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babesia infections in man.only recently has it been recognized that hemotropic animal parasites of the genus babesia are also human pathogens. similar to malaria in both symptoms and laboratory findings, acute babesiosis generally results in self-limited illness, but it can be fatal in the asplenic patient. the widely disseminated vector tick, ixodes dammini, can transmit infection at each stage of its development, larva and nymph as well as adult.1979376427
human babesiosis on nantucket island, usa: description of the vector, ixodes (ixodes) dammini, n. sp. (acarina: ixodidae). 1979439119
overwintering survival restriction of ixodes scapularis populations in massachusetts. 1979532532
human babesiosis on nantucket island: transmission by nymphal ixodes ticks.in order to identify potential vectors of human babesiosis (babesia microli) in southern massachusetts, i attempted to transmit the infection via nymphal ticks of that species found to be most abundant on reservoir hosts (peromyscus leucopus) in nature. mice were collected at frequent intervals throughout a year in a known enzootic focus on nantucket island, and ticks were removed by hand. ticks of only two species were present; larvae and nymphs of ixodes scapularis were about 10 times as numer ...19761008124
vegetation structure influences the burden of immature ixodes dammini on its main host, peromyscus leucopus.to determine whether the relative abundance of immature ixodes dammini (the vector of lyme disease and human babesiosis) is related to habitat structure, we examined tick burdens on their main host, the white-footed mouse (peromyscus leucopus), in 4 structurally diverse sites on great island, massachusetts, usa. vegetation structure at each site was quantified with respect to 25 habitat variables. principal components analysis was used to reduce this set of habitat variables to seven new and ort ...19921437266
comparative prevalence of babesia microti and borrelia burgdorferi in four populations of ixodes dammini in eastern massachusetts.we determined the prevalence of babesia microti and borrelia burgdorferi in four populations of ixodes dammini in eastern massachusetts. the feulgen's reaction was more sensitive than the giemsa method for detecting salivarian babesia. a combination of darkfield and direct-fluorescent-antibody examination proved more sensitive than either method alone for detecting spirochetal infection. the prevalence of spirochetes was greater than the prevalence of babesia in each of the tick populations stud ...19862430433
a hybrid swarm of ixodes dammini and ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae). 19892767558
comparing the relative potential of rodents as reservoirs of the lyme disease spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi).the authors compared the contribution of white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus), chipmunks (tamias striatus), and meadow voles (microtus pennsylvanicus) to infection of vector ticks with the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgddorferi. at one massachusetts location where lyme disease is endemic, all three species of rodents were found to be infected. prevalence of infection, however, varied from 90% for mice, and 75% for chipmunks to just 5.5% for meadow voles. infectivity of these hosts for ...19892787105
rapid emergence of a focal epidemic of lyme disease in coastal massachusetts.we describe a focal epidemic of lyme disease, which spread from a nature preserve and affected an adjacent community of permanent residents in coastal massachusetts. the attack rate from 1980 through 1987 was 35 percent among 190 residents living within 5 km of the nature preserve and was greatest (66 percent) among those living closest to the preserve. the risk of infection bore little relation to sex or age. late lyme disease, which clustered near the preserve, occurred mainly in residents inf ...19892911294
absence of spirochaetes (borrelia burgdorferi) and piroplasms (babesia microti) in deer ticks (ixodes dammini) parasitized by chalcid wasps (hunterellus hookeri).an entomophagous wasp (hunterellus hookeri howard) parasitizes about a third of the host-seeking nymphal ixodes dammini spielman et al. ticks on naushon island in massachusetts (u.s.a.) where the agents of lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi johnson et al.) and human babesiosis (babesia microti franca) are enzootic. following blood-feeding, wasp-parasitized ticks are destroyed by the developing wasp. the prevalence of either human pathogen in host-seeking ticks collected in wasp-infested sites is ...19872979518
the geographic distribution of lyme disease in the united states.in 1982, national surveillance for lyme disease was established by the centers for disease control to monitor trends and determine endemic geographic areas. initially, the endemic areas corresponded to the known distribution of ixodes dammini, a five-state area of the northeastern seaboard (new york, new jersey, connecticut, rhode island, and massachusetts) and wisconsin and minnesota. increasing numbers of cases have been reported outside these areas, however, 86% of the provisional 5731 cases ...19883190099
