
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Tufts DM, Diuk-Wasser MA. First hemispheric report of invasive tick species Haemaphysalis punctata, first state report of Haemaphysalis longicornis, and range expansion of native tick species in Rhode Island, USA. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:394. [PMID: 34376221 PMCID: PMC8353422 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04887-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasive arthropod vectors and the range expansions of native vectors can lead to public and veterinary health concerns, as these vectors may introduce novel pathogens or spread endemic pathogens to new locations. Recent tick invasions and range expansion in the USA has been attributed to climate and land use change, an increase in global travel, and importations of exotic animals. METHODS A 10-year surveillance study was conducted on Block Island, Rhode Island, from 2010 to 2020 including sampling ticks from small mammal and avian hosts. RESULTS We report the discovery and establishment of the red sheep tick (Haemaphysalis punctata) for the first time in the western hemisphere and in the US. This invasive species was first collected in 2010 on Block Island, was collected continuously throughout the study, and was collected from an avian host. We document the first report of the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in the state of Rhode Island, first observed at our sites in 2018. Finally, we present data on the range expansion and establishment of two native tick species, the lone star tick and the rabbit tick, on Block Island. CONCLUSION This study emphasized the importance of long-term surveillance to detect changes in tick host communities, including invasive and expanding native vectors of potential significance to humans and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M. Tufts
- Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, University of Pittsburgh, 2119 Public Health, 130 De Soto St, Pittsburgh, PA USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY USA
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY USA
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Diuk-Wasser MA, VanAcker MC, Fernandez MP. Impact of Land Use Changes and Habitat Fragmentation on the Eco-epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:1546-1564. [PMID: 33095859 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent decades and accounts for the majority of vector-borne disease cases in temperate areas of Europe, North America, and Asia. This emergence has been attributed to multiple and interactive drivers including changes in climate, land use, abundance of key hosts, and people's behaviors affecting the probability of human exposure to infected ticks. In this forum paper, we focus on how land use changes have shaped the eco-epidemiology of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens, in particular the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern United States. We use this as a model system, addressing other tick-borne disease systems as needed to illustrate patterns or processes. We first examine how land use interacts with abiotic conditions (microclimate) and biotic factors (e.g., host community composition) to influence the enzootic hazard, measured as the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. We then review the evidence of how specific landscape configuration, in particular forest fragmentation, influences the enzootic hazard and disease risk across spatial scales and urbanization levels. We emphasize the need for a dynamic understanding of landscapes based on tick and pathogen host movement and habitat use in relation to human resource provisioning. We propose a coupled natural-human systems framework for tick-borne diseases that accounts for the multiple interactions, nonlinearities and feedbacks in the system and conclude with a call for standardization of methodology and terminology to help integrate studies conducted at multiple scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
| | - Maria P Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York
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12
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Hart TM, Dupuis AP, Tufts DM, Blom AM, Starkey SR, Rego ROM, Ram S, Kraiczy P, Kramer LD, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kolokotronis SO, Lin YP. Host tropism determination by convergent evolution of immunological evasion in the Lyme disease system. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009801. [PMID: 34324600 PMCID: PMC8354441 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens possess the ability to adapt and survive in some host species but not in others-an ecological trait known as host tropism. Transmitted through ticks and carried mainly by mammals and birds, the Lyme disease (LD) bacterium is a well-suited model to study such tropism. Three main causative agents of LD, Borrelia burgdorferi, B. afzelii, and B. garinii, vary in host ranges through mechanisms eluding characterization. By feeding ticks infected with different Borrelia species, utilizing feeding chambers and live mice and quail, we found species-level differences in bacterial transmission. These differences localize on the tick blood meal, and specifically complement, a defense in vertebrate blood, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA, which inactivates complement by binding to a host complement inhibitor, Factor H (FH). CspA selectively confers bacterial transmission to vertebrates that produce FH capable of allele-specific recognition. CspA is the only member of the Pfam54 gene family to exhibit host-specific FH-binding. Phylogenetic analyses revealed convergent evolution as the driver of such uniqueness, and that FH-binding likely emerged during the last glacial maximum. Our results identify a determinant of host tropism in Lyme disease infection, thus defining an evolutionary mechanism that shapes host-pathogen associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M. Hart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Alan P. Dupuis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle M. Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna M. Blom
- Division of Medical Protein Chemistry, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Malmo, Sweden
| | - Simon R. Starkey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Ryan O. M. Rego
- Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sanjay Ram
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura D. Kramer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Institute for Genomic Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, United States of America
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, United States of America
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13
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Bron GM, Fernandez MDP, Bartholomay LC, Diuk-Wasser MA, Paskewitz SM, Tsao JI. Comment on Eisen and Eisen (2020) 'Benefits and Drawbacks of Citizen Science to Complement Traditional Data Gathering Approaches for Medically Important Hard Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the United States' Regarding the Tick App and Research-Based Citizen Science. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:991-993. [PMID: 33399210 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Maria Del Pilar Fernandez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, Schemerhorn Ext Building, 11th Floor, Room 1013, New York, NY
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Lyric C Bartholomay
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, Schemerhorn Ext Building, 11th Floor, Room 1013, New York, NY
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
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14
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Adams B, Walter KS, Diuk-Wasser MA. Host Specialisation, Immune Cross-Reaction and the Composition of Communities of Co-circulating Borrelia Strains. Bull Math Biol 2021; 83:66. [PMID: 33939028 PMCID: PMC8093179 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-021-00896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
We use mathematical modelling to examine how microbial strain communities are structured by the host specialisation traits and antigenic relationships of their members. The model is quite general and broadly applicable, but we focus on Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium, transmitted by ticks to mice and birds. In this system, host specialisation driven by the evasion of innate immunity has been linked to multiple niche polymorphism, while antigenic differentiation driven by the evasion of adaptive immunity has been linked to negative frequency dependence. Our model is composed of two host species, one vector, and multiple co-circulating pathogen strains that vary in their host specificity and their antigenic distances from one another. We explore the conditions required to maintain pathogen diversity. We show that the combination of host specificity and antigenic differentiation creates an intricate niche structure. Unequivocal rules that relate the stability of a strain community directly to the trait composition of its members are elusive. However, broad patterns are evident. When antigenic differentiation is weak, stable communities are typically composed entirely of generalists that can exploit either host species equally well. As antigenic differentiation increases, more diverse stable communities emerge, typically around trait compositions of generalists, generalists and very similar specialists, and specialists roughly balanced between the two host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Adams
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
| | - Katharine S Walter
- Division of Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA
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15
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Tufts DM, McClure M, Diuk-Wasser MA. Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Nymphal Survival and Host-Finding Success in the Eastern United States. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:929-938. [PMID: 33210721 PMCID: PMC7954101 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say) is the primary vector of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), the Lyme disease agent in North America. The basic reproduction number (R0) for B. burgdorferi in I. scapularis in the Northeast is highly sensitive to the probability that engorged larvae survive the winter, molt into nymphs, and find a host. These processes are dependent on local environmental variables, including climate, host population size and movement, and tick behavior. A simple model is presented for estimating host-finding success from the ratio of tick abundance in two subsequent years, accounting for overwinter survival and possible differences in host associations between nymphs and larvae. This model was parameterized using data from two sites in mainland Connecticut and two on Block Island, RI. Host abundance and tick burdens were estimated via mark-recapture trapping of the primary host, Peromyscus leucopus Rafinesque. Overwintering survival was estimated using engorged larvae placed in field enclosures at each site. Only nymphs were recovered alive, and no significant differences in model parameters were observed between Connecticut and Block Island. Host-finding success was predicted to be high across a wide range of host association patterns at three of four sites. Assuming equivalent host association between larvae and nymphs, R0 was also estimated to be greater than one at three of four sites, suggesting these conditions allow for the persistence of B. burgdorferi. The model output was highly sensitive to differences between nymphal and larval host associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Max McClure
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY
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16
