Publications
Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
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differential mortality of dog tick vectors due to infection by diverse francisella tularensis tularensis genotypes. | abstract the factors involved in the long-term perpetuation of francisella tularensis tularensis in nature are poorly understood. martha's vineyard, massachusetts, has become a site of sustained transmission of type a tularemia, with nearly 100 human cases reported from 2000 to 2010. we have identified a stable focus of f. tularensis transmission there, where the annual prevalence in host-seeking dermacentor variabilis is about 3%, suggesting that this tick perpetuates the agent. however, labora ... | 2011 | 21612530 |
survival of francisella tularensis type a in brackish-water. | martha's vineyard (mv), massachusetts has been the location of two outbreaks of pneumonic tularemia; landscaping activities have been associated with risk, suggesting environmental inhalation exposure. we determined whether salinity or other components of brackish-water present in a location with endemic tularemia may prolong survival of f. tularensis. in addition, we demonstrate for the first time that f. tularensis type a appears similar to type b with respect to environmental stability. the r ... | 2010 | 21136042 |
diversity of francisella species in environmental samples from martha's vineyard, massachusetts. | we determined whether francisella spp. are present in water, sediment, and soil from an active tularemia natural focus on martha's vineyard, massachusetts, during a multiyear outbreak of pneumonic tularemia. environmental samples were tested by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) targeting francisella species 16s rrna gene and succinate dehydrogenase a (sdha) sequences; evidence of the agent of tularemia was sought by amplification of francisella tularensis-specific sequences for the insertion eleme ... | 2010 | 19669828 |
metapopulation structure for perpetuation of francisella tularensis tularensis. | outbreaks of type a tularemia due to francisella tularensis tularensis are typically sporadic and unstable, greatly hindering identification of the determinants of perpetuation and human risk. martha's vineyard, massachusetts has experienced an outbreak of type a tularemia which has persisted for 9 years. this unique situation has allowed us to conduct long-term eco-epidemiologic studies there. our hypothesis is that the agent of type a tularemia is perpetuated as a metapopulation, with many sma ... | 2009 | 19627585 |
nonrandom distribution of vector ticks (dermacentor variabilis) infected by francisella tularensis. | the island of martha's vineyard, massachusetts, is the site of a sustained outbreak of tularemia due to francisella tularensis tularensis. dog ticks, dermacentor variabilis, appear to be critical in the perpetuation of the agent there. tularemia has long been characterized as an agent of natural focality, stably persisting in characteristic sites of transmission, but this suggestion has never been rigorously tested. accordingly, we sought to identify a natural focus of transmission of the agent ... | 2009 | 19247435 |
pneumonic tularemia on martha's vineyard: clinical, epidemiologic, and ecological characteristics. | martha's vineyard, massachusetts, is the site of the only two recognized outbreaks of primary pneumonic tularemia in the united states. beginning in 2000 and continuing through 2006, 59 presumed or confirmed tularemia cases have been reported from martha's vineyard, with more than 60% of these presumed to be due to inhalation of the agent. a joint cdc/massachusetts department of public health case-control study identified landscaping activities such as lawnmowing or brush cutting to be important ... | 2007 | 17442781 |
raccoons and skunks as sentinels for enzootic tularemia. | we analyzed sera from diverse mammals of martha's vineyard, massachusetts, for evidence of francisella tularensis exposure. skunks and raccoons were frequently seroreactive, whereas white-footed mice, cottontail rabbits, deer, rats, and dogs were not. tularemia surveillance may be facilitated by focusing on skunks and raccoons. | 2006 | 16707067 |
a new francisella (beggiatiales: francisellaceae) inquiline within dermacentor variabilis say (acari: ixodidae). | while estimating the prevalence of the dermacentor variabilis (say) symbiont (dvs) in dog ticks on martha's vineyard, ma, we identified dna that may represent a heretofore unrecognized francisella sp. polymerase chain reaction targeting a portion of the 16s rdna specific for dvs yielded an amplicon that was only 96.6% similar to that of dvs accessioned in genbank. phylogenetic analysis of the 16s and 23s rdna genes suggests the presence of a distinct bacterium closely related to the other endosy ... | 2005 | 15962806 |
biodefense labs. boston university under fire for pathogen mishap. | 2005 | 15681355 | |
infection scare inflames fight against biodefence network. | 2005 | 15674255 | |
genotypic diversity of francisella tularensis infecting dermacentor variabilis ticks on martha's vineyard, massachusetts. | martha's vineyard, mass., has been the site of two outbreaks of tularemia (1978 and 2000). although most patients from both outbreaks presented with pneumonic disease and although aerosol transmission has been suggested, the bite of a dog tick and exposure to rabbits remain the only proven modes of transmission. the factors that precipitated the tularemia outbreaks or the proximal determinants of human risk remain undescribed. we sought to test the hypothesis that the ongoing outbreak is due to ... | 2004 | 15528681 |
a young man from nantucket. | 2004 | 15101387 | |
missed sentinel case of naturally occurring pneumonic tularemia outbreak: lessons for detection of bioterrorism. | family physicians are likely to care for patients that have been exposed to diseases associated with bioterrorism. persons with seemingly nondescript initial disease symptoms could be harbingers of a larger outbreak, whether naturally occurring or purposefully created. | 2003 | 12949036 |
tularemia on martha's vineyard: seroprevalence and occupational risk. | we conducted a serosurvey of landscapers to determine if they were at increased risk for exposure to francisella tularensis and to determine risk factors for infection. in martha's vineyard, massachusetts, landscapers (n=132) were tested for anti-f. tularensis antibody and completed a questionnaire. for comparison, serum samples from three groups of nonlandscaper martha's vineyard residents (n=103, 99, and 108) were tested. twelve landscapers (9.1%) were seropositive, compared with one person to ... | 2003 | 12643831 |
tularemia revisited. | 2001 | 11757513 | |
an outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia on martha's vineyard. | in the summer of 2000, an outbreak of primary pneumonic tularemia occurred on martha's vineyard, massachusetts. the only previously reported outbreak of pneumonic tularemia in the united states also occurred on the island in 1978. | 2001 | 11757506 |
francisella tularensis in new england. | 1969 | 5814146 | |
pneumonic tularemia on martha's vineyard. | 1979 | 481515 |