Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
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| conjunctival attachment of a live paralysis tick, ixodes holocyclus, in a child: a case report. | we describe a rare clinical finding of conjunctival tick attachment in a child. a 10-year-old boy presented to the clinic with right-eye itch. he was found to have a live tick firmly attached to his right temporal conjunctiva. the tick was identified as the larval stage of the paralysis tick, ixodes holocyclus. the tick was removed completely by conjunctival excision. although various methods of removing a tick have been described in the literature, the goal of treatment is the safe and complete ... | 2015 | 25969685 |
| conserved amblyomma americanum tick serpin19, an inhibitor of blood clotting factors xa and xia, trypsin and plasmin, has anti-haemostatic functions. | tick saliva serine protease inhibitors (serpins) facilitate tick blood meal feeding through inhibition of protease mediators of host defense pathways. we previously identified a highly conserved amblyomma americanum serpin 19 that is characterised by its reactive center loop being 100% conserved in ixodid ticks. in this study, biochemical characterisation reveals that the ubiquitously transcribed a. americanum serpin 19 is an anti-coagulant protein, inhibiting the activity of five of the eight s ... | 2015 | 25957161 |
| challenges posed by tick-borne rickettsiae: eco-epidemiology and public health implications. | rickettsiae are obligately intracellular bacteria that are transmitted to vertebrates by a variety of arthropod vectors, primarily by fleas and ticks. once transmitted or experimentally inoculated into susceptible mammals, some rickettsiae may cause febrile illness of different morbidity and mortality, and which can manifest with different types of exhanthems in humans. however, most rickettsiae circulate in diverse sylvatic or peridomestic reservoirs without having obvious impacts on their vert ... | 2015 | 25954738 |
| tick microbiome: the force within. | ticks are obligate blood-feeders and serve as vectors of human and livestock pathogens worldwide. defining the tick microbiome and deciphering the interactions between the tick and its symbiotic bacteria in the context of tick development and pathogen transmission will likely reveal new insights and spawn new paradigms to control tick-borne diseases. descriptive observations on the tick microbiome that began almost a century ago serve as forerunners to the gathering momentum to define the tick m ... | 2015 | 25936226 |
| attenuated mutants of ehrlichia chaffeensis induce protection against wild-type infection challenge in the reservoir host and in an incidental host. | ehrlichia chaffeensis, a tick-borne rickettsial organism, causes the disease human monocytic ehrlichiosis. the pathogen also causes disease in several other vertebrates, including dogs and deer. in this study, we assessed two clonally purified e. chaffeensis mutants with insertions within the genes ech_0379 and ech_0660 as vaccine candidates in deer and dogs. infection with the ech_0379 mutant and challenge with wild-type e. chaffeensis 1 month following inoculation with the mutant resulted in t ... | 2015 | 25916990 |
| canine vector-borne infections in mauritius. | canine vector-borne diseases have a worldwide distribution, but to the best of our knowledge, no research has been carried out to evaluate their presence on the indian ocean island of mauritius. an investigation into canine vector-borne infections was conducted in dogs (n = 78) resident at an animal shelter in port louis, mauritius using a combination of traditional microscopy and serological methods. | 2015 | 25889893 |
| rhipicephalus microplus and ixodes ovatus cystatins in tick blood digestion and evasion of host immune response. | cystatins are a group of cysteine protease inhibitors responsible for physiological proteolysis regulation and present in a wide range of organisms. studies about this class of inhibitors in parasites have contributed to clarify their roles in important physiological processes, like blood digestion and modulation of host immune response during blood feeding. thus, cystatins are a subject of research on the development of new parasite control methods. additionally, the characterization of protein ... | 2015 | 25889092 |
| vector potential and population dynamics for amblyomma inornatum. | we studied the natural life cycle of amblyomma inornatum and its vector potential in south texas. this tick is distributed throughout south texas and most of central america. a. inornatum represented 1.91% of the ticks collected by carbon dioxide traps during a study of free-living ticks in the tamaulipan biotic province in south texas. the life cycle of a. inornatum in south texas showed a clear seasonal pattern consistent with one generation per year. nymphs emerged in the spring with a peak i ... | 2015 | 25881916 |
