Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
|---|
| An insight into the sialotranscriptome and proteome of the coarse bontlegged tick, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes. | Ticks are mites specialized in acquiring blood from vertebrates as their sole source of food and are important disease vectors to humans and animals. Among the specializations required for this peculiar diet, ticks evolved a sophisticated salivary potion that can disarm their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immune reactions. Previous transcriptome analysis of tick salivary proteins has revealed many new protein families indicative of fast evolution, possibly due to host immune pressure. The ... | 2011 | 21851864 |
| basophils, ige, and autoantibody-mediated kidney disease. | basophils are of interest in immunology due to their ability to produce a th2-signature cytokine, il-4, following activation. a new understanding of the role of basophils in immunity shows novel functions at a cellular level through which basophils influence adaptive immunity. this review summarizes new advances in basophil biology and discusses new roles for basophils in human disease, especially in the mediation of the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis. recently, basophils have been shown to con ... | 2011 | 21597041 |
| efficacy of dry ice-baited traps for sampling amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) varies with life stage but not habitat. | the carbon dioxide-baited trap is the most common and effective method for sampling vector life-stage amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae), although confounding environmental variables are rarely considered. a mark-recapture experiment was designed to compare recapture proportions of a. americanum nymphs and adults between two habitat types: old field and oak-hickory forest. powdered fluorescent dye was used to mark a. americanum ticks released in 1-m increments from carbon dioxide-baited ... | 2011 | 21661336 |
| essential oils of cupressus funebris, juniperus communis, and j. chinensis (cupressaceae) as repellents against ticks (acari: ixodidae) and mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) and as toxicants against mosquitoes. | juniperus communis leaf oil, j. chinensis wood oil, and cupressus funebris wood oil (cupressaceae) from china were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. we identified 104 compounds, representing 66.8-95.5% of the oils. the major components were: α-pinene (27.0%), α-terpinene (14.0%), and linalool (10.9%) for j. communis; cuparene (11.3%) and δ-cadinene (7.8%) for j. chinensis; and α-cedrene (16.9%), cedrol (7.6%), and β-cedrene (5.7%) for c. funebris. the essen ... | 2011 | 22129397 |
| tick cell lines for study of crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus and other arboviruses. | abstract continuous cell lines derived from many of the vectors of tick-borne arboviruses of medical and veterinary importance are now available. their role as tools in arbovirus research to date is reviewed and their potential application in studies of tick cell responses to virus infection is explored, by comparison with recent progress in understanding mosquito immunity to arbovirus infection. a preliminary study of propagation of the human pathogen crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus (cc ... | 2011 | 21955214 |
| the relevance of tick bites to the production of ige antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose. | in 2009, we reported a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat that is related to serum ige antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-a-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). most of these patients had tolerated meat for many years previously. the implication is that some exposure in adult life had stimulated the production of these ige antibodies. | 2011 | 21453959 |
| susceptibility of four tick species, amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, and rhipicephalus sanguineus (acari: ixodidae), to nootkatone from essential oil of grapefruit. | toxicity of nootkatone was determined in laboratory assays against unfed nymphs of amblyomma americanum l., dermacentor variabilis (say), ixodes scapularis say, and rhipicephalus sanguineus latreille. we determined the 50% lethal concentration (lc50) and 90% lethal concentration (lc90) of nootkatone by recording tick mortality 24 h after exposure in treated glass vials. nymphs were susceptible to nootkatone with lc50 values of 0.352, 0.233, 0.169, and 0.197 microg/cm2, and lc90 values of 1.001, ... | 2011 | 21485368 |
| elimination of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum in rodent reservoirs and ixodes scapularis ticks using a doxycycline hyclate-laden bait. | a field trial was conducted in a lyme disease-endemic area of new jersey to determine the efficacy of a doxycyline hyclate rodent bait to prophylactically protect and cure small-mammal reservoirs and reduce infection rates in questing ixodes scapularis ticks for borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum. the doxycycline-laden bait was formulated at a concentration of 500 mg/kg and delivered during the immature tick feeding season in rodent-targeted bait boxes. the percentage of infected ... | 2011 | 22144454 |
| emergence of a new pathogenic ehrlichia species, wisconsin and minnesota, 2009. | ehrlichiosis is a clinically important, emerging zoonosis. only ehrlichia chaffeensis and e. ewingii have been thought to cause ehrlichiosis in humans in the united states. patients with suspected ehrlichiosis routinely undergo testing to ensure proper diagnosis and to ascertain the cause. | 2011 | 21812671 |
| First transcriptome of the testis-vas deferens-male accessory gland and proteome of the spermatophore from Dermacentor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae). | Ticks are important vectors of numerous human diseases and animal diseases. Feeding stimulates spermatogenesis, mating and insemination of male factors that trigger female reproduction. The physiology of male reproduction and its regulation of female development are essentially a black box. Several transcriptomes have catalogued expression of tick genes in the salivary glands, synganglion and midgut but no comprehensive investigation has addressed male reproduction and mating. Consequently, a ne ... | 2011 | 21949745 |
| beauveria bassiana (ascomycota: hypocreales) as a management agent for free-living amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) in ohio. | unfed adult amblyomma americanum were exposed to the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana and placed in the field. ticks exposed to the fungus experienced higher mortality than those in the control group (p = 0.001). it is recommended that for inclusion in a tick management program, the fungus be applied in the late evening during the months march through june as this is when ticks are most active and conditions suitable for fungal activity occur. | 2011 | 20607363 |
| generation, analysis and functional annotation of expressed sequence tags from the ectoparasitic mite psoroptes ovis. | abstract: background: sheep scab is caused by psoroptes ovis and is arguably the most important ectoparasitic disease affecting sheep in the uk. the disease is highly contagious and causes and considerable pruritis and irritation and is therefore a major welfare concern. current methods of treatment are unsustainable and in order to elucidate novel methods of disease control a more comprehensive understanding of the parasite is required. to date, no full genomic dna sequence or large scale trans ... | 2011 | 21781297 |