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Tufts DM, Diuk-Wasser MA. Vertical Transmission: A Vector-Independent Transmission Pathway of Babesia microti in the Natural Reservoir Host Peromyscus leucopus. J Infect Dis 2020; 223:1787-1795. [PMID: 32959880 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaa595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia microti, a malaria-like pathogen, is increasing in mammal and human populations in endemic areas and is unlikely to be the sole result of horizontal pathogen transmission. METHODS Peromyscus leucopus mice, natural reservoir hosts, were infected via Ixodes scapularis nymphs. Infected parental females (n = 6) produced F1 offspring (n = 36) that were screened for B. microti using quantitative PCR. Xenodiagnostic larvae were fed on infected offspring to determine horizontal transmission and pathogen viability. Fifty engorged larvae were screened; the rest were allowed to molt and then screened to determine transstadial transmission. Infected F1 generation offspring were placed in breeding groups, producing 34 F2 offspring and screened for B. microti infection. Chronic infection was monitored in parental females since time of initial vector infection. RESULTS Vertical transmission of B. microti was 74% efficient in offspring born in the first 6 months. Horizontal transmission occurred in larvae (61% prevalence) and molted nymphs (58% prevalence); these nymphs were able to infect susceptible hosts. F2 generation offspring infection prevalence was 38%. Chronic infection persisted for 1 year in some adults. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that vertical transmission is an important nonvector-mediated pathway of B. microti transmission in the natural reservoir host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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17
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Ronai I, Tufts DM, Diuk-Wasser MA. Aversion of the invasive Asian longhorned tick to the white-footed mouse, the dominant reservoir of tick-borne pathogens in the U.S.A. Med Vet Entomol 2020; 34:369-373. [PMID: 32249973 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) was reported for the first time in the U.S.A. in 2017 and has now spread across 12 states. The potential of this invasive tick vector to transmit pathogens will be determined through its association to hosts, such as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), which is the primary reservoir for the causative agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) and other zoonotic pathogens. Larval H. longicornis were placed on P. leucopus; 65% of the larvae (n = 40) moved off the host within a short period of time, and none engorged. By contrast, larval blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) did not move from where they were placed in the ear of the mouse. A laboratory behavioural assay was then conducted to assess the interaction of H. longicornis with the hair of potential mammalian host species in the U.S.A. H. longicornis larvae were significantly less likely to enter the hair zone of P. leucopus and humans compared to the hair of domestic cats, domestic dogs and white-tailed deer. This study identifies a tick-host interaction behaviour, which can be quantified in a laboratory assay to predict tick-host associations and provides insights into how ticks select a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Ronai
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A
| | - D M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A
| | - M A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, U.S.A
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18
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Tufts DM, Sameroff S, Tagliafierro T, Jain K, Oleynik A, VanAcker MC, Diuk-Wasser MA, Lipkin WI, Tokarz R. A metagenomic examination of the pathobiome of the invasive tick species, Haemaphysalis longicornis, collected from a New York City borough, USA. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101516. [PMID: 32993936 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Haemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, is an invasive tick species that has spread rapidly across the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States in recent years. This invasive pest species, known to transmit several tick-borne pathogens in its native range, is a potential threat to wildlife, livestock, domestic animals, and humans. Questing larval (n = 25), nymph (n = 10), and adult (n = 123), along with host-derived adult (n = 25) H. longicornis ticks were collected from various locations on Staten Island, NY. The pathobiome of each specimen was examined using two different high throughput sequencing approaches, virus enrichment and shotgun metagenomics. An average of 45,828,061 total reads per sample were recovered from the virus enriched samples and an average of 11,381,144 total reads per sample were obtained using shotgun metagenomics. Aside from endogenous viral sequences, no viruses were identified through either approach. Through shotgun metagenomics, Coxiella-like bacteria, Legionella, Sphingomonas, and other bacterial species were recovered. The Coxiella-like agent was ubiquitous and present at high abundances in all samples, suggesting it may be an endosymbiont. The other bacterial agents are not known to be transmitted by ticks. From these analyses, H. longicornis do not appear to host any endemic human tick-borne pathogens in the New York City region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027, United States.
| | - Stephen Sameroff
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Teresa Tagliafierro
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Komal Jain
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Alexandra Oleynik
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Meredith C VanAcker
- Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Columbia University, Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - W Ian Lipkin
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States; Columbia University, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Rafal Tokarz
- Columbia University, Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States; Columbia University, Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, United States
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19
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Muñoz ÁG, Chourio X, Rivière-Cinnamond A, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kache PA, Mordecai EA, Harrington L, Thomson MC. AeDES: a next-generation monitoring and forecasting system for environmental suitability of Aedes-borne disease transmission. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12640. [PMID: 32724218 PMCID: PMC7387552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69625-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes-borne diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya, are responsible for more than 50 million infections worldwide every year, with an overall increase of 30-fold in the last 50 years, mainly due to city population growth, more frequent travels and ecological changes. In the United States of America, the vast majority of Aedes-borne infections are imported from endemic regions by travelers, who can become new sources of mosquito infection upon their return home if the exposed population is susceptible to the disease, and if suitable environmental conditions for the mosquitoes and the virus are present. Since the susceptibility of the human population can be determined via periodic monitoring campaigns, the environmental suitability for the presence of mosquitoes and viruses becomes one of the most important pieces of information for decision makers in the health sector. We present a next-generation monitoring and forecasting system for [Formula: see text]-borne diseases' environmental suitability (AeDES) of transmission in the conterminous United States and transboundary regions, using calibrated ento-epidemiological models, climate models and temperature observations. After analyzing the seasonal predictive skill of AeDES, we briefly consider the recent Zika epidemic, and the compound effects of the current Central American dengue outbreak happening during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, to illustrate how a combination of tailored deterministic and probabilistic forecasts can inform key prevention and control strategies .
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Affiliation(s)
- Á G Muñoz
- International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Palisades, New York, NY, 10964, USA.
| | - X Chourio
- International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Palisades, New York, NY, 10964, USA
| | - Ana Rivière-Cinnamond
- Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), World Health Organization (WHO), Washington, DC, USA
| | - M A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - P A Kache
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - E A Mordecai
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - L Harrington
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - M C Thomson
- International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI), The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Palisades, New York, NY, 10964, USA
- Wellcome Trust, London, NW1 2BE, UK
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20
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Bron GM, Fernandez MDP, Larson SR, Maus A, Gustafson D, Tsao JI, Diuk-Wasser MA, Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM. Context matters: Contrasting behavioral and residential risk factors for Lyme disease between high-incidence states in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101515. [PMID: 32993935 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of zoonotic vector-borne diseases are determined by a complex set of parameters including human behavior that may vary with socio-ecological contexts. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. The Northeast and upper Midwest are the regions most affected - two areas with differing levels of urbanization and differing sociocultural settings. The probability of being infected with Lyme disease is related to the risk of encounters with Ixodes scapularis ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which reflects both the environmental tick hazard and human behaviors. Herein, we compare behavioral and peridomestic risk factors perceived to influence the risk for human-tick encounters between two high-incidence states in the Northeast (New York and New Jersey) and one high-incidence state in the Midwest (Wisconsin). We used a smartphone application, The Tick App, as a novel survey tool, during spring and summer of 2018. Adaptive human behavior was identified in the relationship between outdoor activities and the use of methods to prevent tick bites. More frequent recreational outdoor activities and gardening (a peridomestic activity) were associated with a 1.4-2.3 times increased likelihood of using personal protective measures to prevent tick bites, when accounting for demographics and previous Lyme diagnosis. Most outdoor activities were more frequently reported by participants from the Midwest (n = 697), representing an older demographic, than the Northeast (n = 396). Participants from the Northeast were less likely to report use of personal protective measures to prevent tick bites, but a larger proportion of participants from the Northeast reported application of environmental pesticides targeting ticks or mosquitoes or other insects on their property (34 % of 279 versus 22 % of 616 participants) and interventions to reduce the presence of peridomestic deer compared to participants from the Midwest (e.g. 20 % of 278 versus 7% of 615 participants reported having a deer proof fence). Participants from the Midwest were more likely to kill rodents on their property (28 % versus 13 %). These differences illustrate the need for further assessment of personal behavior and tick exposure in these two Lyme disease-endemic regions to aid in targeted public health messaging to reduce tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Maria Del P Fernandez
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, USA; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA; Northeast Regional Center for Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, USA.
| | - Scott R Larson
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Adam Maus
- Center for Health Enhancement System Studies (CHESS), Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Dave Gustafson
- Center for Health Enhancement System Studies (CHESS), Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA; Northeast Regional Center for Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, USA.
| | - Lyric C Bartholomay
- Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, 1656 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, USA.