| landscape genetics of schistocephalus solidus parasites in threespine stickleback (gasterosteus aculeatus) from alaska. | the nature of gene flow in parasites with complex life cycles is poorly understood, particularly when intermediate and definitive hosts have contrasting movement potential. we examined whether the fine-scale population genetic structure of the diphyllobothriidean cestode schistocephalus solidus reflects the habits of intermediate threespine stickleback hosts or those of its definitive hosts, semi-aquatic piscivorous birds, to better understand complex host-parasite interactions. seventeen lakes ... | 2015 | 25874710 |
| serological investigation of heartland virus (bunyaviridae: phlebovirus) exposure in wild and domestic animals adjacent to human case sites in missouri 2012-2013. | heartland virus (hrtv; bunyaviridae: phlebovirus) has recently emerged as a causative agent of human disease characterized by thrombocytopenia and leukopenia in the united states. the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum l.) has been implicated as a vector. to identify candidate vertebrate amplification hosts associated with enzootic maintenance of the virus, sera and ticks were sampled from 160 mammals (8 species) and 139 birds (26 species) captured near 2 human case residences in andrew and no ... | 2015 | 25870419 |
| west nile virus adaptation to ixodid tick cells is associated with phenotypic trade-offs in primary hosts. | west nile virus (wnv; flaviviridae, flavivirus) is the most geographically widespread arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) in the world and is found in multiple ecologically distinct settings. despite the likelihood of frequent exposure to novel hosts, studies evaluating the capacity and correlates of host range expansions or shifts of wnv and other arboviruses are generally lacking. we utilized experimental evolution of wnv in an amblyomma americanum tick cell line to model an invertebrate host sh ... | 2015 | 25863877 |
| anaphylaxis to the carbohydrate side chain alpha-gal. | in 2007, the monoclonal antibody cetuximab caused severe hypersensitivity reactions during the first infusion in a region of the southeastern united states. investigation of pretreatment sera established that they contained immunoglobulin (ig) e against the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal), which is present on the fab of cetuximab. alpha-gal is a blood group substance of nonprimate mammals. these ige antibodies are also associated with delayed anaphylaxis to red meat (ie ... | 2015 | 25841549 |
| a review of theileria diagnostics and epidemiology. | an extensive range of serological and molecular diagnostic assays exist for most of the economically important theileira species such as t. annulata, t. equi, t. lestoquardi, t. parva, t. uilenbergi and other more benign species. diagnostics of theileria is considered with regard to sensitivity and specificity of current molecular and serological assays and their use in epidemiology. in the case of serological assays, cross-reactivity of genetically closely related species reduces the use of the ... | 2015 | 25830110 |
| identification of 24h ixodes scapularis immunogenic tick saliva proteins. | ixodes scapularis is arguably the most medically important tick species in the united states. this tick transmits 5 of the 14 human tick-borne disease (tbd) agents in the usa: borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, b. miyamotoi, babesia microti, and powassan virus disease. except for the powassan virus disease, i. scapularis-vectored tbd agents require more than 24h post attachment to be transmitted. this study describes identification of 24h immunogenic i. scapularis tick saliva prote ... | 2015 | 25825233 |
| the role of cd8 t lymphocytes in rickettsial infections. | arthropod-borne obligately intracellular bacteria pose a difficult challenge to the immune system. the genera rickettsia, orientia, ehrlichia, and anaplasma evolved mechanisms of immune evasion, and each interacts differently with the immune system. the roles of cd8 t cells include protective immunity and immunopathology. in rickettsia infections, cd8 t cells are protective mediated in part by cytotoxicity toward infected cells. in contrast, tnf-α overproduction by cd8 t cells is pathogenic in l ... | 2015 | 25823954 |
| metagenomic profile of the viral communities in rhipicephalus spp. ticks from yunnan, china. | besides mosquitoes, ticks are regarded as the primary source of vector-borne infectious diseases. indeed, a wide variety of severe infectious human diseases, including those involving viruses, are transmitted by ticks in many parts of the world. to date, there are no published reports on the use of next-generation sequencing for studying viral diversity in ticks or discovering new viruses in these arthropods from china. here, ion-torrent sequencing was used to investigate the presence of viruses ... | 2015 | 25799057 |