| a snapshot of the ixodes scapularis degradome. | parasitic encoded proteases are essential to regulating interactions between parasites and their hosts and thus they represent attractive anti-parasitic druggable and/or vaccine target. we have utilized annotations of ixodes scapularis proteases in gene bank and version 9.3 merops database to compile an index of at least 233 putatively active and 150 putatively inactive protease enzymes that are encoded by the i. scapularis genome. the 233 putatively active protease homologs hereafter referred t ... | 2011 | 21596113 |
| coxiella symbionts in the cayenne tick amblyomma cajennense. | members of the coxiella genus are intracellular bacteria that can infect a variety of animals including humans. a symbiotic coxiella was recently described in amblyomma americanum ticks in the northern hemisphere with no further investigations of other amblyomma species in other geographic regions. these ixodid ticks represent a group of important vectors for human infectious agents. in the present work, we have demonstrated that symbiotic coxiella (scox) are widespread, occurring in south ameri ... | 2011 | 21611689 |
| 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 |
| francisella tularensis molecular typing using differential insertion sequence amplification (disa). | tularemia is a potentially fatal disease that is caused by the highly infectious and zoonotic pathogen francisella tularensis. despite the monomorphic nature of sequenced f. tularensis genomes, there is a significant degree of plasticity in the organization of genetic elements. the observed variability in these genomes is primarily due to the transposition of direct repeats and insertion sequence (is) elements. since current methods used to genotype f. tularensis are time-consuming and require e ... | 2011 | 21613430 |
| isolation and characterization of ehrlichia chaffeensis rna polymerase and its use in evaluating p28 outer membrane protein gene promoters. | abstract: | 2011 | 21513529 |
| implication of haematophagous arthropod salivary proteins in host-vector interactions. | the saliva of haematophagous arthropods contains an array of anti-haemostatic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory molecules that contribute to the success of the blood meal. the saliva of haematophagous arthropods is also involved in the transmission and the establishment of pathogens in the host and in allergic responses. this survey provides a comprehensive overview of the pharmacological activity and immunogenic properties of the main salivary proteins characterised in various haematophag ... | 2011 | 21951834 |
| a further insight into the sialome of the tropical bont tick, amblyomma variegatum. | ticks--vectors of medical and veterinary importance--are themselves also significant pests. tick salivary proteins are the result of adaptation to blood feeding and contain inhibitors of blood clotting, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis, as well as vasodilators and immunomodulators. a previous analysis of the sialotranscriptome (from the greek sialo, saliva) of amblyomma variegatum is revisited in light of recent advances in tick sialomes and provides a database to perform a proteomic study ... | 2011 | 21362191 |
| the afhsc-division of geis operations predictive surveillance program: a multidisciplinary approach for the early detection and response to disease outbreaks. | the armed forces health surveillance center, division of global emerging infections surveillance and response system operations (afhsc-geis) initiated a coordinated, multidisciplinary program to link data sets and information derived from eco-climatic remote sensing activities, ecologic niche modeling, arthropod vector, animal disease-host/reservoir, and human disease surveillance for febrile illnesses, into a predictive surveillance program that generates advisories and alerts on emerging infec ... | 2011 | 21388561 |
| rickettsia rickettsii (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae) in amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) from kansas. | the role of lone star ticks as vectors for rocky mountain spotted fever (rmsf) remains poorly described. we compared the entomological inoculation rates (eirs) for rickettsia spp. for representative sites in missouri and kansas, states that frequently report rmsf each year. host-seeking ticks were collected during 2006 and pooled tick homogenates analyzed by polymerase chain reaction to detect probable r. rickettsii, with confirmation for multiple gene targets performed on individual ticks from ... | 2011 | 21485390 |
| experimental primary and secondary infections of domestic dogs with ehrlichia ewingii. | in this study, the infection dynamics of ehrlichia ewingii, causative agent of granulocytotropic ehrlichiosis in dogs and humans, was examined in experimentally infected dogs by using a combination of physical examination, hematologic and biochemical analyses, and molecular and serologic assays. for the experimental trials, blood from an e. ewingii-infected dog was inoculated intravenously into two na+»ve dogs and two dogs with prior experimental exposure to e. ewingii (both were negative for e. ... | 2011 | 21397411 |
| distribution and molecular characterization of wolbachia endosymbionts and filarial nematodes in maryland populations of the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum). | the lone star tick amblyomma americanum is host to a wide diversity of endosymbiotic bacteria. we identified a novel wolbachia symbiont infecting a. americanum. multilocus sequence typing phylogenetically placed the endosymbiont in the increasingly diverse f supergroup. we assayed a total of 1031 ticks (119 females, 78 males and 834 nymphs in 89 pools) from 16 maryland populations for infection. infection frequencies in the natural populations were approximately 5% in females and <2% (minimum in ... | 2011 | 21410491 |
| rickettsia rickettsii transmission by a lone star tick, north carolina. | only indirect or circumstantial evidence has been published to support transmission of rickettsia rickettsii by amblyomma americanum (lone star) ticks in north america. this study provides molecular evidence that a. americanum ticks can function, although most likely infrequently, as vectors of rocky mountain spotted fever for humans. | 2011 | 21529399 |
| efficacy of a novel topical combination of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene for treatment and control of induced infestations with four north american tick species (dermacentor variabilis, ixodes scapularis, amblyomma americanum and amblyomma maculatum) on dogs. | five laboratory studies were conducted to confirm that a single topical dose of the novel combination of fipronil, amitraz and (s)-methoprene, certifect™ (merial limited, ga, usa), is efficacious for the rapid control of pre-existing infestations and the prevention of new infestations with ixodes scapularis, dermacentor variabilis, amblyomma americanum and amblyomma maculatum for at least 28 days on dogs. in each study, 8 male and 8 female purpose-bred, laboratory beagles were randomly assigned ... | 2011 | 21777734 |
| the complexity of rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus genome characterised through detailed analysis of two bac clones. | abstract: background: rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus (rmi) a major cattle ectoparasite and tick borne disease vector, impacts on animal welfare and industry productivity. in arthropod research there is an absence of a complete chelicerate genome, which includes ticks, mites, spiders, scorpions and crustaceans. model arthropod genomes such as drosophila and anopheles are too taxonomically distant for a reference in tick genomic sequence analysis. this study focuses on the de-novo assembly of ... | 2011 | 21777481 |