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21
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Lin YP, Diuk-Wasser MA, Stevenson B, Kraiczy P. Complement Evasion Contributes to Lyme Borreliae-Host Associations. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:634-645. [PMID: 32456964 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere and is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex. Lyme borreliae infect diverse vertebrate reservoirs without triggering apparent manifestations in these animals; however, Lyme borreliae strains differ in their reservoir hosts. The mechanisms that drive those differences are unknown. To survive in vertebrate hosts, Lyme borreliae require the ability to escape from host defense mechanisms, in particular complement. To facilitate the evasion of complement, Lyme borreliae produce diverse proteins at different stages of infection, allowing them to persistently survive without being recognized by hosts and potentially resulting in host-specific infection. This review discusses the current knowledge regarding the ecology and evolutionary mechanisms of Lyme borreliae-host associations driven by complement evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Biomedical Science, State University of New York at Albany, NY, USA.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, D-60596 Frankfurt, Germany.
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22
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Kache PA, Eastwood G, Collins-Palmer K, Katz M, Falco RC, Bajwa WI, Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG, Diuk-Wasser MA. Environmental Determinants of Aedes albopictus Abundance at a Northern Limit of Its Range in the United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:436-447. [PMID: 31833467 PMCID: PMC7008348 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Aedes albopictus is a vector of arboviruses with high rates of morbidity and mortality. The northern limit of Ae. albopictus in the northeastern United States runs through New York state (NYS) and Connecticut. We present a landscape-level analysis of mosquito abundance measured by daily counts of Ae. albopictus from 338 trap sites in 12 counties during May–September 2017. During the study period, the mean number of Ae. albopictus caught per day of trapping across all sites was 3.21. We constructed four sets of negative binomial generalized linear models to evaluate how trapping methodology, land cover, as well as temperature and precipitation at multiple time intervals influenced Ae. albopictus abundance. Biogents-Sentinel (BGS) traps were 2.78 times as efficient as gravid traps and 1.49 times as efficient as CO2-baited CDC light traps. Greater proportions of low- and medium-intensity development and low proportions of deciduous cover around the trap site were positively associated with increased abundance, as were minimum winter temperature and March precipitation. The cumulative precipitation within a 28-day time window before the date of collection had a nonlinear relationship with abundance, such that greater cumulative precipitation was associated with increased abundance until approximately 70 mm, above which there was a decrease in abundance. We concluded that populations are established in Nassau, Suffolk, and New York City counties in NYS; north of these counties, the species is undergoing population invasion and establishment. We recommend that mosquito surveillance programs monitoring the northward invasion of Ae. albopictus place BGS traps at sites chosen with respect to land cover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi A Kache
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, New York
| | - Gillian Eastwood
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Entomology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Kaitlin Collins-Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, New York
| | - Marly Katz
- Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York.,The Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, New York
| | - Richard C Falco
- Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York.,The Louis Calder Center-Biological Field Station, Fordham University, Armonk, New York
| | - Waheed I Bajwa
- Office of Vector Surveillance and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York
| | - Philip M Armstrong
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Theodore G Andreadis
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, New York
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23
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE The incidence and geographic range of Lyme disease continues to increase in the United States because of the expansion of Ixodes scapularis, the species of tick that is the main Lyme disease vector. Currently, no dynamic model for the disease spread exists that integrates information of both acarological and human case surveillance data. OBJECTIVE To characterize the spatiotemporal spread of Lyme disease in humans among counties in US endemic regions. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cross-sectional study modeled the spread of Lyme disease county-level case reporting, accounting for county-level demographic factors, environmental factors associated with tick presence and human exposure, and the spatiotemporal association between counties. The analyses were conducted between January and August 2019. The setting was 1405 counties in the following regions of the United States: West North Central, East North Central, New England, Middle Atlantic, and the South. Assessments were based on publicly available Lyme disease case data reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between January 2000 and December 2017. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Probability of reporting the first case of Lyme disease by county by year. RESULTS Between 2000 and 2017, a total of 497 569 Lyme disease cases were reported to the CDC in the study area. Reporting a first case of Lyme disease was associated with a county's and county's neighbors' forest coverage, elevation, percentage of population living in the wildland-urban interface, tick presence, county's population size, proportion of neighbors reporting cases, and neighbors' years since first reporting. The model that included these variables showed high predictive power, with a mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 81.1 (95% CI, 68.5-86.2). The model predicted the first reported Lyme disease case a mean (SD) of 5.5 (3.5) years earlier than was reported to the CDC, with a mean spread velocity estimated at 27.4 (95% CI, 13.6-54.4) km per year. Among 162 counties without reported cases, 47 (29.0%) had a high probability of reporting Lyme disease by 2018. The estimated mean time lag between the first reported case in a neighboring county and any county was 7 (95% CI, 3-8) years. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study's findings suggest that, if updated regularly and expanded geographically, this predictive model could enable states and counties to develop more specific Lyme disease prevention and control plans, including improved sensitization of the general population and medical community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donal Bisanzio
- Global Health Division, International Development Group, RTI International, Washington, District of Columbia
- Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Maria P. Fernández
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Elisa Martello
- Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Reithinger
- Global Health Division, International Development Group, RTI International, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
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24
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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: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [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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25
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Johnstone-Robertson SP, Diuk-Wasser MA, Davis SA. Incorporating tick feeding behaviour into R 0 for tick-borne pathogens. Theor Popul Biol 2019; 131:25-37. [PMID: 31730874 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne pathogens pose a considerable disease burden in Europe and North America, where increasing numbers of human cases and the emergence of new tick-borne pathogens has renewed interest in resolving the mechanisms underpinning their geographical distribution and abundance. For Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus, transmission of infection from one generation of ticks to another occurs when older nymphal ticks infect younger larval ticks feeding on the same host, either indirectly via systemic infection of the vertebrate host or directly when feeding in close proximity. Here, expressions for the basic reproduction number, R0, and the related tick type-reproduction number, T, are derived that account for the observation that larval and nymphal ticks tend to aggregate on the same minority of hosts, a tick feeding behaviour known as co-aggregation. The pattern of tick blood meals is represented as a directed, acyclic, bipartite contact network, with individual vertebrate hosts having in-degree, kin, and out-degree, kout, that respectively represent cumulative counts of nymphal and larval ticks fed over the lifetime of the host. The in- and out-degree are not independent when co-aggregation occurs such that [Formula: see text] where 〈.〉 indicates expected value. When systemic infection in the vertebrate host is the dominant transmission route R02=T, whereas when direct transmission between ticks co-feeding on the same host is dominant then R0=T and the effect of co-aggregation on R0 is more pronounced. Simulations of B. burgdorferi and TBE virus transmission on theoretical tick-mouse contact networks revealed that aggregation and co-aggregation have a synergistic effect on R0 and T, that co-aggregation always increases R0 and T, and that aggregation only increases R0 and T when larvae and nymphs also co-aggregate. Co-aggregation has the greatest absolute effect on R0 and T when the mean larval burden of hosts is high, and the largest relative effect on R0 for pathogens sustained by co-feeding transmission, e.g. TBE virus in Europe, compared with those predominantly spread by systemic infection, e.g. B. burgdorferi. For both pathogens, though, co-aggregation increases the mean number of ticks infected per infectious tick, T, and so too the likelihood of pathogen persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen A Davis
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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26