| borrelia burgdorferi not confirmed in human-biting amblyomma americanum ticks from the southeastern united states. | the predominant human-biting tick throughout the southeastern united states is amblyomma americanum. its ability to transmit pathogens causing lyme disease-like illnesses is a subject of ongoing controversy. results of previous testing by the department of defense human tick test kit program and other laboratories indicated that it is highly unlikely that a. americanum transmits any pathogen that causes lyme disease. in contrast, a recent publication by clark and colleagues (k. l. clark, b. leyd ... | 2015 | 25788545 |
| persistent ehrlichia ewingii infection in dogs after natural tick infestation. | ehrlichia ewingii, which causes disease in dogs and people, is the most common ehrlichia spp. infecting dogs in the united states, but little is known about how long e. ewingii infection persists in dogs. | 2015 | 25776536 |
| high prevalence of "candidatus rickettsia andeanae" and apparent exclusion of rickettsia parkeri in adult amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae) from kansas and oklahoma. | amblyomma maculatum (the gulf coast tick), an aggressive, human-biting, nearctic and neotropical tick, is the principal vector of rickettsia parkeri in the united states. this pathogenic spotted fever group rickettsia species has been identified in 8-52% of questing adult gulf coast ticks in the southeastern united states. to our knowledge, r. parkeri has not been reported previously from adult specimens of a. maculatum collected in kansas or oklahoma. a total of 216 adult a. maculatum ticks wer ... | 2015 | 25773931 |
| characterization of a novel rxr receptor in the salmon louse (lepeophtheirus salmonis, copepoda) regulating growth and female reproduction. | nuclear receptors have crucial roles in all metazoan animals as regulators of gene transcription. a wide range of studies have elucidated molecular and biological significance of nuclear receptors but there are still a large number of animals where the knowledge is very limited. in the present study we have identified an rxr type of nuclear receptor in the salmon louse (lepeophtheirus salmonis) (i.e. lsrxr). rxr is one of the two partners of the ecdysteroid receptor in arthropods, the receptor f ... | 2015 | 25765704 |
| proteomic screening of antigenic proteins from the hard tick, haemaphysalis longicornis (acari: ixodidae). | proteomic tools allow large-scale, high-throughput analyses for the detection, identification, and functional investigation of proteome. for detection of antigens from haemaphysalis longicornis, 1-dimensional electrophoresis (1-de) quantitative immunoblotting technique combined with 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-de) immunoblotting was used for whole body proteins from unfed and partially fed female ticks. reactivity bands and 2-de immunoblotting were performed following 2-de electrophoresis t ... | 2015 | 25748713 |
| the alpha-gal story: lessons learned from connecting the dots. | anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be rapidly progressing and fatal, and therefore establishing its cause is pivotal to long-term risk management. our recent work has identified a novel ige antibody response to a mammalian oligosaccharide epitope, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). ige to alpha-gal has been associated with 2 distinct forms of anaphylaxis: (1) immediate-onset anaphylaxis during first exposure to intravenous cetuximab and (2) delayed-onset anaphylaxis 3 to ... | 2015 | 25747720 |
| fatal multiple deer tick-borne infections in an elderly patient with advanced liver disease. | we present a case of a 66-year-old woman with decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis and poorly controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who was admitted with a 1 day history of altered mental status, high-grade fevers, worsening jaundice and generalised malaise with subsequent development of hypotension requiring intensive care. she was diagnosed with severe babesiosis with high-grade parasitaemia. she was also found to have lyme disease coinfection. despite aggressive therapeutic me ... | 2015 | 25733088 |
| implications of xenoglycan sensitivity for increased cancer risk. | 2015 | 25713132 | |
| transstadial transmission of borrelia turcica in hyalomma aegyptium ticks. | borrelia turcica comprises the third major group of arthropod-transmitted borreliae and is phylogenetically divergent from other borrelia groups. the novel group of borrelia was initially isolated from hyalomma aegyptium ticks in turkey and it was recently found in blood and multiple organs of tortoises exported from jordan to japan. however, the ecology of these spirochetes and their development in ticks or the vertebrate hosts were not investigated in detail; our aims were to isolate the patho ... | 2015 | 25695663 |