| suppression of host-seeking ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) nymphs after dual applications of plant-derived acaricides in new jersey. | we evaluated the ability of dual applications of natural, plant-derived acaricides to suppress nymphal ixodes scapularis say and amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) in a lyme disease endemic area of new jersey. an aqueous formulation of 2% nootkatone provided >90% control of i. scapularis through 7 d. control declined to 80.9% at 14 d, and a second application was made that provided >95% control through the remaining 4 wk of the nymphal season. nootkatone provided >90% control of a. amer ... | 2011 | 21510219 |
| Geographical distribution and prevalence of selected Borrelia, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia infections in Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) in New Jersey. | We used published accounts to describe the known statewide distribution of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, in New Jersey and field surveys to characterize the geographical range of A. americanum and selected A. americanum-transmitted pathogens in Monmouth County, the hypothesized northern limit of the species distribution. Ticks were collected using standardized methods from 50 widely dispersed public access areas within 18 municipalities to produce estimates of relative abundance amon ... | 2011 | 22017087 |
| Ehrlichia chaffeensis transcriptome in mammalian and arthropod hosts reveals differential gene expression and post transcriptional regulation. | Human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis is an emerging life-threatening zoonosis caused by obligately intracellular bacterium, Ehrlichia chaffeensis. E. chaffeensis is transmitted by the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, and replicates in mononuclear phagocytes in mammalian hosts. Differences in the E. chaffeensis transcriptome in mammalian and arthropod hosts are unknown. Thus, we determined host-specific E. chaffeensis gene expression in human monocyte (THP-1) and in Amblyomma and Ixodes tick ce ... | 2011 | 21915290 |
| rna interference in ticks. | ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of wild and domestic animals and humans, and are considered to be second worldwide to mosquitoes as vectors of human diseases(1) and the most important vectors affecting cattle industry worldwide(2). ticks are classified in the subclass acari, order parasitiformes, suborder ixodida and are distributed worldwide from arctic to tropical regions(3). despite efforts to control tick infestations, these ectoparasites remain a serious problem for human and ... | 2011 | 21304465 |
| an acarologic survey and amblyomma americanum distribution map with implications for tularemia risk in missouri. | in the united states, tickborne diseases occur focally. missouri represents a major focus of several tickborne diseases that includes spotted fever rickettsiosis, tularemia, and ehrlichiosis. our study sought to determine the potential risk of human exposure to human-biting vector ticks in this area. we collected ticks in 79 sites in southern missouri during june 7-10, 2009, which yielded 1,047 adult and 3,585 nymphal amblyomma americanum, 5 adult amblyomma maculatum, 19 adult dermacentor variab ... | 2011 | 21363979 |
| anointing chemicals and hematophagous arthropods: responses by ticks and mosquitoes to citrus (rutaceae) peel exudates and monoterpene components. | some birds and mammals roll on or wipe themselves with the fruits or leaves of citrus spp. or other rutaceae. these anointing behaviors, as with anointing in general, are thought to function in the topical acquisition of chemicals that deter consumers, including hematophagous arthropods. we measured avoidance and other responses by nymphal lone star ticks (amblyomma americanum) and adult female yellow fever mosquitoes (aedes aegypti) to lemon peel exudate and to 24 volatile monoterpenes (racemat ... | 2011 | 21409496 |
| assessment of bacterial diversity in the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus through tag-encoded pyrosequencing. | ticks are regarded as the most relevant vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals. the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus, hinders livestock production in tropical and subtropical parts of the world where it is endemic. tick microbiomes remain largely unexplored. the objective of this study was to explore the r. microplus microbiome by applying the bacterial 16s tag-encoded flx-titanium amplicon pyrosequencing (btefap) technique to characterize its bacterial ... | 2011 | 21211038 |
| prostaglandins and their receptors in insect biology. | we treat the biological significance of prostaglandins (pgs) and their known receptors in insect biology. pgs and related eicosanoids are oxygenated derivatives of arachidonic acid (aa) and two other c20 polyunsaturated fatty acids. pgs are mostly appreciated in the context of biomedicine, but a growing body of literature indicates the biological significance of these compounds extends throughout the animal kingdom, and possibly beyond. the actions of most pgs are mediated by specific receptors. ... | 2011 | 22654840 |
| food-induced anaphylaxis. | food-induced anaphylaxis (fia) is a serious allergic reaction that may cause death rapidly in otherwise healthy individuals. there is no universal agreement on its definition or criteria for diagnosis. hospital admissions for fia have more than doubled in the last decade. food is one of the most common causes of anaphylaxis, with most surveys indicating that food-induced reactions account for 30% to 50% of cases. the most commonly implicated foods are peanut, tree nuts, milk, eggs, sesame seeds, ... | 2011 | 22244239 |
| brown spider (loxosceles genus) venom toxins: tools for biological purposes. | venomous animals use their venoms as tools for defense or predation. these venoms are complex mixtures, mainly enriched of proteic toxins or peptides with several, and different, biological activities. in general, spider venom is rich in biologically active molecules that are useful in experimental protocols for pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology and immunology, as well as putative tools for biotechnology and industries. spider venoms have recently garnered much attention from several rese ... | 2011 | 22069711 |
| distribution and infection frequency of 'candidatus rickettsia amblyommii' in maryland populations of the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum) and culture in an anopheles gambiae mosquito cell line. | amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) is a broadly distributed tick that transmits multiple pathogens of humans and domestic animals. 'candidatus rickettsia amblyommii' is a spotted-fever group rickettsial species that is potentially associated with human disease. in 2008 and 2009, we assayed over 500 unfed adult ticks from 19 maryland populations for the presence of 'candidatus r. amblyommii'. infection frequencies ranged from 33% to 100%, with an average infection rate of 60% in 2008 and 6 ... | 2011 | 22309857 |
| experimental use of two standard tick collection methods to evaluate the relative effectiveness of several plant-derived and synthetic repellents against ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae). | we used two standard tick collection methods to test the relative effectiveness of two natural product compounds (nootkatone and carvacrol, classified as an eremophilene sesquiterpene and a monoterpene, respectively, that are derived from botanical sources) with commercially-available plant-derived (ecosmart organic insect repellent, comprised of plant essential oils) and permethrin-based (repel permanone) repellents against ixodes scapularis say and amblyomma americanum (l.). cloth drags were e ... | 2011 | 22299371 |