incompetence of deer as reservoirs of the lyme disease spirochete.to determine whether deer may serve as reservoir hosts for the lyme disease spirochete, we sought evidence of infection in nymphal ixodes dammini derived from larvae that had engorged on white-tailed deer. a total of 19 deer were shot in two lyme disease foci in massachusetts during september 1986, the season in which larvae were most abundant. an average of 342 larval ticks of this species were collected from each deer. of those that developed to the nymphal stage, the gut contents of 185 were ...19883400797
reduced abundance of immature ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae) following elimination of deer. 19883404540
seasonal variation of transmission risk of lyme disease and human babesiosis.the seasonal host-seeking pattern of nymphal ixodes dammini infected with babesia microti or borrelia burgdorferi was determined on nantucket island, massachusetts, during 1985. the peak period of host-seeking by infected nymphal i. dammini occurred in may and june. on a per person-hour basis, the number of infected ticks collected reached a maximum in may (babesia = 17.3; borrelia = 16.2). the number of infected ticks remained high in june, but decreased notably in july, august, and september. ...19873687924
transovarially acquired lyme disease spirochetes (borrelia burgdorferi) in field-collected larval ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae). 19863701806
reduced abundance of adult ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae) following destruction of vegetation. 19863722593
adaptions in the life cycle of dermacentor variabilis (say) and ixodes dammini (spielman, clifford, piesman, and corwin) marginal populations (acari: ixodidae).both the dermacentor variabilis and ixodes dammini adult diapause seasons are followed by a breeding period. at the edge of the ticks' range, where diapause and breeding occur under adverse climatic conditions, the species still conserves its fixed response for the onset of diapause. as a result, most of the following breeding effort is wasted; the population can only be maintained by an aberrant breeding period during the normal diapause season. when the diapause and breeding periods are suitab ...19853916750
mice as reservoirs of the lyme disease spirochete.in evaluating the white-footed mouse as a reservoir host for the lyme disease spirochete, we compared spirochete infection in vector ticks (ixodes dammini) having different histories of attachment to these mice, estimated their relative importance as hosts for immature i. dammini and compared the seasonality of tick activity and spirochetemia in mice. infection in trapped white-footed mice appears to be universal. prevalence of spirochetal infection in i. dammini correlates with frequency of att ...19853985277
seasonal activity of immature ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae). 19854045938
vectorial capacity of north american ixodes ticks.ixodes dammini, the vector of lyme disease and babesiosis, is distributed in various locations in the northeastern quadrant of the united states and nearby canada. the life cycle of this tick, which includes larval, nymphal, and adult stages, spans at least two years. the tick over-winters between larval and nymphal feeding. horizontal transmission of pathogens is facilitated by a feeding pattern in which both the larval and nymphal stages feed on the white-footed mouse, peromyscus leucopus, and ...19846516453
effect of deer reduction on abundance of the deer tick (ixodes dammini).to evaluate the role of deer in regulating the abundance of the deer tick (ixodes dammini) we attempted to treat with acaricide, but eventually removed, about 70 percent of deer from great island, cape cod, massachusetts. deer were captured in box traps, a corral, an entanglement net, and with rifle-fired tranquilizer. failure of these attempts, combined with ineffective acaricides, led us to deer destruction begun in fall 1982. larval tick abundance on mice was monitored before and after deer r ...19846516462
winter survival and spring breeding by the fall tick, ixodes dammini, in massachusetts (acarina : ixodidae). 19846516719
human babesiosis on nantucket island: prevalence of babesia microti in ticks.in order to derive direct evidence implicating ixodes dammini as a vector of human babesiosis, we determined the prevalence of babesia microti infection in nymphal i. dammini collected on nantucket island. in experiments in the laboratory we found that nymphs remained attached to hamsters for about 3 days. babesial infection was transmitted more often during 54 hours of attachment then during 36 or 48 hours. since parasites were demonstrable in salivary glands solely after 48 hours, we derived a ...19807435782