| molecular identification of ehrlichia species and host bloodmeal source in amblyomma americanum l. from two locations in tennessee, united states. | the current status of tick-borne diseases in the southeastern united states is challenging to define due to emerging pathogens, uncertain tick/host relationships, and changing disease case definitions. a golf-oriented retirement community on the cumberland plateau in tennessee experienced an ehrlichiosis outbreak in 1993, prompting efforts to reduce the local tick population using '4-poster' acaricide devices targeting white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). in 2009, the prevalence of ehrlic ... | 2015 | 25682494 |
| carbohydrates as food allergens. | the literature supports the notion that carbohydrate epitopes, on their own, do not contribute significantly to the induction of allergic reactions. they bind weakly to ige antibodies and have been termed as cross reactive carbohydrate determinants. these epitopes cause confusion in in vitro ige testing through nonspecific cross-reactivity. coincident with the rising trends in food allergy prevalence, there has recently been reports of anaphylaxis induced by carbohydrate epitopes. there are two ... | 2015 | 25653916 |
| tick-induced allergies: mammalian meat allergy, tick anaphylaxis and their significance. | serious tick-induced allergies comprise mammalian meat allergy following tick bites and tick anaphylaxis. mammalian meat allergy is an emergent allergy, increasingly prevalent in tick-endemic areas of australia and the united states, occurring worldwide where ticks are endemic. sensitisation to galactose-α-1,3-galactose (α-gal) has been shown to be the mechanism of allergic reaction in mammalian meat allergy following tick bite. whilst other carbohydrate allergens have been identified, this alle ... | 2015 | 25653915 |
| guideline for veterinary practitioners on canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis in europe. | canine ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are important tick-borne diseases with a worldwide distribution. information has been continuously collected on these infections in europe, and publications have increased in recent years. prevalence rates are high for ehrlichia and anaplasma spp. infections in dogs from different european countries. the goal of this article was to provide a practical guideline for veterinary practitioners on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ehrlichiosis and anapla ... | 2015 | 25649069 |
| a coxiella-like endosymbiont is a potential vitamin source for the lone star tick. | amblyomma americanum (lone star tick) is an important disease vector in the united states. it transmits several human pathogens, including the agents of human monocytic ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and southern tick-associated rash illness. blood-feeding insects (class insecta) depend on bacterial endosymbionts to provide vitamins and cofactors that are scarce in blood. it is unclear how this deficiency is compensated in ticks (class arachnida) that feed exclusively on mammalian blood. a bacterium r ... | 2015 | 25618142 |
| molecular characterization of a defensin gene from a hard tick, dermacentor silvarum. | ticks are distributed worldwide and considered as vectors of many human diseases. tick defensins, a family of antimicrobial peptides, form the first line of defense against pathogens. | 2015 | 25588982 |
| prevalence of cytauxzoon felis infection in healthy cats from enzootic areas in arkansas, missouri, and oklahoma. | infection with cytauxzoon felis in domestic cats can cause fever, lethargy, depression, inappetence, icterus, and often death. with a high mortality rate, cytauxzoonosis was historically considered a fatal disease. within the last 15 years, cats with or without treatment have been recognized as chronically infected survivors of c. felis infection. our objective was to determine the prevalence of c. felis in healthy domestic cats from arkansas, missouri, and oklahoma. | 2015 | 25566776 |
| rhipicephalus microplus serine protease inhibitor family: annotation, expression and functional characterisation assessment. | rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus evades the host's haemostatic system through a complex protein array secreted into tick saliva. serine protease inhibitors (serpins) conform an important component of saliva which are represented by a large protease inhibitor family in ixodidae. these secreted and non-secreted inhibitors modulate diverse and essential proteases involved in different physiological processes. | 2015 | 25564202 |
| delayed anaphylaxis to red meat associated with specific ige antibodies to galactose. | a novel delayed anaphylactic reaction to red meat, associated with tick bites and ige antibodies against galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (α-gal), was reported in 2009 in the us, australia and europe. in this case, serum specific ige to galactose-α-1, 3-galactose (>100 ku/l) and ige to multiple non-primate mammalian proteins were positive. however, the pathogenesis of this disease remains unclear. we report the first case in asia of delayed anaphylactic reaction to red meat, which was induced by bites ... | 2014 | 25553269 |