| conjunctival attachment of a tick: clinicopathologic report of a case. | attachment by ticks to ocular surfaces is uncommon, but has been reported. the objective of this article is to describe a case of conjunctival tick attachment and a method for removal by conjunctival excision. a 39-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a complaint of foreign-body sensation in his right eye. he was found to have a live tick embedded in his conjunctiva. the tick was removed en bloc with surrounding conjunctiva by an ophthalmologist. the arthropod was identified a ... | 2011 | 18514466 |
| development of a mitochondrial 12s rdna analysis for distinguishing sciuridae species with potential to transmit ehrlichia and borrelia species to feeding amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae). | unique oligonucleotide probes were synthesized to distinguish among closely related vertebrate mitochondrial rdna sequences present in residual bloodmeals in emergent amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) nymph life-stage ticks. use of these probes enabled the identification of the eastern gray squirrel as an important bloodmeal source in nymphs harboring ehrlichia and borrelia species. these results were confirmed by identifying these same bacterial genera in eastern gray squirrel tissues ... | 2012 | 22679888 |
| reverse line blot probe design and polymerase chain reaction optimization for bloodmeal analysis of ticks from the eastern united states. | determining the host preference of vector ticks is vital to elucidating the eco-epidemiology of the diseases they spread. detachment of ticks from captured hosts can provide evidence of feeding on those host species, but only for those species that are feasible to capture. recently developed, highly sensitive molecular assays show great promise in allowing host selection to be determined from minute traces of host dna that persist in recently molted ticks. using methods developed in europe as a ... | 2012 | 22679879 |
| insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7, a member of insulin-like growth factor signal pathway, involved in immune response of small abalone haliotis diversicolor. | insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (igfbp7), the only member of the igfbp superfamily that binds strongly to insulin, may have different functions from other igfbps. unlike other igfbps, there is no knowledge available on aquatic invertebrate igfbp7. in this study, a molluscan igfbp7 gene, saigfbp7, was cloned for the first time from the small abalone haliotis diversicolor. its full-length cdna sequence is 1812 bp, with a 720 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 239 aa. the mole ... | 2012 | 22584203 |
| expression and regulation of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (mif) in feeding american dog ticks, dermacentor variabilis. | macrophage migration inhibitory factor (mif) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by many mammalian tissues. it is also found in ticks and may function to aid the tick in regulating host responses to tick feeding. our hypothesis is that mif functions in tick blood meal acquisition and pathogen transmission. this study was performed to understand the expression and regulation of mif in the american dog tick, dermacentor variabilis during early stages of blood feeding. we used quantitative reve ... | 2012 | 22476444 |
| the ecology of fear: host foraging behavior varies with the spatio-temporal abundance of a dominant ectoparasite. | prey engage in myriad behaviors to avoid predation, and these indirect effects of predators on their prey are often measured by the amount of food abandoned by a forager (the "giving-up density", or gud) in a given habitat. recent evidence suggests that hosts may engage in comparable behaviors to avoid exposure to parasites. we investigated changes in local foraging and regional space use by mammal hosts for the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum), using guds as an indicator of the perceived r ... | 2012 | 22311098 |
| efficacy of plant-derived and synthetic compounds on clothing as repellents against ixodes scapularis and amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae). | we conducted field trials to compare the relative repellent activity of two natural product compounds (nootkatone and carvacrol) with commercially available plant-derived (ecosmart organic insect repellent) and permethrin-based (repel permanone) repellents against adult ixodes scapularis say and amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) by using treated coveralls. one day after treatment, nootkatone and carvacrol provided 100% repellency of i. scapularis adults, with nootkatone maintaining com ... | 2012 | 22308777 |
| efficacy of amitraz-impregnated collars on white-tailed deer (artiodactyla: cervidae) in reducing free-living populations of lone star ticks (acari: ixodidae). | over a 7 yr period, we monitored the effect of a commercially available, amitraz impregnated anti-tick collar in controlling free-living populations of lone star ticks, amblyomma americanum (l.) when manually fitted around necks of white-tailed deer, odocoileus virginianus (zimmermann). study animals in treatment and control groups were confined in 38.8 ha game-fenced and densely vegetated treatment plots in south texas. tick densities during years 1 and 7 served as untreated pre- and posttreatm ... | 2012 | 23356088 |
| relationship between habitat type, fire frequency, and amblyomma americanum populations in east-central alabama. | ticks were collected from 20 sites in the calhoun, cherokee, and cleburne counties in east-central alabama areas to determine the relationship between plant physiognomy, environmental variables, and tick populations. sites investigated included various burning regimes, wildland-urban-interface (wui), a college campus, and an unmanaged area. amblyomma americanum (l.) (acari: ixodidae) dominated the tick population while ixodes scapularis say was not encountered. there were complex differences in ... | 2012 | 23181862 |
| laboratory-infected ehrlichia chaffeensis female adult amblyomma americanum salivary glands reveal differential gene expression. | ticks are efficient ectoparasites that are able to steal blood, a rich source of nutrients, from their vertebrate hosts. the nymphal developmental stage of ticks plays an important role for pathogen transmission to human and other animal hosts. in this article, we describe a bloodmeal-based sex differentiation tool to generate adult female ticks infected with ehrlichia chaffeensis to investigate vector-pathogen interactions (functional genomics and gene expression studies). we demonstrate that t ... | 2012 | 22679861 |
| ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) distribution surveys in the chicago metropolitan region. | considering recent studies confirming an increased risk of contracting lyme disease near metropolitan chicago, we surveyed a more comprehensive area to assess whether the geographical distribution and establishment of ixodes scapularis (say) populations across northeast illinois are widespread or limited in occurrence. from may through october 2008 and from april through october 2009, 602 i. scapularis ticks of all three life stages (larva, nymph, adult) were collected from sites in cook, dupage ... | 2012 | 22897059 |