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Fernandez MP, Bron GM, Kache PA, Larson SR, Maus A, Gustafson D, Tsao JI, Bartholomay LC, Paskewitz SM, Diuk-Wasser MA. Usability and Feasibility of a Smartphone App to Assess Human Behavioral Factors Associated with Tick Exposure (The Tick App): Quantitative and Qualitative Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2019; 7:e14769. [PMID: 31651409 PMCID: PMC6913724 DOI: 10.2196/14769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mobile health (mHealth) technology takes advantage of smartphone features to turn them into research tools, with the potential to reach a larger section of the population in a cost-effective manner, compared with traditional epidemiological methods. Although mHealth apps have been widely implemented in chronic diseases and psychology, their potential use in the research of vector-borne diseases has not yet been fully exploited. Objective This study aimed to assess the usability and feasibility of The Tick App, the first tick research–focused app in the United States. Methods The Tick App was designed as a survey tool to collect data on human behaviors and movements associated with tick exposure while engaging users in tick identification and reporting. It consists of an enrollment survey to identify general risk factors, daily surveys to collect data on human activities and tick encounters (Tick Diaries), a survey to enter the details of tick encounters coupled with tick identification services provided by the research team (Report a Tick), and educational material. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we evaluated the enrollment strategy (passive vs active), the user profile, location, longitudinal use of its features, and users’ feedback. Results Between May and September 2018, 1468 adult users enrolled in the app. The Tick App users were equally represented across genders and evenly distributed across age groups. Most users owned a pet (65.94%, 962/1459; P<.001), did frequent outdoor activities (recreational or peridomestic; 75.24%, 1094/1454; P<.001 and 64.58%, 941/1457; P<.001, respectively), and lived in the Midwest (56.55%, 824/1457) and Northeast (33.0%, 481/1457) regions in the United States, more specifically in Wisconsin, southern New York, and New Jersey. Users lived more frequently in high-incidence counties for Lyme disease (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-7.2; P<.001) and in counties with cases recently increasing (IRR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2; P=.03). Recurring users (49.25%, 723/1468) had a similar demographic profile to all users but participated in outdoor activities more frequently (80.5%, 575/714; P<.01). The number of Tick Diaries submitted per user (median 2, interquartile range [IQR] 1-11) was higher for older age groups (aged >55 years; IRR 3.4, 95% CI 1.5-7.6; P<.001) and lower in the Northeast (IRR[NE] 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.7; P<.001), whereas the number of tick reports (median 1, IQR 1-2) increased with the frequency of outdoor activities (IRR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3-1.8; P<.001). Conclusions This assessment allowed us to identify what fraction of the population used The Tick App and how it was used during a pilot phase. This information will be used to improve future iterations of The Tick App and tailor potential tick prevention interventions to the users’ characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria P Fernandez
- Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York City, NY, United States.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gebbiena M Bron
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Pallavi A Kache
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Scott R Larson
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Adam Maus
- Center for Health Enhancement System Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - David Gustafson
- Center for Health Enhancement System Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Lyric C Bartholomay
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Susan M Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
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27
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Tufts DM, VanAcker MC, Fernandez MP, DeNicola A, Egizi A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Distribution, Host-Seeking Phenology, and Host and Habitat Associations of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Staten Island, New York, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:792-796. [PMID: 30681071 PMCID: PMC6433004 DOI: 10.3201/eid2504.181541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemaphysalis longicornis, an invasive Ixodid tick, was recently reported in the eastern United States. The emergence of these ticks represents a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health. We describe the distribution, host-seeking phenology, and host and habitat associations of these ticks on Staten Island, New York, a borough of New York City.
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28
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Tufts DM, Hart TM, Chen GF, Kolokotronis SO, Diuk-Wasser MA, Lin YP. Outer surface protein polymorphisms linked to host-spirochete association in Lyme borreliae. Mol Microbiol 2019; 111:868-882. [PMID: 30666741 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is caused by multiple species of the spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The spirochetes are transmitted by ticks to vertebrate hosts, including small- and medium-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, and humans. Strain-to-strain variation in host-specific infectivity has been documented, but the molecular basis that drives this differentiation is still unclear. Spirochetes possess the ability to evade host immune responses and colonize host tissues to establish infection in vertebrate hosts. In turn, hosts have developed distinct levels of immune responses when invaded by different species/strains of Lyme borreliae. Similarly, the ability of Lyme borreliae to colonize host tissues varies among different spirochete species/strains. One potential mechanism that drives this strain-to-strain variation of immune evasion and colonization is the polymorphic outer surface proteins produced by Lyme borreliae. In this review, we summarize research on strain-to-strain variation in host competence and discuss the evidence that supports the role of spirochete-produced protein polymorphisms in driving this variation in host specialization. Such information will provide greater insights into the adaptive mechanisms driving host and Lyme borreliae association, which will lead to the development of interventions to block pathogen spread and eventually reduce Lyme borreliosis health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thomas M Hart
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Grace F Chen
- Department of Biology, Misericordia University, Dallas, PA, USA
| | - Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USA
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29
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McClure M, Diuk-Wasser MA. Climate impacts on blacklegged tick host-seeking behavior. Int J Parasitol 2018; 49:37-47. [PMID: 30447202 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The nymph of the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), the primary North American vector of the causative agent of Lyme disease, must attach to a host by the end of its questing season in order to feed and subsequently molt into an adult. The proper timing of this behavior is critical both for the tick's survival and for perpetuating the transmission of tick-borne pathogens. Questing also depletes limited nymphal lipid reserves and increases desiccation risk. Given this tradeoff, questing behavior and its environmental influences can be expressed in a dynamic state variable model. We develop what we believe to be the first such model for a tick, and investigate the influence of climate on nymph fitness predictions. We apply these results to the hypothesized inland migration of I. scapularis from island refugia, evaluating fitness under suboptimal questing strategies and uncertain environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max McClure
- Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10032, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, NY 10027, USA.
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30
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Huang CI, Kay SC, Davis S, Tufts DM, Gaffett K, Tefft B, Diuk-Wasser MA. High burdens of Ixodes scapularis larval ticks on white-tailed deer may limit Lyme disease risk in a low biodiversity setting. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 10:258-268. [PMID: 30446377 PMCID: PMC6377166 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2018.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
An inverse relationship between biodiversity and human health has been termed the ‘dilution effect’ paradigm. In the case of tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, the key assumption is that Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato abundance is increased by the loss of less competent (dilution) hosts as biodiversity declines. White-tailed deer play a dual role in the pathogen cycle, as key reproductive hosts for adult ticks and incompetent hosts for the pathogen. While the role of deer as hosts of adult ticks is well established, the extent to which deer also feed immature ticks and reduce the proportion infected is unknown because of logistic constraints in measuring this empirically. We estimated the proportion of larvae that fed on deer in an extremely species-poor community on Block Island, RI, where tick nymphal infection prevalence was found to be lower than expected. In 2014, we measured the density, larval tick burdens, and realized reservoir competence of small mammal and bird hosts on Block Island, RI. In 2015, we measured the infection prevalence of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs resulting from larvae fed on available hosts in 2014. We back-estimated the proportion of larvae expected to have fed on deer in 2014 (the only unknown parameter) to result in the nymphal infection prevalence observed in 2015. Back-estimation predicted that 29% of larval ticks must have fed on deer to yield the observed 30% nymphal infection prevalence. In comparison, the proportion of larvae feeding on mice was 44% and 27% on birds. Our study identified an influential role of deer in reducing nymphal tick infection prevalence and a potential role as dilution hosts if the reduction in nymphal infection prevalence outweighs the role of deer as tick population amplifiers. Because both deer and competent hosts may increase in anthropogenic, fragmented habitats, the links between fragmentation, biodiversity, and Lyme disease risk may be complex and difficult to predict. Furthermore, a nonlinear relationship between deer abundance and Lyme disease risk would reduce the efficacy of deer population reduction efforts to control Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-I Huang
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Samantha C Kay
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Stephen Davis
- School of Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 124 La Trobe St., Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
| | - Kimberley Gaffett
- The Nature Conservancy on Block Island, P.O. Box 1287, Block Island, RI 02807, United States.
| | - Brian Tefft
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 277 Great Neck Road West Kingston, RI 02892, United States.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave., 10027 New York, NY, United States.
