Publications

human plague -- texas, new mexico.		1981	6789063
serologic survey of selected zoonotic disease agents in black-tailed jack rabbits from western texas.	a serologic survey for the agents of rocky mountain spotted fever (rmsf) (rickettsia rickettsii), borrelia spp. including the causative agent for lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi), and plague (yersinia pestis) was conducted on blood samples collected from 30 and 46 black-tailed jack rabbits (lepus californicus) from an urban environment in lubbock, texas (usa) during winter 1987 and the following spring 1988, respectively. antibody titers to the agents of rmsf and borreliosis were detected in ...	1990	2106044
parasites and selected diseases of collared peccaries (tayassu tajacu) in the trans-pecos region of texas.	fifty-five collared peccaries (tayassu tajacu) were collected from october 1988 through april 1991 from five counties within the trans-pecos region of texas (usa) to monitor for diseases and parasites. no endoparasites were recovered on gross examination. antibody to borrelia burgdorferi was documented in one (2%) of 55 specimens. three (6%) of 54 collared peccaries were positive for yersinia pestis antibodies. all collared peccaries were negative for antibodies against brucella spp., francisell ...	1996	8827690
flea-borne rickettsioses: ecologic considerations.	ecologic and economic factors, as well as changes in human behavior, have resulted in the emergence of new and the reemergence of existing but forgotten infectious diseases during the past 20 years. flea-borne disease organisms (e.g., yersinia pestis, rickettsia typhi, r. felis, and bartonella henselae) are widely distributed throughout the world in endemic-disease foci, where components of the enzootic cycle are present. however, flea-borne diseases could reemerge in epidemic form because of ch ...	1997	9284376
a cryptic 19-kilobase plasmid associated with u.s. isolates of yersinia pestis: a dimer of the 9.5-kilobase plasmid.	yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of plague, carries three prototypic plasmids with sizes of 110 kb (pfra, ptox), 70 kb (plcr, pvw, pcad), and 9.5 kb (ppla, ppst). studies suggest that geographic isolates of y. pestis may be differentiated by plasmid profiles. yersinia pestis isolated from the western united states harbor an additional plasmid, estimated to be approximately 19 kb in size. this cryptic plasmid was characterized by restriction endonuclease digestion, amplification and sequencin ...	1998	9840581
bioweapons. plague of lies lands texas scientist in jail.		2003	12543941
the usual suspects.	any scientist will think twice before reporting any discrepancy or possible theft of biohazardous material to either his or her institution or to the government.	2003	14519188
bioweapons. plague researcher recants account about fate of vials.		2003	14576385
bioterror trial. butler 'lit bonfire' to hide misdeeds, u.s. says.		2003	14605334
bioterror trial. butler cleared on most biosecurity charges, convicted of fraud.		2003	14657462
scientific community. the trials of thomas butler.		2003	14684799
plague professor gets two years in bioterror case.		2004	15029157
texas bioterror case. butler gets 2 years for mishandling plague samples.		2004	15031463
bioterrorism and the courts. butler appeals conviction, risking longer sentence.		2004	15498979
destroying the life and career of a valued physician-scientist who tried to protect us from plague: was it really necessary?	thomas campbell butler, at 63 years of age, is completing the first year of a 2-year sentence in federal prison, following an investigation and trial that was initiated after he voluntarily reported that he believed vials containing yersinia pestis were missing from his laboratory at texas tech university. we take this opportunity to remind the infectious diseases community of the plight of our esteemed colleague, whose career and family have, as a result of his efforts to protect us from infect ...	2005	15889363
science and the law. butler gets break on pending appeal.		2005	15919966
science and the law. thomas butler loses appeal, vows to fight on.		2005	16272089
[academic success resulted in disastrous self-will].		2006	16512577
u.s. courts. 'disappointed' butler exhausts appeals.		2006	16728604
possible vector dissemination by swift foxes following a plague epizootic in black-tailed prairie dogs in northwestern texas.	to determine whether swift foxes (vulpes velox) could facilitate transmission of yersinia pestis to uninfected black-tailed prairie dog (cynomys ludovicianus) colonies by acquiring infected fleas, ectoparasite and serologic samples were collected from swift foxes living adjacent to prairie dog towns during a 2004 plague epizootic in northwestern texas, usa. a previous study (1999-2001) indicated that these swift foxes were infested almost exclusively with the flea pulex irritans. black-tailed pr ...	2006	16870868
human plague--four states, 2006.	plague is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium yersinia pestis. in 2006, a total of 13 human plague cases have been reported among residents of four states: new mexico (seven cases), colorado (three cases), california (two cases), and texas (one case). this is the largest number of cases reported in a single year in the united states since 1994. dates of illness onset ranged from february 16 to august 14; two (15%) cases were fatal. the median age of patients was 43 years (range: 13-79 yea ...	2006	16943764
[maybe thomas butler was judged by the circumstances].		2006	16955584
resistance to plague among black-tailed prairie dog populations.	abstract in some rodent species frequently exposed to plague outbreaks caused by yersinia pestis, resistance to the disease has evolved as a population trait. as a first step in determining if plague resistance has developed in black-tailed prairie dogs (cynomys ludovicianus), animals captured from colonies in a plague-free region (south dakota) and two plague-endemic regions (colorado and texas) were challenged with y. pestis at one of three doses (2.5, 250, or 2500 mouse ld50s). south dakota p ...	2011	21923261