| determination of wolbachia diversity in butterflies from western ghats, india, by a multigene approach. | members of the genus wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that are widespread in arthropods and establish diverse symbiotic associations with their hosts, ranging from mutualism to parasitism. here we present the first detailed analyses of wolbachia in butterflies from india with screening of 56 species. twenty-nine species (52%) representing five families were positive for wolbachia. this is the first report of wolbachia infection in 27 of the 29 species; the other two were reported previously. ... | 2012 | 22504801 |
| transmission electron microscopy reveals distinct macrophage- and tick cell-specific morphological stages of ehrlichia chaffeensis. | ehrlichia chaffeensis is an emerging tick-borne rickettsial pathogen responsible for human monocytic ehrlichiosis. despite the induction of an active host immune response, the pathogen has evolved to persist in its vertebrate and tick hosts. understanding how the organism progresses in tick and vertebrate host cells is critical in identifying effective strategies to block the pathogen transmission. our recent molecular and proteomic studies revealed differences in numerous expressed proteins of ... | 2012 | 22615806 |
| a peculiar cause of anaphylaxis: no more steak? the journey to discovery of a newly recognized allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose found in mammalian meat. | in recent years, a newly recognized allergic disease has been uncovered, and seemingly idiopathic causes of anaphylaxis now have an explanation. individuals bitten by the lone star tick may develop ige antibodies to the carbohydrate galactose-α-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). upon exposure of sensitized subjects to mammalian meat containing alpha-gal on glycoproteins or glycolipids, delayed anaphylaxis may ensue, often three to six hours after ingestion.1 many of these individuals have negative aller ... | 2012 | 22815061 |
| fusion to snowdrop lectin magnifies the oral activity of insecticidal ω-hexatoxin-hv1a peptide by enabling its delivery to the central nervous system. | the spider-venom peptide ω-hexatoxin-hv1a (hv1a) targets insect voltage-gated calcium channels, acting directly at sites within the central nervous system. it is potently insecticidal when injected into a wide variety of insect pests, but it has limited oral toxicity. we examined the ability of snowdrop lectin (gna), which is capable of traversing the insect gut epithelium, to act as a "carrier" in order to enhance the oral activity of hv1a. | 2012 | 22761779 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum in small mammals and ticks in northeast florida. | human anaplasmosis is an emerging tick-borne disease in the united states, but few studies of the causative agent, anaplasma phagocytophilum, have been conducted in southeastern states. the aim of this study was to determine if a. phagocytophilum is present in small mammals and ticks in northeast florida. polymerase chain reaction assays designed to amplify portions of the major surface protein 2 gene (p44), 16s rdna, and groesl operons were used to test rodent blood and tick dna samples for the ... | 2012 | 22548563 |
| efficacy of an imidacloprid/flumethrin collar against fleas and ticks on cats. | the objectives of the studies listed here were to ascertain the therapeutic and sustained efficacy of 10% imidacloprid (w/w) and 4.5% flumethrin (w/w) incorporated in a slow-release matrix collar, against laboratory-infestations of fleas and ticks on cats. efficacy was evaluated against the flea ctenocephalides felis felis, and the ticks ixodes ricinus, amblyomma americanum and rhipicephalus turanicus. the number of studies was so large that only a general overview can be presented in this abstr ... | 2012 | 22541037 |
| cyp52x1, representing new cytochrome p450 subfamily, displays fatty acid hydroxylase activity and contributes to virulence and growth on insect cuticular substrates in entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana. | infection of insects by the entomopathogenic fungus beauveria bassiana proceeds via attachment and penetration of the host cuticle. the outermost epicuticular layer or waxy layer of the insect represents a structure rich in lipids including abundant amounts of hydrocarbons and fatty acids. a member of a novel cytochrome p450 subfamily, cyp52x1, implicated in fatty acid assimilation by b. bassiana was characterized. b. bassiana targeted gene knockouts lacking bbcyp52x1 displayed reduced virulence ... | 2012 | 22393051 |
| evaluation of the long-term efficacy and safety of an imidacloprid 10%/flumethrin 4.5% polymer matrix collar (seresto®) in dogs and cats naturally infested with fleas and/or ticks in multicentre clinical field studies in europe. | the objective of these two gcp multicentre european clinical field studies was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of a new imidacloprid/flumethrin collar (seresto®, bayer animalhealth, investigational veterinary product(ivp)) in dogs and cats naturally infested with fleas and/or ticks in comparison to a dimpylat collar ("ungezieferband fuer hunde/fuer katzen", beaphar, control product (cp)). | 2012 | 22463745 |
| phylogeography and demographic history of amblyomma variegatum (fabricius) (acari: ixodidae), the tropical bont tick. | the genetic diversity of amblyomma variegatum (fabricius) from four caribbean islands and five african countries was compared by analyzing the sequences of three gene fragments, two mitochondrial (12srdna and d-loop-dl), and one nuclear (intergenic transcribed spacer 2 [its2]). genetic variability of the its2 dna fragment consisted of only uninformative single nucleotide mutations, and therefore this gene was excluded from further analyses. mitochondrial gene divergences among african population ... | 2012 | 22448720 |
| anaphylactic reactions to oligosaccharides in red meat: a syndrome in evolution. | while most allergic responses to food are directed against protein epitopes and occur within 30 minutes of ingesting the allergen, recent studies suggest that delayed reactions may occur, sometimes mediated by ige antibodies directed against carbohydrate moieties. the objective of this review is to summarize the clinical features and management of delayed hypersensitivity reactions to mammalian meat mediated by ige antibodies to galactose-alpha 1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), an oligosaccharide. | 2012 | 22397506 |
| disintegrins from hematophagous sources. | bloodsucking arthropods are a rich source of salivary molecules (sialogenins) which inhibit platelet aggregation, neutrophil function and angiogenesis. here we review the literature on salivary disintegrins and their targets. disintegrins were first discovered in snake venoms, and were instrumental in our understanding of integrin function and also for the development of anti-thrombotic drugs. in hematophagous animals, most disintegrins described so far have been discovered in the salivary gland ... | 2012 | 22778902 |
| new species of ehrlichia isolated from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus shows an ortholog of the e. canis major immunogenic glycoprotein gp36 with a new sequence of tandem repeats. | ehrlichia species are the etiological agents of emerging and life-threatening tick-borne human zoonoses that inflict serious and fatal infections in companion animals and livestock. the aim of this paper was to phylogeneticaly characterise a new species of ehrlichia isolated from rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus from minas gerais, brazil. | 2012 | 23231731 |
| galactose-α-1,3-galactose-specific ige is associated with anaphylaxis but not asthma. | ige antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) are common in the southeastern united states. these antibodies, which are induced by ectoparasitic ticks, can give rise to positive skin tests or serum assays with cat extract. | 2012 | 22281828 |
