Publications

coincident ruddy turnstone migration and horseshoe crab spawning creates an ecological 'hot spot' for influenza viruses.	since 1985, avian influenza virus surveillance has been conducted annually from mid-may to early june in charadriiform species from the families scolopacidae and laridae (shorebirds and gulls) at delaware bay in the northeast united states. the mass migrations of shorebirds, gulls and horseshoe crabs (limulus polyphemus) coincide at that time, and large numbers of migrating birds pause at delaware bay to feed on horseshoe crab eggs deposited at the high-tide line. influenza viruses are consisten ...	2010	20630885
avian paramyxoviruses in shorebirds and gulls.	there are nine serotypes of avian paramyxovirus (apmv), including apmv-1, or newcastle disease virus. although free-flying ducks and geese have been extensively monitored for apmv, limited information is available for species in the order charadriiformes. from 2000 to 2005 we tested cloacal swabs from 9,128 shorebirds and gulls (33 species, five families) captured in 10 states within the usa and in three countries in the caribbean and south america. avian paramyxoviruses were isolated from 60 (0 ...	2010	20688640
investigating avian influenza infection hotspots in old-world shorebirds.	heterogeneity in the transmission rates of pathogens across hosts or environments may produce disease hotspots, which are defined as specific sites, times or species associations in which the infection rate is consistently elevated. hotspots for avian influenza virus (aiv) in wild birds are largely unstudied and poorly understood. a striking feature is the existence of a unique but consistent aiv hotspot in shorebirds (charadriiformes) associated with a single species at a specific location and ...	2012	23029383
the consequences of climate change at an avian influenza 'hotspot'.	avian influenza viruses (aivs) pose significant danger to human health. a key step in managing this threat is understanding the maintenance of aivs in wild birds, their natural reservoir. ruddy turnstones (arenaria interpres) are an atypical bird species in this regard, annually experiencing high aiv prevalence in only one location-delaware bay, usa, during their spring migration. while there, they congregate on beaches, attracted by the super-abundance of horseshoe crab eggs. a relationship bet ...	2012	22933039
avian influenza in shorebirds: experimental infection of ruddy turnstones (arenaria interpres) with avian influenza virus.	low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (lpaiv) have been reported in shorebirds, especially at delaware bay, usa, during spring migration. however, data on patterns of virus excretion, minimal infectious doses, and clinical outcome are lacking. the ruddy turnstone (arenaria interpres) is the shorebird species with the highest prevalence of influenza virus at delaware bay.	2013	22498031
novel coronavirus and astrovirus in delaware bay shorebirds.	wild birds are an important but to some extent under-studied reservoir for emerging pathogens. we used unbiased sequencing methods for virus discovery in shorebird samples from the delaware bay, usa; an important feeding ground for thousands of migratory birds.	2014	24699424
intestinal microbiota and species diversity of campylobacter and helicobacter spp. in migrating shorebirds in delaware bay.	using 16s rrna gene sequencing analysis, we examined the bacterial diversity and the presence of opportunistic bacterial pathogens (i.e., campylobacter and helicobacter) in red knot (calidris canutus; n = 40), ruddy turnstone (arenaria interpres; n = 35), and semipalmated sandpiper (calidris pusilla; n = 22) fecal samples collected during a migratory stopover in delaware bay. additionally, we studied the occurrence of campylobacter spp., enterococci, and waterfowl fecal source markers using quan ...	2014	24413599
neutrality, cross-immunity and subtype dominance in avian influenza viruses.	avian influenza viruses (aivs) are considered a threat for their potential to seed human influenza pandemics. despite their acknowledged importance, there are significant unknowns regarding aiv transmission dynamics in their natural hosts, wild birds. of particular interest is the difference in subtype dynamics between human and bird populations-in human populations, typically only two or three subtypes cocirculate, while avian populations are capable of simultaneously hosting a multitude of sub ...	2014	24586401
subtype diversity and reassortment potential for co-circulating avian influenza viruses at a diversity hot spot.	biological diversity has long been used to measure ecological health. while evidence exists from many ecosystems that declines in host biodiversity may lead to greater risk of disease emergence, the role of pathogen diversity in the emergence process remains poorly understood. particularly, because a more diverse pool of pathogen types provides more ways in which evolutionary innovations may arise, we suggest that host-pathogen systems with high pathogen diversity are more prone to disease emerg ...	2014	24164627
spring migration stopover ecology of avian influenza virus shorebird hosts at delaware bay.	although low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (lpaiv) are detected in shorebirds at delaware bay annually, little is known about affected species habitat preferences or the movement patterns that might influence virus transmission and spread. during the 5-wk spring migration stopover period during 2007-2008, we conducted a radiotelemetry study of often-infected ruddy turnstones (arenaria interpres morinella; n = 60) and rarely infected sanderlings (calidris alba; n = 20) to identify locatio ...	2016	27309084