short report: density of lyme disease spirochetes within deer ticks collected from zoonotic sites.we determined whether the density of lyme disease spirochetes varied between individual host-seeking deer ticks. guts were dissected from 30 adult ixodes dammini collected from three intensely zoonotic coastal massachusetts sites, and the number of borrelia burgdorferi present was estimated by a modified counting technique using indirect immunofluorescence. a median of 1,925 spirochetes was observed; ticks from the three sites contained similar numbers of spirochetes. no tick contained more than ...19957573717
variation in ribosomal dna internal transcribed spacers 1 among eastern populations of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae).the base sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (its 1) of ribosomal dna of the tick ixodes scapularis say (= i. dammini spielman, clifford, piesman & corwin) was determined to assess genetic divergence between populations along the eastern (atlantic) seaboard of the united states. twenty sequences were obtained from localities down the eastern margin of the species's range: 10 from the southeast (georgia and florida), seven from the middle east (north carolina, maryland), and three from ...19957616527
antibody response of the mouse reservoir of borrelia burgdorferi in nature.to determine whether the white-footed mouse reservoir host (peromyscus leucopus) of the agent of lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) naturally mounts an immune response against the full range of antigens expressed by this zoonotic pathogen, we analyzed the pattern of immunoreactivity of these rodents at sites in which the intensity of transmission differs. although the incidence of seroconversion within the reservoir population relates proportionally to the density of subadult deer ticks (ixodes ...19957622226
serological responses in lyme disease: the influence of sex, age, and environment.in the laboratory, the serodiagnosis of lyme disease is a difficult decision, especially in early disease. the variability in the immune response to the borrelia burgdorferi spirochete and the lack of specificity and sensitivity of commercial assays for the detection of antibodies in early disease have contributed to the difficulty of serodiagnosis. this study examines the serological data of over 20,000 serum specimens submitted for enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and/or western blot ...19938323257
canine exposure to borrelia burgdorferi and prevalence of ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae) on deer as a measure of lyme disease risk in the northeastern united states.surveillance programs that identify areas where both the vector (ixodes dammini) and etiologic agent (borrelia burgdorferi) are present may identify the risk of lyme disease and its spread earlier and more accurately than do programs relying on any single method, particularly human case reports. hunter-killed deer (n = 1,204) from 22 counties in maryland, massachusetts, new hampshire, new york, and pennsylvania were examined in fall 1989 and all ectoparasites were identified. the following sprin ...19938433324
occurrence and distribution in rhode island of hunterellus hookeri (hymenoptera: encyrtidae), a wasp parasitoid of ixodes dammini.the wasp hunterellus hookeri howard parasitizes several species of ixodid ticks including ixodes dammini spielman, clifford, piesman & corwin, the vector of lyme disease spirochetes, borrelia burgdorferi, in the northeastern united states. we detected the occurrence and evaluated the distribution of this wasp parasitoid in populations of i. dammini in rhode island. there has been no intentional introduction of a tick parasitoid recorded anywhere in rhode island; yet, we found this wasp at one of ...19938433338
multivariate morphometric discrimination of nymphal and adult forms of the blacklegged tick (acari: ixodidae), a principal vector of the agent of lyme disease in eastern north america.a morphological study of postlarval stages of the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say, was conducted to examine congruence between northern (formerly i. dammini spielman, clifford, piesman & corwin) and southern morphotypes. the character set totaled 17 for females, 25 for males, and 28 for nymphs. populations from 6 geographic areas, f1 progeny from reciprocal crosses between i. scapularis from massachusetts and georgia, and i. pacificus cooley & kohls from california were measured. charact ...19958551506
hemocytic rickettsia-like organisms in ticks: serologic reactivity with antisera to ehrlichiae and detection of dna of agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis by pcr.ixodid ticks were collected from connecticut, massachusetts, missouri, pennsylvania, rhode island, and british columbia (canada) during 1991 to 1994 to determine the prevalence of infection with hemocytic (blood cell), rickettsia-like organisms. hemolymph obtained from these ticks was analyzed by direct and indirect fluorescent antibody (fa) staining methods with dog, horse, or human sera containing antibodies to ehrlichia canis, ehrlichia equi, or rickettsia rickettsii. of the 693 nymphal and a ...19958567911