| considerations for assessing maximum critical temperatures in small ectothermic animals: insights from leaf-cutting ants. | the thermal limits of individual animals were originally proposed as a link between animal physiology and thermal ecology. although this link is valid in theory, the evaluation of physiological tolerances involves some problems that are the focus of this study. one rationale was that heating rates shall influence upper critical limits, so that ecological thermal limits need to consider experimental heating rates. in addition, if thermal limits are not surpassed in experiments, subsequent tests o ... | 2012 | 22384147 |
| seroprevalence of ehrlichia canis, ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii in dogs in north america. | this study evaluated the exposure of dogs to three different ehrlichia spp. in the south and central regions of the united states where vector-borne disease prevalence has been previously difficult to ascertain, particularly beyond the metropolitan areas. | 2012 | 22316160 |
| natural product studies of u.s. endangered plants: volatile components of lindera melissifolia (lauraceae) repel mosquitoes and ticks. | the number of endangered plant species in the u.s. is significant, yet studies aimed towards utilizing these plants are limited. ticks and mosquitoes are vectors of significant pathogenic diseases of humans. repellents are critical means of personal protection against biting arthropods and disease transmission. the essential oil and solvent extracts from lindera melissifolia (walt.) blume (lauraceae) (pondberry) drupes were gathered and analyzed by gc and gc-ms. the essential oil obtained from t ... | 2012 | 22704653 |
| detection of wolbachia in the tick ixodes ricinus is due to the presence of the hymenoptera endoparasitoid ixodiphagus hookeri. | the identification of micro-organisms carried by ticks is an important issue for human and animal health. in addition to their role as pathogen vectors, ticks are also the hosts for symbiotic bacteria whose impact on tick biology is poorly known. among these, the bacterium wolbachia pipientis has already been reported associated with ixodes ricinus and other tick species. however, the origins of wolbachia in ticks and their consequences on tick biology (known to be very diverse in invertebrates, ... | 2012 | 22292021 |
| borrelia burgdorferi infections in the united states. | it is becoming increasingly evident that the clinical presentation of infection with borrelia burgdorferi varies greatly between different parts of the world. a growing number of european and asian isolates of lyme borreliae, differing from the american strain of borrelia burgdorferi, have been identified in several different disorders. in light of the increasing number of reports describing an association between various cutaneous disorders and infection with borrelia burgdorferi and the contro ... | 2012 | 22916311 |
| survey of borreliae in ticks, canines, and white-tailed deer from arkansas, u.s.a. | in the eastern and upper midwestern regions of north america, ixodes scapularis (l.) is the most abundant tick species encountered by humans and the primary vector of b. burgdorferi, whereas in the southeastern region amblyomma americanum (say) is the most abundant tick species encountered by humans but cannot transmit b. burgdorferi. surveys of borreliae in ticks have been conducted in the southeastern united states and often these surveys identify b. lonestari as the primary borrelia species, ... | 2012 | 22781030 |
| tick cell culture isolation and growth of rickettsia raoultii from dutch dermacentor reticulatus ticks. | tick cell lines play an important role in research on ticks and tick-borne pathogenic and symbiotic microorganisms. in an attempt to derive continuous dermacentor reticulatus cell lines, embryo-derived primary cell cultures were set up from eggs laid by field ticks originally collected as unfed adults in the netherlands and maintained for up to 16 months. after several months, it became evident that cells in the primary cultures were infected with a rickettsia-like intracellular organism. supern ... | 2012 | 23140894 |
| rnai in arthropods: insight into the machinery and applications for understanding the pathogen-vector interface. | the availability of genome sequencing data in combination with knowledge of expressed genes via transcriptome and proteome data has greatly advanced our understanding of arthropod vectors of disease. not only have we gained insight into vector biology, but also into their respective vector-pathogen interactions. by combining the strengths of postgenomic databases and reverse genetic approaches such as rnai, the numbers of available drug and vaccine targets, as well as number of transgenes for su ... | 2012 | 24705082 |
| anaplasma odocoilei sp. nov. (family anaplasmataceae) from white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). | recently, an undescribed anaplasma sp. (also called ehrlichia-like sp. or wtd agent) was isolated in ise6 tick cells from captive white-tailed deer. the goal of the current study was to characterize this organism using a combination of experimental infection, morphologic, serologic, and molecular studies. each of 6 experimentally inoculated white-tailed deer fawns (odocoileus virginianus) became chronically infected (100+ days) with the anaplasma sp. by inoculation of either infected whole blood ... | 2012 | 23276749 |
| The indoor air and asthma: the role of cat allergens. | The objective is to discuss recent progress in our understanding of the role of the indoor environment in asthma, focusing on the special role of cat allergens. | 2012 | 22081090 |
| evolution, expansion and expression of the kunitz/bpti gene family associated with long-term blood feeding in ixodes scapularis. | abstract: background: recent studies of the tick saliva transcriptome have revealed the profound role of salivary proteins in blood feeding. kunitz/bpti proteins are abundant in the salivary glands of ticks and perform multiple functions in blood feeding, such as inhibiting blood coagulation, regulating host blood supply and disrupting host angiogenesis. however, kunitz/bpti proteins in soft and hard ticks have different functions and molecular mechanisms. how these differences emerged and whet ... | 2012 | 22244187 |
| co2 flagging - an improved method for the collection of questing ticks. | most epidemiological studies on tick-borne pathogens involve collection of ticks from the environment. an efficient collection method is essential for large sample pools. our main aim was to evaluate the efficacy of a new method, where traditional flagging was enhanced by the use of co2 dispersed into the white flannel. the co2 was spread through a rubber hose network inserted into the flag blanket. the research was conducted in spring, in march-april 2011 in two locations from cluj county, roma ... | 2012 | 22720872 |
| composition and seasonal variation of rhipicephalus turanicus and rhipicephalus sanguineus bacterial communities. | a 16s rrna gene approach, including 454 pyrosequencing and quantitative pcr (qpcr), was used to describe the bacterial community in rhipicephalus turanicus and to evaluate the dynamics of key bacterial tenants of adult ticks during the active questing season. the bacterial community structure of rh. turanicus was characterized by high dominance of coxiella and rickettsia and extremely low taxonomic diversity. parallel diagnostic pcr further revealed a novel coxiella species which was present and ... | 2012 | 22467507 |