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31
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Tufts DM, Diuk-Wasser MA. Transplacental transmission of tick-borne Babesia microti in its natural host Peromyscus leucopus. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:286. [PMID: 29728129 PMCID: PMC5935994 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2875-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne pathogen and the causative agent of human babesiosis. Mathematical modeling of the reproductive rate of B. microti indicates that it cannot persist in nature by horizontal tick-host transmission alone. We hypothesized that transplacental transmission in the reservoir population contributes to B. microti persistence and emergence in North American rodent populations. Methods Peromyscus leucopus were collected from Connecticut and Block Island, Rhode Island and analyzed using a highly specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for infection with B. microti. Results In April, 100% (n = 103) of mice were infected with B. microti. Females exhibited significantly higher parasitemia than their offspring (P < 0.0001) and transplacental transmission was observed in 74.2% of embryos (n = 89). Transplacental transmission of B. microti is thus a viable and potentially important infectious pathway in naturally infected rodent species and should be considered in future theoretical and empirical studies. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is the first to report transplacental transmission of B. microti occurring in its natural reservoir host, P. leucopus, in the United States and the only study that provides a quantitative estimate of parasitemia. This vector-independent pathway could contribute to the increased geographic range of B. microti or increase its abundance in endemic areas. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2875-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Tufts
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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32
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Cahill ME, Yao Y, Nock D, Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG, Diuk-Wasser MA, Montgomery RR. West Nile Virus Seroprevalence, Connecticut, USA, 2000-2014. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 23:708-710. [PMID: 28322715 PMCID: PMC5367428 DOI: 10.3201/eid2304.161669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) infection is mainly asymptomatic but can be severe in elderly persons. As part of studies on immunity and aging in Connecticut, USA, we detected WNV seroconversion in 8.5% of nonimmunosuppressed and 16.8% of immunosuppressed persons. Age was not a significant seroconversion factor. Our findings suggest that immune factors affect seroconversion.
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33
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Kilpatrick AM, Dobson ADM, Levi T, Salkeld DJ, Swei A, Ginsberg HS, Kjemtrup A, Padgett KA, Jensen PM, Fish D, Ogden NH, Diuk-Wasser MA. Lyme disease ecology in a changing world: consensus, uncertainty and critical gaps for improving control. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0117. [PMID: 28438910 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia, and the number of reported cases has increased in many regions as landscapes have been altered. Although there has been extensive work on the ecology and epidemiology of this disease in both Europe and North America, substantial uncertainty exists about fundamental aspects that determine spatial and temporal variation in both disease risk and human incidence, which hamper effective and efficient prevention and control. Here we describe areas of consensus that can be built on, identify areas of uncertainty and outline research needed to fill these gaps to facilitate predictive models of disease risk and the development of novel disease control strategies. Key areas of uncertainty include: (i) the precise influence of deer abundance on tick abundance, (ii) how tick populations are regulated, (iii) assembly of host communities and tick-feeding patterns across different habitats, (iv) reservoir competence of host species, and (v) pathogenicity for humans of different genotypes of Borrelia burgdorferi Filling these knowledge gaps will improve Lyme disease prevention and control and provide general insights into the drivers and dynamics of this emblematic multi-host-vector-borne zoonotic disease.This article is part of the themed issue 'Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications'.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | | | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Daniel J Salkeld
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Howard S Ginsberg
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, RI Field Station, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Anne Kjemtrup
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Center for Infectious Diseases, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA
| | - Kerry A Padgett
- Vector-Borne Disease Section, Division of Communicable Disease Control, California Department of Public Health, Center for Infectious Diseases, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA
| | - Per M Jensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Durland Fish
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nick H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, 3200 Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, J2S 7C6, Canada
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Walter KS, Carpi G, Caccone A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Genomic insights into the ancient spread of Lyme disease across North America. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1569-1576. [PMID: 29185509 PMCID: PMC6431794 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0282-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in North America and continues to spread. The disease was first clinically described in the 1970s in Lyme, Connecticut, but the origins and history of spread of the Lyme disease bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), are unknown. To explore the evolutionary history of B. burgdorferi in North America, we collected ticks from across the USA and southern Canada from 1984 to 2013 and sequenced the, to our knowledge, largest collection of 146 B. burgdorferi s.s. genomes. Here, we show that B. burgdorferi s.s. has a complex evolutionary history with previously undocumented levels of migration. Diversity is ancient and geographically widespread, well pre-dating the Lyme disease epidemic of the past ~40 years, as well as the Last Glacial Maximum ~20,000 years ago. This means the recent emergence of human Lyme disease probably reflects ecological change-climate change and land use changes over the past century-rather than evolutionary change of the bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine S Walter
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Giovanna Carpi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York City, NY, 10027, USA
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Rynkiewicz EC, Brown J, Tufts DM, Huang CI, Kampen H, Bent SJ, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Closely-related Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) strains exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:64. [PMID: 28166814 PMCID: PMC5292797 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1964-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wild hosts are commonly co-infected with complex, genetically diverse, pathogen communities. Competition is expected between genetically or ecologically similar pathogen strains which may influence patterns of coexistence. However, there is little data on how specific strains of these diverse pathogen species interact within the host and how this impacts pathogen persistence in nature. Ticks are the most common disease vector in temperate regions with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, being the most common vector-borne pathogen in North America. Borrelia burgdorferi is a pathogen of high public health concern and there is significant variation in infection phenotype between strains, which influences predictions of pathogen dynamics and spread. Methods In a laboratory experiment, we investigated whether two closely-related strains of B. burgdorferi (sensu stricto) showed similar transmission phenotypes, how the transmission of these strains changed when a host was infected with one strain, re-infected with the same strain, or co-infected with two strains. Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, nymphs were used to sequentially infect laboratory-bred Peromyscus leucopus, white-footed mice, with one strain only, homologous infection with the same stain, or heterologous infection with both strains. We used the results of this laboratory experiment to simulate long-term persistence and maintenance of each strain in a simple simulation model. Results Strain LG734 was more competitive than BL206, showing no difference in transmission between the heterologous infection groups and single-infection controls, while strain BL206 transmission was significantly reduced when strain LG734 infected first. The results of the model show that this asymmetry in competition could lead to extinction of strain BL206 unless there was a tick-to-host transmission advantage to this less competitive strain. Conclusions This asymmetric competitive interaction suggests that strain identity and the biotic context of co-infection is important to predict strain dynamics and persistence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1964-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Rynkiewicz
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Julia Brown
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Danielle M Tufts
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Ching-I Huang
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Suedufer 10, 17493, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephen J Bent
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Durland Fish
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Department, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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Carpi G, Walter KS, Mamoun CB, Krause PJ, Kitchen A, Lepore TJ, Dwivedi A, Cornillot E, Caccone A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Babesia microti from humans and ticks hold a genomic signature of strong population structure in the United States. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:888. [PMID: 27821055 PMCID: PMC5100190 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3225-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Babesia microti is an emerging tick-borne apicomplexan parasite with increasing geographic range and incidence in the United States. The rapid expansion of B. microti into its current distribution in the northeastern USA has been due to the range expansion of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, upon which the causative agent is dependent for transmission to humans. Results To reconstruct the history of B. microti in the continental USA and clarify the evolutionary origin of human strains, we used multiplexed hybrid capture of 25 B. microti isolates obtained from I. scapularis and human blood. Despite low genomic variation compared with other Apicomplexa, B. microti was strongly structured into three highly differentiated genetic clusters in the northeastern USA. Bayesian analyses of the apicoplast genomes suggest that the origin of the current diversity of B. microti in northeastern USA dates back 46 thousand years with a signature of recent population expansion in the last 1000 years. Human-derived samples belonged to two rarely intermixing clusters, raising the possibility of highly divergent infectious phenotypes in humans. Conclusions Our results validate the multiplexed hybrid capture strategy for characterizing genome-wide diversity and relatedness of B. microti from ticks and humans. We find strong population structure in B. microti samples from the Northeast indicating potential barriers to gene flow. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3225-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Carpi
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Katharine S Walter
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Andrew Kitchen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | | | - Ankit Dwivedi
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, University de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle, University de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
| | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA.