field estimates of numbers of ixodes scapularis (acari:ixodidae) larvae and nymphs per hectare successfully feeding on peromyscus leucopus in massachusetts.the numbers of blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say, per hectare that engorged as larvae and nymphs on white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus (rafinesque), were estimated at 3 sites in coastal massachusetts. estimates of numbers of engorged ticks dropping per day from trapped mice were multiplied by mark-recapture estimates of the density (numbers per hectare) of white-footed mice to estimate numbers of ticks engorging on mice per hectare. in 1991, estimates of seasonal totals per hectare of ...19968840688
multivariate morphometrics of larvae of the blacklegged tick (ixodes scapularis) with notes on nomenclature.a morphological study of the larval stage of the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, was conducted to further examine congruence between northern and southern morphotypes. preliminary anova revealed that 9 characters were not significantly different; thus 28 characters were used in analyses of a total of 8 groups of i. scapularis originally from minnesota, massachusetts, maryland, missouri, north carolina, georgia, f1 progeny of reciprocal crosses of ticks from massachusetts and georgia, and i. ...19968973400
diversity of babesia infecting deer ticks (ixodes dammini).to determine whether the presence of nonpathogenic piroplasms may confound field estimates of risk of babesia microti infection, we identified sporozoites infecting the salivary glands of deer ticks (ixodes dammini) by parallel microscopy and polymerase chain reaction assays. piroplasms were evident in 14.4% of adult ticks from sites in the northcentral and northeastern united states. of these, 83.3% contained dna characteristic of ba. odocoilei. this cervid piroplasm was detected in all of the ...19989660456
enzootic transmission of deer tick virus in new england and wisconsin sites.to determine whether rodents that are intensely exposed to the deer tick-transmitted agents of lyme disease, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, and human babesiosis are also exposed to deer tick virus (dtv), we assayed serum samples from white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) and meadow voles (microtus pennsylvanicus) in sites densely infested by deer ticks. to conduct serosurveys, we developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) and western blot assay by cloning, expressing, and purifyi ...200011357992
preprandial inhibition of re-mating in ixodes ticks (acari: ixodidae).questing female blacklegged ticks, ixodes scapularis, say in massachusetts rarely bear more than one endospermatophore in their reproductive tracts. we evaluated the cause of this nonrandom distribution by examining the stability of endospermatophore retention in females and the effect of prior insemination of females on the copulatory behavior of male ticks. endospermatophores were retained without degradation in unfed female ticks for >1 yr at 5 degrees c and for at least 4 mo at 21 degrees c. ...200212495182
intracellular symbionts and other bacteria associated with deer ticks (ixodes scapularis) from nantucket and wellfleet, cape cod, massachusetts.the diversity of bacteria associated with the deer tick (ixodes scapularis) was assessed using pcr amplification, cloning, and sequencing of 16s rrna genes originating from seven ticks collected from nantucket island and wellfleet, cape cod, mass. the majority of sequences obtained originated from gram-negative proteobacteria. four intracellular bacteria were detected including strains of ehrlichia, rickettsia, and wolbachia and an organism related to intracellular insect symbionts from the cyto ...200414711698
strategies for reducing the risk of lyme borreliosis in north america.the incidence of lyme borreliosis continues to increase in the united states. in 1991, when lyme borreliosis first became a nationally reportable disease to the centers for disease control and prevention (cdc), a total of 9470 cases were reported; in contrast, by 2002 a total of 23,763 cases were reported, >2.5x the total in 1991. area-wide acaricides can be highly effective in killing nymphal ixodes scapularis, with >95% of nymphs killed in studies using cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or carbaryl. t ...200616524769
surveillance for lyme disease--united states, 1992-2006.lyme disease is a multisystem disease that occurs in north america, europe, and asia. in the united states, the etiologic agent is borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, a spirochete transmitted to humans by infected ixodes scapularis and i. pacificus ticks. the majority of patients with lyme disease develop a characteristic rash, erythema migrans (em), accompanied by symptoms of fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, myalgia, or arthralgia. other manifestations of infection can include arthritis, card ...200818830214
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