| bioinformatics and expression analyses of the ixodes scapularis tick cystatin family. | the cystatins are inhibitors of papain- and legumain-like cysteine proteinases, classified in merops subfamilies i25a-i25c. this study shows that 84 % (42/50) of tick cystatins are putatively extracellular in subfamily i25b and the rest are putatively intracellular in subfamily i25a. on the neighbor joining phylogeny guide tree, subfamily i25a members cluster together, while subfamily i25b cystatins segregate among prostriata or metastriata ticks. two ixodes scapularis cystatins, aay66864 and is ... | 2012 | 23053911 |
| analysis of babesia bovis infection-induced gene expression changes in larvae from the cattle tick, rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus. | cattle babesiosis is a tick-borne disease of cattle that has severe economic impact on cattle producers throughout the world's tropical and subtropical countries. the most severe form of the disease is caused by the apicomplexan, babesia bovis, and transmitted to cattle through the bite of infected cattle ticks of the genus rhipicephalus, with the most prevalent species being rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus. we studied the reaction of the r. microplus larval transcriptome in response to infe ... | 2012 | 22871314 |
| tick salivary secretion as a source of antihemostatics. | ticks are mostly obligatory blood feeding ectoparasites that have an impact on human and animal health. in addition to direct damage due to feeding, some tick species serve as the vectors for the causative agents of several diseases, such as the spirochetes of the genus borrelia causing lyme disease, the virus of tick-borne encephalitis, various rickettsial pathogens or even protozoan parasites like babesia spp. hard ticks are unique among bloodfeeders because of their prolonged feeding period t ... | 2012 | 22564820 |
| the role of cystatins in tick physiology and blood feeding. | ticks, as obligate hematophagous ectoparasites, impact greatly on animal and human health because they transmit various pathogens worldwide. over the last decade, several cystatins from different hard and soft ticks were identified and biochemically analyzed for their role in the physiology and blood feeding lifestyle of ticks. all these cystatins are potent inhibitors of papain-like cysteine proteases, but not of legumain. tick cystatins were either detected in the salivary glands and/or the mi ... | 2012 | 22647711 |
| detection and identification of putative bacterial endosymbionts and endogenous viruses in tick cell lines. | as well as being vectors of many viral, bacterial, and protozoan pathogens of medical and veterinary importance, ticks harbour a variety of microorganisms which are not known to be pathogenic for vertebrate hosts. continuous cell lines established from ixodid and argasid ticks could be infected with such endosymbiotic bacteria and endogenous viruses, but to date very few cell lines have been examined for their presence. dna and rna extracted from over 50 tick cell lines deposited in the roslin w ... | 2012 | 22743047 |
| acaricidal activity of ethanolic extract from aerial parts of tagetes patula l. (asteraceae) against larvae and engorged adult females of rhipicephalus sanguineus (latreille, 1806). | the tick rhipicephalus sanguineus is the species with the largest worldwide distribution and is proven to be involved in the transmission of pathogens such as babesia canis, ehrlichia canis, coxiella burnetii, rickettsia ricketsii, rickettsia conorii, among others. studies have demonstrated acquisition of resistance to some of the active principles used in commercial formulations of acaricides. tagetes patula (asteraceae) is a plant with highlighted economic and commercial importance due to the ... | 2012 | 23244493 |
| tick-box for 3'-end formation of mitochondrial transcripts in ixodida, basal chelicerates and drosophila. | according to the trna punctuation model, the mitochondrial genome (mtdna) of mammals and arthropods is transcribed as large polycistronic precursors that are maturated by endonucleolytic cleavage at trna borders and rna polyadenylation. starting from the newly sequenced mtdna of ixodes ricinus and using a combination of mitogenomics and transcriptional analyses, we found that in all currently-sequenced tick lineages (prostriata, metastriata and argasidae) the 3'-end of the polyadenylated nad1 an ... | 2012 | 23077630 |
| the sialotranscriptome of antricola delacruzi female ticks is compatible with non-hematophagous behavior and an alternative source of food. | the hosts for antricola delacruzi ticks are insectivorous, cave-dwelling bats on which only larvae are found. the mouthparts of nymphal and adult a. delacruzi are compatible with scavenging feeding because the hypostome is small and toothless. how a single blood meal of a larva provides energy for several molts as well as for oviposition by females is not known. adults of a. delacruzi possibly feed upon an unknown food source in bat guano, a substrate on which nymphal and adult stages are always ... | 2012 | 22306723 |
| identification of endosymbionts in ticks by broad-range polymerase chain reaction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. | many organisms, such as insects, filarial nematodes, and ticks, contain heritable bacterial endosymbionts that are often closely related to transmissible tickborne pathogens. these intracellular bacteria are sometimes unique to the host species, presumably due to isolation and genetic drift. we used a polymerase chain reaction/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry assay designed to detect a wide range of vectorborne microorganisms to characterize endosymbiont genetic signatures from amblyomm ... | 2012 | 22897044 |
| biology of francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica live vaccine strain in the tick vector dermacentor variabilis. | the γ-proteobacterium francisella tularensis is the etiologic agent of seasonal tick-transmitted tularemia epizootics in rodents and rabbits and of incidental infections in humans. the biology of f. tularensis in its tick vectors has not been fully described, particularly with respect to its quanta and duration of colonization, tissue dissemination, and transovarial transmission. a systematic study of the colonization of dermacentor variabilis by the f. tularensis subsp. holarctica live vaccine ... | 2012 | 22530023 |
| spider-venom peptides as bioinsecticides. | over 10,000 arthropod species are currently considered to be pest organisms. they are estimated to contribute to the destruction of ~14% of the world's annual crop production and transmit many pathogens. presently, arthropod pests of agricultural and health significance are controlled predominantly through the use of chemical insecticides. unfortunately, the widespread use of these agrochemicals has resulted in genetic selection pressure that has led to the development of insecticide-resistant a ... | 2012 | 22741062 |
| plane of nutrition by tick-burden interaction in cattle: effect on growth and metabolism. | ticks are external parasites, which pose a significant economic burden to domestic animal agriculture. the effects of ticks on grazing animals may be exacerbated during periods of low nutrition, such as those encountered during drought. it is not completely understood how plane of nutrition and tick burden interact to affect metabolism in cattle. the objective of the current research was to examine the plane of nutrition by tick-burden interaction in cattle and determine the effects of this inte ... | 2012 | 22665634 |
| presence, genetic variability, and potential significance of "candidatus midichloria mitochondrii" in the lone star tick amblyomma americanum. | we used next generation sequencing to detect the bacterium "candidatus midichloria mitochondrii" for the first time in lone star ticks (amblyomma americanum) from the eastern united states. 177 individuals and 11 tick pools from seven sites in four states were tested by pyrosequencing with barcoded 16s rrna gene eubacterial primers targeting variable regions 5-3. average infection prevalence was 0.15 across all surveyed populations (range 0-0.29) and only the site with the smallest sample size ( ... | 2012 | 22678102 |