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Walter KS, Pepin KM, Webb CT, Gaff HD, Krause PJ, Pitzer VE, Diuk-Wasser MA. Invasion of two tick-borne diseases across New England: harnessing human surveillance data to capture underlying ecological invasion processes. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20160834. [PMID: 27252022 PMCID: PMC4920326 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Modelling the spatial spread of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens maintained in enzootic transmission cycles remains a major challenge. The best available spatio-temporal data on pathogen spread often take the form of human disease surveillance data. By applying a classic ecological approach-occupancy modelling-to an epidemiological question of disease spread, we used surveillance data to examine the latent ecological invasion of tick-borne pathogens. Over the last half-century, previously undescribed tick-borne pathogens including the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis have rapidly spread across the northeast United States. Despite their epidemiological importance, the mechanisms of tick-borne pathogen invasion and drivers underlying the distinct invasion trajectories of the co-vectored pathogens remain unresolved. Our approach allowed us to estimate the unobserved ecological processes underlying pathogen spread while accounting for imperfect detection of human cases. Our model predicts that tick-borne diseases spread in a diffusion-like manner with occasional long-distance dispersal and that babesiosis spread exhibits strong dependence on Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine S Walter
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Kim M Pepin
- United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Colleen T Webb
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Holly D Gaff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, 302a Mills Godwin Building, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Virginia E Pitzer
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Abstract
Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites that are transmitted by ticks, or less commonly through blood transfusion or transplacentally. Human babesiosis was first recognized in a splenectomized patient in Europe but most cases have been reported from the northeastern and upper midwestern United States in people with an intact spleen and no history of immune impairment. Cases are reported in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and South America. Babesiosis shares many clinical features with malaria and can be fatal, particularly in the elderly and the immunocompromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard G Vannier
- Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, 800 Washington Street Box #041, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, 15 York Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Padmanabha H, Correa F, Rubio C, Baeza A, Osorio S, Mendez J, Jones JH, Diuk-Wasser MA. Human Social Behavior and Demography Drive Patterns of Fine-Scale Dengue Transmission in Endemic Areas of Colombia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144451. [PMID: 26656072 PMCID: PMC4684369 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue is known to transmit between humans and A. aegypti mosquitoes living in neighboring houses. Although transmission is thought to be highly heterogeneous in both space and time, little is known about the patterns and drivers of transmission in groups of houses in endemic settings. We carried out surveys of PCR positivity in children residing in 2-block patches of highly endemic cities of Colombia. We found high levels of heterogeneity in PCR positivity, varying from less than 30% in 8 of the 10 patches to 56 and 96%, with the latter patch containing 22 children simultaneously PCR positive (PCR22) for DEN2. We then used an agent-based model to assess the likely eco-epidemiological context of this observation. Our model, simulating daily dengue dynamics over a 20 year period in a single two block patch, suggests that the observed heterogeneity most likely derived from variation in the density of susceptible people. Two aspects of human adaptive behavior were critical to determining this density: external social relationships favoring viral introduction (by susceptible residents or infectious visitors) and immigration of households from non-endemic areas. External social relationships generating frequent viral introduction constituted a particularly strong constraint on susceptible densities, thereby limiting the potential for explosive outbreaks and dampening the impact of heightened vectorial capacity. Dengue transmission can be highly explosive locally, even in neighborhoods with significant immunity in the human population. Variation among neighborhoods in the density of local social networks and rural-to-urban migration is likely to produce significant fine-scale heterogeneity in dengue dynamics, constraining or amplifying the impacts of changes in mosquito populations and cross immunity between serotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish Padmanabha
- Centro de Investigaciones en el Desarrollo Humano (CIDHUM), Universidad del Norte, Km 5 Via Puerto Colombia, Puerto Colombia, Colombia
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), University of Maryland, 1 Park Place, Suite 300, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Fabio Correa
- Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia, Avenida/calle 26 No. 51–20 - Zona 6 CAN, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Camilo Rubio
- Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia, Avenida/calle 26 No. 51–20 - Zona 6 CAN, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Andres Baeza
- National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), University of Maryland, 1 Park Place, Suite 300, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401, United States of America
| | - Salua Osorio
- Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia, Avenida/calle 26 No. 51–20 - Zona 6 CAN, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - Jairo Mendez
- Instituto Nacional de Salud de Colombia, Avenida/calle 26 No. 51–20 - Zona 6 CAN, Bogotá, D.C., Colombia
| | - James Holland Jones
- Department of Anthropology/Woods Institute of the Environment, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Building 50, Stanford, California, 94305–2034, United States of America
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 1200 Amsterdam Ave, New York, New York, 10027, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale University, 60 College St, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, United States of America
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Diuk-Wasser MA, Vannier E, Krause PJ. Coinfection by Ixodes Tick-Borne Pathogens: Ecological, Epidemiological, and Clinical Consequences. Trends Parasitol 2015; 32:30-42. [PMID: 26613664 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 209] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ixodes ticks maintain a large and diverse array of human pathogens in the enzootic cycle, including Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti. Despite the poor ecological fitness of B. microti, babesiosis has recently emerged in areas endemic for Lyme disease. Studies in ticks, reservoir hosts, and humans indicate that coinfection with B. burgdorferi and B. microti is common, promotes transmission and emergence of B. microti in the enzootic cycle, and causes greater disease severity and duration in humans. These interdisciplinary studies may serve as a paradigm for the study of other vector-borne coinfections. Identifying ecological drivers of pathogen emergence and host factors that fuel disease severity in coinfected individuals will help guide the design of effective preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edouard Vannier
- Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Kikuti M, Cunha GM, Paploski IAD, Kasper AM, Silva MMO, Tavares AS, Cruz JS, Queiroz TL, Rodrigues MS, Santana PM, Lima HCAV, Calcagno J, Takahashi D, Gonçalves AHO, Araújo JMG, Gauthier K, Diuk-Wasser MA, Kitron U, Ko AI, Reis MG, Ribeiro GS. Spatial Distribution of Dengue in a Brazilian Urban Slum Setting: Role of Socioeconomic Gradient in Disease Risk. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015. [PMID: 26196686 PMCID: PMC4510880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Few studies of dengue have shown group-level associations between demographic, socioeconomic, or geographic characteristics and the spatial distribution of dengue within small urban areas. This study aimed to examine whether specific characteristics of an urban slum community were associated with the risk of dengue disease. Methodology/Principal Findings From 01/2009 to 12/2010, we conducted enhanced, community-based surveillance in the only public emergency unit in a slum in Salvador, Brazil to identify acute febrile illness (AFI) patients with laboratory evidence of dengue infection. Patient households were geocoded within census tracts (CTs). Demographic, socioeconomic, and geographical data were obtained from the 2010 national census. Associations between CTs characteristics and the spatial risk of both dengue and non-dengue AFI were assessed by Poisson log-normal and conditional auto-regressive models (CAR). We identified 651 (22.0%) dengue cases among 2,962 AFI patients. Estimated risk of symptomatic dengue was 21.3 and 70.2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants in 2009 and 2010, respectively. All the four dengue serotypes were identified, but DENV2 predominated (DENV1: 8.1%; DENV2: 90.7%; DENV3: 0.4%; DENV4: 0.8%). Multivariable CAR regression analysis showed increased dengue risk in CTs with poorer inhabitants (RR: 1.02 for each percent increase in the frequency of families earning ≤1 times the minimum wage; 95% CI: 1.01-1.04), and decreased risk in CTs located farther from the health unit (RR: 0.87 for each 100 meter increase; 95% CI: 0.80-0.94). The same CTs characteristics were also associated with non-dengue AFI risk. Conclusions/Significance This study highlights the large burden of symptomatic dengue on individuals living in urban slums in Brazil. Lower neighborhood socioeconomic status was independently associated with increased risk of dengue, indicating that within slum communities with high levels of absolute poverty, factors associated with the social gradient influence dengue transmission. In addition, poor geographic access to health services may be a barrier to identifying both dengue and non-dengue AFI cases. Therefore, further spatial studies should account for this potential source of bias. Dengue is influenced by the environment; however, few studies have investigated the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and the spatial distribution of dengue within small urban areas. We examined whether specific characteristics of an urban slum community were associated with dengue risk. From January 2009 to December 2010, we conducted community-based surveillance in a slum in Salvador, Brazil to identify patients with acute febrile illness (AFI) and to test them for dengue. We identified 651 (22.0%) patients with laboratory evidence of dengue infection among 2,962 AFI patients. All the four dengue serotypes were detected, but DENV2 predominated (DENV1 8.1%; DENV2 90.7%; DENV3 0.4%; DENV4 0.8%). Estimated risk of symptomatic dengue was 21.3 and 70.2 cases per 10,000 inhabitants in 2009 and 2010, respectively. We found that neighborhood poverty level and proximity to the health center were associated with higher risk of detection of dengue and other AFI. This study highlights the large burden of dengue in poor urban slums of Brazil and indicates that socioeconomic development could potentially mitigate risk factors for both dengue and non-dengue AFI cases. In addition, we found that residential proximity to a health care facility was associated with improved case detection. Therefore, further studies on disease distribution should consider household proximity to health care facilities when assessing risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Kikuti
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Geraldo M. Cunha
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Igor A. D. Paploski
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Amelia M. Kasper
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Monaise M. O. Silva
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Aline S. Tavares
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline S. Cruz
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Tássia L. Queiroz
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Moreno S. Rodrigues
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Perla M. Santana
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Helena C. A. V. Lima
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Juan Calcagno
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Daniele Takahashi
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Josélio M. G. Araújo
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Kristine Gauthier
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Uriel Kitron
- Department of Environmental Studies, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Albert I. Ko
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Mitermayer G. Reis
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Guilherme S. Ribeiro
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Instituto de Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Norris SJ, Barbour AG, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Response to Esteve-Gassent et al.: flaB sequences obtained from Texas PCR products are identical to the positive control strain Borrelia burgdorferi B31. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:310. [PMID: 26050617 PMCID: PMC4489397 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0899-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Feria-Arroyo et al. had reported previously that, based on PCR analysis, 45 % of Ixodes scapularis ticks collected in Texas and Mexico were infected with the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Parasit. Vectors 2014, 7:199). However, our analyses of their initial data (Parasit. Vectors 2014, 7:467) and a recent response by Esteve-Gassent et al. (Parasit. Vectors 2015, 8:129) provide evidence that the positive PCR results obtained from both ribosomal RNA intergenic sequences and the flagellin gene flaB are highly likely due to contamination by the B. burgdorferi B31 positive control strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Norris
- Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, PO Box 20708, 77225-0708, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Alan G Barbour
- Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Medicine, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, USA.
| | - Durland Fish
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA. .,Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, USA.
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA. .,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, USA.
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Norris SJ, Barbour AG, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Analysis of the intergenic sequences provided by Feria-Arroyo et al. does not support the claim of high Borrelia burgdorferi tick infection rates in Texas and northeastern Mexico. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:467. [PMID: 25428816 PMCID: PMC4203928 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0467-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Norris
- Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston 77225-0708, TX, USA.
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Diuk-Wasser MA, Liu Y, Steeves TK, Folsom-O'Keefe C, Dardick KR, Lepore T, Bent SJ, Usmani-Brown S, Telford SR, Fish D, Krause PJ. Monitoring human babesiosis emergence through vector surveillance New England, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2014; 20:225-31. [PMID: 24447577 PMCID: PMC3901474 DOI: 10.3201/eid2002.130644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan Babesia microti. Its geographic distribution is more limited than that of Lyme disease, despite sharing the same tick vector and reservoir hosts. The geographic range of babesiosis is expanding, but knowledge of its range is incomplete and relies exclusively on reports of human cases. We evaluated the utility of tick-based surveillance for monitoring disease expansion by comparing the ratios of the 2 infections in humans and ticks in areas with varying B. microti endemicity. We found a close association between human disease and tick infection ratios in long-established babesiosis-endemic areas but a lower than expected incidence of human babesiosis on the basis of tick infection rates in new disease-endemic areas. This finding suggests that babesiosis at emerging sites is underreported. Vector-based surveillance can provide an early warning system for the emergence of human babesiosis.