| reverse genetics system for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus. | severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (sftsv) is an emerging tick-borne pathogen that was first reported in china in 2009. phylogenetic analysis of the viral genome showed that sfts virus represents a new lineage within the phlebovirus genus, distinct from the existing sandfly fever and uukuniemi virus groups, in the family bunyaviridae. sfts disease is characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, chills, joint pain, myalgia, thrombocytopenia, leukocytopenia, and some hemorrhagic mani ... | 2014 | 25552716 |
| five-month comparative efficacy evaluation of three ectoparasiticides against adult cat fleas (ctenocephalides felis), flea egg hatch and emergence, and adult brown dog ticks (rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) on dogs housed outdoors. | this study was designed to compare the efficacy of three topical combinations on dogs in outdoor conditions against adult cat fleas (ctenocephalides felis), flea egg hatch and emergence, and against adult brown dog ticks (rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato). treatment was performed on day 0 with a placebo; dinotefuran, pyriproxifen and permethrin (dpp); fipronil and (s)-methoprene (fm) or imidacloprid and permethrin (ip). dogs (n = 32), housed outdoors for 7 months, were treated monthly for fou ... | 2014 | 25547077 |
| isolation of tacaribe virus, a caribbean arenavirus, from host-seeking amblyomma americanum ticks in florida. | arenaviridae are a family of single stranded rna viruses of mammals and boid snakes. twenty-nine distinct mammalian arenaviruses have been identified, many of which cause severe hemorrhagic disease in humans, particularly in parts of sub-saharan africa, and in central and south america. humans typically become infected with an arenavirus through contact with excreta from infected rodents. tacaribe virus (tcrv) is an arenavirus that was first isolated from bats and mosquitoes during a rabies surv ... | 2014 | 25536075 |
| prevalence of rickettsiales in ticks removed from the skin of outdoor workers in north carolina. | tick-transmitted rickettsial diseases, such as ehrlichiosis and spotted fever rickettsiosis, are significant sources of morbidity and mortality in the southern united states. because of their exposure in tick-infested woodlands, outdoor workers experience an increased risk of infection with tick-borne pathogens. as part of a double blind randomized-controlled field trial of the effectiveness of permethrin-treated clothing in preventing tick bites, we identified tick species removed from the skin ... | 2014 | 25533148 |
| transmission-blocking vaccines: focus on anti-vector vaccines against tick-borne diseases. | tick-borne diseases are a potential threat that account for significant morbidity and mortality in human population worldwide. vaccines are not available to treat several of the tick-borne diseases. with the emergence and resurgence of several tick-borne diseases, emphasis on the development of transmission-blocking vaccines remains increasing. in this review, we provide a snap shot on some of the potential candidates for the development of anti-vector vaccines (a form of transmission-blocking v ... | 2014 | 25503555 |
| tickbot: a novel robotic device for controlling tick populations in the natural environment. | a semi-autonomous 4-wheeled robot (tickbot) was fitted with a denim cloth treated with an acaricide (permethrin™) and tested for its ability to control ticks in a tick-infested natural environment in portsmouth, virginia. the robot's sensors detect a magnetic field signal from a guide wire encased in 80m polyethylene tubing, enabling the robot to follow the trails, open areas and other terrain where the tubing was located. to attract ticks to the treated area, co2 was distributed through the sam ... | 2015 | 25499615 |
| mosquito akirin as a potential antigen for malaria control. | the control of vector-borne diseases is important to improve human and animal health worldwide. malaria is one of the world's deadliest diseases and is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus plasmodium, which are transmitted by anopheles spp. mosquitoes. recent evidences using subolesin (sub) and akirin (akr) vaccines showed a reduction in the survival and/or fertility of blood-sucking ectoparasite vectors and the infection with vector-borne pathogens. these experiments suggested the possibi ... | 2014 | 25472895 |