| a conceptual model of the amblyomma americanum life cycle in northeast missouri. | the geographic distribution of amblyomma americanum (the lone star tick) has increased as has its role as a pathogen vector. the objectives of this study were to determine seasonal activity patterns of each life stage of a. americanum in the northwestern part of the species range and the relationship of these activity patterns among life stages and degree days. tick activity was monitored over four years since 2007 in a forest and old field habitat located in northeast missouri. every other week ... | 2013 | 23701610 |
| the effects of solenopsis invicta (hymenoptera: formicidae) and burned habitat on the survival of amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) and amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae). | identifying ways in which humans can reduce tick populations is important for preventing the spread and emergence of diseases. during a recent study on effects of long-term prescribed burning on ticks, differences in species composition were observed with lone star ticks, amblyomma americanum (l.), preferring unburned habitats and gulf coast ticks, amblyomma maculatum (koch), preferring burned habitats. interestingly, the red imported fire ant, solenopsis invicta buren, is found predominantly in ... | 2013 | 23540113 |
| ixodid ticks associated with feral swine in texas. | ixodid ticks were collected from feral swine in eight texas ecoregions from 2008-2011. sixty-two percent of 806 feral swine were infested with one or more of the following species: amblyomma americanum, a. cajennense, a. maculatum, dermacentor albipictus, d. halli, d. variabilis, and ixodes scapularis. juvenile and adult feral swine of both sexes were found to serve as host to ixodid ticks. longitudinal surveys of feral swine at four geographic locations show persistent year-round tick infestati ... | 2013 | 24581367 |
| lone star tick (acari: ixodidae) occurrence in nebraska: historical and current perspectives. | in 2010 and 2011, field collections were undertaken to determine the geographic range of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.), in nebraska in addition, tick identifications from submissions by the general public dating to 1911 were examined. consistent lone star tick identifications from extreme southeast nebraska began in 1987. specimens have been identified from 27 counties, making lone star ticks the second most frequently and second most widely reported tick in the state after derma ... | 2013 | 23540110 |
| deorphanization and target validation of cross-tick species conserved novel amblyomma americanum tick saliva protein. | we previously identified a cross-tick species conserved tick feeding stimuli responsive amblyomma americanum (aam) av422 gene. this study demonstrates that aamav422 belongs to a novel group of arthropod proteins that is characterized by 14 cysteine amino acid residues: c(23)-x7/9-c(33)-x23/24-c(58)-x8-c(67)-x7-c(75)-x23-c(99)-x15-c(115)-x10-c(126)-x24/25/33-c(150)c(151)-x7-c(159)-x8-c(168)-x23/24-c(192)-x9/10-c(202) predicted to form seven disulfide bonds. we show that aamav422 protein is a ubiq ... | 2013 | 23428900 |
| molecular and functional characterization of vacuolar-atpase from the american dog tick dermacentor variabilis. | vacuolar (v)-atpase is a proton-translocating enzyme that acidifies cellular compartments for various functions such as receptor-mediated endocytosis, intracellular trafficking and protein degradation. previous studies in dermacentor variabilis chronically infected with rickettsia montanensis have identified v-atpase as one of the tick-derived molecules transcribed in response to rickettsial infection. to examine the role of the tick v-atpase in tick-rickettsia interactions, a full-length 2887-b ... | 2013 | 24164319 |
| the genome sequence of lone star virus, a highly divergent bunyavirus found in the amblyomma americanum tick. | viruses in the family bunyaviridae infect a wide range of plant, insect, and animal hosts. tick-borne bunyaviruses in the phlebovirus genus, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (sftsv) in china, heartland virus (hrtv) in the united states, and bhanja virus in eurasia and africa have been associated with acute febrile illness in humans. here we sought to characterize the growth characteristics and genome of lone star virus (lsv), an unclassified bunyavirus originally isola ... | 2013 | 23637969 |
| amblyomma americanum tick saliva serine protease inhibitor 6 is a cross-class inhibitor of serine proteases and papain-like cysteine proteases that delays plasma clotting and inhibits platelet aggregation. | we previously demonstrated that amblyomma americanum tick serine protease inhibitor 6 (aams6) was secreted into the host during tick feeding and that both its mrna and protein were ubiquitously and highly expressed during the first 3 days of tick feeding. this study demonstrates that aams6 is a cross-class inhibitor of both serine- and papain-like cysteine proteases that has apparent antihaemostatic functions. consistent with the typical inhibitory serpin characteristics, enzyme kinetics analyse ... | 2013 | 23521000 |
| ehrlichia chaffeensis replication sites in adult drosophila melanogaster. | ehrlichia chaffeensis is a gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium which causes the tick-borne disease human monocytic ehrlichiosis. in vertebrates, e. chaffeensis replicates in monocytes and macrophages. however, no clear cell or tissue tropism has been defined in arthropods. our group identified two host genes that control e. chaffeensis replication and infection in vivo in drosophila, uridine cytidine kinase and separation anxiety. using the uas-gal4 rnai system, we generated f1 flies ... | 2013 | 23306065 |
| emerging antigens involved in allergic responses. | new allergic diseases can 'emerge' because of exposure to a novel antigen, because the immune responsiveness of the subject changes, or because of a change in the behavior of the population. novel antigens have entered the environment as new pests in the home (e.g., asian lady beetle or stink bugs), in the diet (e.g., prebiotics or wheat isolates), or because of the spread of a biting arthropod (e.g., ticks). over the last few years, a significant new disease has been identified, which has chang ... | 2013 | 24095162 |
| comparison of a real-time pcr method with serology and blood smear analysis for diagnosis of human anaplasmosis: importance of infection time course for optimal test utilization. | anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are emerging tick-borne diseases with clinically similar presentations caused by closely related pathogens. currently, laboratories rely predominantly on blood smear analysis (for the detection of intracellular morulae) and on serologic tests, both of which have recognized limitations, for diagnostic purposes. we compared the performance of a published real-time pcr assay that incorporates melt curve analysis to differentiate anaplasma and ehrlichia species with blo ... | 2013 | 23637292 |
| effect of latitude on the rate of change in incidence of lyme disease in the united states. | tick-borne illnesses represent an important class of emerging zoonoses, with climate change projected to increase the geographic range within which tick-borne zoonoses might become endemic. we evaluated the impact of latitude on the rate of change in the incidence of lyme disease in the united states, using publicly available data. | 2013 | 25077101 |