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States SL, Brinkerhoff RJ, Carpi G, Steeves TK, Folsom-O'Keefe C, DeVeaux M, Diuk-Wasser MA. Lyme disease risk not amplified in a species-poor vertebrate community: similar Borrelia burgdorferi tick infection prevalence and OspC genotype frequencies. Infect Genet Evol 2014; 27:566-75. [PMID: 24787999 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The effect of biodiversity declines on human health is currently debated, but empirical assessments are lacking. Lyme disease provides a model system to assess relationships between biodiversity and human disease because the etiologic agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted in the United States by the generalist black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) among a wide range of mammalian and avian hosts. The 'dilution effect' hypothesis predicts that species-poor host communities dominated by white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) will pose the greatest human risk because P. leucopus infects the largest numbers of ticks, resulting in higher human exposure to infected I. scapularis ticks. P. leucopus-dominated communities are also expected to maintain a higher frequency of those B. burgdorferi outer surface protein C (ospC) genotypes that this host species more efficiently transmits ('multiple niche polymorphism' hypothesis). Because some of these genotypes are human invasive, an additive increase in human disease risk is expected in species-poor settings. We assessed these theoretical predictions by comparing I. scapularis nymphal infection prevalence, density of infected nymphs and B. burgdorferi genotype diversity at sites on Block Island, RI, where P. leucopus dominates the mammalian host community, to species-diverse sites in northeastern Connecticut. We found no support for the dilution effect hypothesis; B. burgdorferi nymphal infection prevalence was similar between island and mainland and the density of B. burgdorferi infected nymphs was higher on the mainland, contrary to what is predicted by the dilution effect hypothesis. Evidence for the multiple niche polymorphism hypothesis was mixed: there was lower ospC genotype diversity at island than mainland sites, but no overrepresentation of genotypes with higher fitness in P. leucopus or that are more invasive in humans. We conclude that other mechanisms explain similar nymphal infection prevalence in both communities and that high ospC genotype diversity can be maintained in both species-poor and species-rich communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L States
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - R J Brinkerhoff
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; University of Richmond, Department of Biology, 28 Westhampton Way, Richmond, VA 23173, USA; University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - G Carpi
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - T K Steeves
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - C Folsom-O'Keefe
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Audubon Connecticut, 185 East Flat Hill Rd., Southbury, CT 06488, USA
| | - M DeVeaux
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - M A Diuk-Wasser
- Yale School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
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Diuk-Wasser MA, Liu Y, Steeves TK, Folsom-O’Keefe C, Dardick KR, Lepore T, Bent SJ, Usmani-Brown S, Telford SR, Fish D, Krause PJ. Monitoring Human Babesiosis Emergence through Vector Surveillance New England, USA. Emerg Infect Dis 2014. [DOI: 10.3201/eid1302/130644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Finch C, Al-Damluji MS, Krause PJ, Niccolai L, Steeves T, O'Keefe CF, Diuk-Wasser MA. Integrated assessment of behavioral and environmental risk factors for Lyme disease infection on Block Island, Rhode Island. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84758. [PMID: 24416278 PMCID: PMC3885597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Peridomestic exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi-infected Ixodes scapularis nymphs is considered the dominant means of infection with black-legged tick-borne pathogens in the eastern United States. Population level studies have detected a positive association between the density of infected nymphs and Lyme disease incidence. At a finer spatial scale within endemic communities, studies have focused on individual level risk behaviors, without accounting for differences in peridomestic nymphal density. This study simultaneously assessed the influence of peridomestic tick exposure risk and human behavior risk factors for Lyme disease infection on Block Island, Rhode Island. Tick exposure risk on Block Island properties was estimated using remotely sensed landscape metrics that strongly correlated with tick density at the individual property level. Behavioral risk factors and Lyme disease serology were assessed using a longitudinal serosurvey study. Significant factors associated with Lyme disease positive serology included one or more self-reported previous Lyme disease episodes, wearing protective clothing during outdoor activities, the average number of hours spent daily in tick habitat, the subject’s age and the density of shrub edges on the subject’s property. The best fit multivariate model included previous Lyme diagnoses and age. The strength of this association with previous Lyme disease suggests that the same sector of the population tends to be repeatedly infected. The second best multivariate model included a combination of environmental and behavioral factors, namely hours spent in vegetation, subject’s age, shrub edge density (increase risk) and wearing protective clothing (decrease risk). Our findings highlight the importance of concurrent evaluation of both environmental and behavioral factors to design interventions to reduce the risk of tick-borne infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey Finch
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Mohammed Salim Al-Damluji
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America ; Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Linda Niccolai
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tanner Steeves
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Corrine Folsom O'Keefe
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America ; Audubon Connecticut, Southbury, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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Hacker KP, Seto KC, Costa F, Corburn J, Reis MG, Ko AI, Diuk-Wasser MA. Urban slum structure: integrating socioeconomic and land cover data to model slum evolution in Salvador, Brazil. Int J Health Geogr 2013; 12:45. [PMID: 24138776 PMCID: PMC3924348 DOI: 10.1186/1476-072x-12-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The expansion of urban slums is a key challenge for public and social policy in the 21st century. The heterogeneous and dynamic nature of slum communities limits the use of rigid slum definitions. A systematic and flexible approach to characterize, delineate and model urban slum structure at an operational resolution is essential to plan, deploy, and monitor interventions at the local and national level. METHODS We modeled the multi-dimensional structure of urban slums in the city of Salvador, a city of 3 million inhabitants in Brazil, by integrating census-derived socioeconomic variables and remotely-sensed land cover variables. We assessed the correlation between the two sets of variables using canonical correlation analysis, identified land cover proxies for the socioeconomic variables, and produced an integrated map of deprivation in Salvador at 30 m × 30 m resolution. RESULTS The canonical analysis identified three significant ordination axes that described the structure of Salvador census tracts according to land cover and socioeconomic features. The first canonical axis captured a gradient from crowded, low-income communities with corrugated roof housing to higher-income communities. The second canonical axis discriminated among socioeconomic variables characterizing the most marginalized census tracts, those without access to sanitation or piped water. The third canonical axis accounted for the least amount of variation, but discriminated between high-income areas with white-painted or tiled roofs from lower-income areas. CONCLUSIONS Our approach captures the socioeconomic and land cover heterogeneity within and between slum settlements and identifies the most marginalized communities in a large, complex urban setting. These findings indicate that changes in the canonical scores for slum areas can be used to track their evolution and to monitor the impact of development programs such as slum upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn P Hacker
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Karen C Seto
- School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, 195 Prospect St, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Federico Costa
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Jason Corburn
- Department of City and Regional Planning & School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Wurster Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Mitermayer G Reis
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Albert I Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Centro de Pesquisas Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde, Salvador 40296-710, Brazil
| | - Maria A Diuk-Wasser
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Disease, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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Rollend L, Bent SJ, Krause PJ, Usmani-Brown S, Steeves TK, States SL, Lepore T, Ryan R, Dias F, Ben Mamoun C, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Quantitative PCR for detection of Babesia microti in Ixodes scapularis ticks and in human blood. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2013; 13:784-90. [PMID: 24107203 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, the primary cause of human babesiosis in the United States, is transmitted by Ixodes scapularis ticks; transmission may also occur through blood transfusion and transplacentally. Most infected people experience a viral-like illness that resolves without complication, but those who are immunocompromised may develop a serious and prolonged illness that is sometimes fatal. The geographic expansion and increasing incidence of human babesiosis in the northeastern and midwestern United States highlight the need for high-throughput sensitive and specific assays to detect parasites in both ticks and humans with the goals of improving epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis of acute infections, and screening of the blood supply. Accordingly, we developed a B. microti-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay (named BabMq18) designed to detect B. microti DNA in tick and human blood samples using a primer and probe combination that targets the 18S rRNA gene of B. microti. This qPCR assay was compared with two nonquantitative B. microti PCR assays by testing tick samples and was found to exhibit higher sensitivity for detection of B. microti DNA. The BabMq18 assay has a detection threshold of 10 copies per reaction and does not amplify DNA in I. scapularis ticks infected with Babesia odocoilei, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, or Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This highly sensitive and specific qPCR assay can be used for detection of B. microti DNA in both tick and human samples. Finally, we report the prevalence of B. microti infection in field-collected I. scapularis nymphs from three locations in southern New England that present disparate incidences of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Rollend
- 1 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Public Health , New Haven, Connecticut
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Pepin KM, Eisen RJ, Mead PS, Piesman J, Fish D, Hoen AG, Barbour AG, Hamer S, Diuk-Wasser MA. Geographic variation in the relationship between human Lyme disease incidence and density of infected host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs in the Eastern United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 86:1062-71. [PMID: 22665620 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention and control of Lyme disease is difficult because of the complex biology of the pathogen's (Borrelia burgdorferi) vector (Ixodes scapularis) and multiple reservoir hosts with varying degrees of competence. Cost-effective implementation of tick- and host-targeted control methods requires an understanding of the relationship between pathogen prevalence in nymphs, nymph abundance, and incidence of human cases of Lyme disease. We quantified the relationship between estimated acarological risk and human incidence using county-level human case data and nymphal prevalence data from field-derived estimates in 36 eastern states. The estimated density of infected nymphs (mDIN) was significantly correlated with human incidence (r = 0.69). The relationship was strongest in high-prevalence areas, but it varied by region and state, partly because of the distribution of B. burgdorferi genotypes. More information is needed in several high-prevalence states before DIN can be used for cost-effectiveness analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M Pepin
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-2220, USA.
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