| comparison of phenology and pathogen prevalence, including infection with the ehrlichia muris-like (eml) agent, of ixodes scapularis removed from soldiers in the midwestern and the northeastern united states over a 15 year period (1997-2012). | since 1997, human-biting ticks submitted to the department of defense human tick test kit program (httkp) of the us army public health command have been tested for pathogens by pcr. we noted differences in the phenology and infection prevalence among ixodes scapularis ticks submitted from military installations in different geographic regions. the aim of this study was to characterize these observed differences, comparing the phenology and pathogen infection rates of i. scapularis submitted from ... | 2014 | 25465046 |
| amblyomma americanum tick calreticulin binds c1q but does not inhibit activation of the classical complement cascade. | in this study we characterized amblyomma americanum (aam) tick calreticulin (crt) homolog in tick feeding physiology. in nature, different tick species can be found feeding on the same animal host. this suggests that different tick species found feeding on the same host can modulate the same host anti-tick defense pathways to successfully feed. from this perspective it's plausible that different tick species can utilize universally conserved proteins such as crt to regulate and facilitate feedin ... | 0 | 25454607 |
| pathogenic landscape of transboundary zoonotic diseases in the mexico-us border along the rio grande. | transboundary zoonotic diseases, several of which are vector borne, can maintain a dynamic focus and have pathogens circulating in geographic regions encircling multiple geopolitical boundaries. global change is intensifying transboundary problems, including the spatial variation of the risk and incidence of zoonotic diseases. the complexity of these challenges can be greater in areas where rivers delineate international boundaries and encompass transitions between ecozones. the rio grande serve ... | 2014 | 25453027 |
| identification of rhabdoviral sequences in oropharyngeal swabs from german and danish bats. | in the frame of active lyssavirus surveillance in bats, oropharyngeal swabs from german (n = 2297) and danish (n = 134) insectivorous bats were investigated using a newly developed generic pan-lyssavirus real-time reverse transcriptase pcr (rt-qpcr). | 2014 | 25420461 |
| the phenology of ticks and the effects of long-term prescribed burning on tick population dynamics in southwestern georgia and northwestern florida. | some tick populations have increased dramatically in the past several decades leading to an increase in the incidence and emergence of tick-borne diseases. management strategies that can effectively reduce tick populations while better understanding regional tick phenology is needed. one promising management strategy is prescribed burning. however, the efficacy of prescribed burning as a mechanism for tick control is unclear because past studies have provided conflicting data, likely due to a fa ... | 2014 | 25375797 |
| reproducible and quantitative model of infection of dermacentor variabilis with the live vaccine strain of francisella tularensis. | pathogen life cycles in mammalian hosts have been studied extensively, but studies with arthropod vectors represent considerable challenges. in part this is due to the difficulty of delivering a reproducible dose of bacteria to follow arthropod-associated replication. we have established reproducible techniques to introduce known numbers of francisella tularensis strain lvs from mice into dermacentor variabilis nymphs. using this model infection system, we performed dose-response infection exper ... | 2014 | 25362054 |
| macrophage activation syndrome secondary to human monocytic ehrlichiosis. | to present a case of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (hme) that was complicated by macrophage activation syndrome (mas), also known as secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (shlh). | 2013 | 25332563 |
| relationship between degenerative joint disease, pain, and bartonella spp. seroreactivity in domesticated cats. | recently, a potential association was identified between bartonella exposure and arthritides in mammalian species other than cats. | 2014 | 25327962 |
| ehrlichia chaffeensis infection in the reservoir host (white-tailed deer) and in an incidental host (dog) is impacted by its prior growth in macrophage and tick cell environments. | ehrlichia chaffeensis, transmitted from amblyomma americanum ticks, causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis. it also infects white-tailed deer, dogs and several other vertebrates. deer are its reservoir hosts, while humans and dogs are incidental hosts. e. chaffeensis protein expression is influenced by its growth in macrophages and tick cells. we report here infection progression in deer or dogs infected intravenously with macrophage- or tick cell-grown e. chaffeensis or by tick transmission in dee ... | 2014 | 25303515 |
| lyme disease, virginia, usa, 2000-2011. | lyme disease, caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted in the eastern united states by the black-legged tick (ixodes scapularis), is increasing in incidence and expanding geographically. recent environmental modeling based on extensive field collections of host-seeking i. scapularis ticks predicted a coastal distribution of ticks in mid-atlantic states and an elevational limit of 510 m. however, human lyme disease cases are increasing most dramatically at higher elevations in ... | 2014 | 25272308 |
| case report: molecular evidence of anaplasma platys infection in two women from venezuela. | this article presents two case reports of anaplasma platys detection in two women from venezuela. both patients were exposed to rhipicephalus sanguineus, the presumed tick vector, and experienced chronic, nonspecific clinical signs including headaches and muscle pains. intra-platelet inclusion bodies resembling a. platys were observed in buffy coat smears and a. platys dna was amplified and sequenced from whole blood; however, treatment with doxycycline did not alleviate their symptoms. these ca ... | 2014 | 25266347 |
| bioinformatic analyses of male and female amblyomma americanum tick expressed serine protease inhibitors (serpins). | serine protease inhibitors (serpins) are a diverse family of proteins that is conserved across taxa. the diversity of amblyomma americanum serpins (aas) is far more complex than previously thought as revealed by discovery of 57 and 33 aas transcripts that are respectively expressed in male and female a. americanum ticks, with 30 found in both. while distinct reproductively, both male and female metastriate ticks, such as a. americanum, require a blood meal. thus, 30 aas sequences found in both m ... | 2014 | 25238688 |
| porcine or bovine valve replacement in 3 patients with ige antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. | 2014 | 25213067 | |
| dual silencing of long and short amblyomma americanum acidic chitinase forms weakens the tick cement cone stability. | this study demonstrates that amblyomma americanum (aam) constitutively and ubiquitously expresses the long (l) and short (s) putative acidic chitinases (ach) that are distinguished by a 210 base pair (bp) deletion in aamach-s. full-length aamach-l and aamach-s cdna are 1959 and 1718 bp long, containing 1332 and 1104 bp open reading frames that code for 443 and 367 amino acid residues proteins with the former predicted to be extracellular and the latter intracellular. both aamach-l and aamach-s m ... | 2014 | 25189365 |
| seroepidemiologic study of human infections with spotted fever group rickettsiae in north carolina. | increasing entomologic and epidemiologic evidence suggests that spotted fever group rickettsiae (sfgr) other than rickettsia rickettsii are responsible for spotted fever rickettsioses in the united states. a retrospective seroepidemiologic study was conducted on stored acute- and convalescent-phase sera that had been submitted for rocky mountain spotted fever testing to the north carolina state laboratory of public health. we evaluated the serologic reactivity of the paired sera to r. rickettsii ... | 2014 | 25187639 |
| population-based passive tick surveillance and detection of expanding foci of blacklegged ticks ixodes scapularis and the lyme disease agent borrelia burgdorferi in ontario, canada. | we identified ticks submitted by the public from 2008 through 2012 in ontario, canada, and tested blacklegged ticks ixodes scapularis for borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum. among the 18 species of ticks identified, i. scapularis, dermacentor variabilis, ixodes cookei and amblyomma americanum represented 98.1% of the 14,369 ticks submitted. rates of blacklegged tick submission per 100,000 population were highest in ontario's eastern region; d. variabilis in central west and easte ... | 2014 | 25171252 |
| prevalence of ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii in amblyomma americanum and dermacentor variabilis collected from southeastern virginia, 2010-2011. | amblyomma americanum is the most commonly encountered tick species in southeastern virginia, representing approximately 95% of the human-biting tick population in this area. here we investigated the prevalence of ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii in questing amblyomma americanum and dermacentor variabilis ticks collected from multiple sites in southeastern virginia from 2010 to 2011. although both ehrlichia species were detected in amblyomma americanum, no evidence of either pathogen w ... | 2014 | 25155340 |
| high-throughput screening of tick-borne pathogens in europe. | due to increased travel, climatic, and environmental changes, the incidence of tick-borne disease in both humans and animals is increasing throughout europe. therefore, extended surveillance tools are desirable. to accurately screen tick-borne pathogens (tbps), a large scale epidemiological study was conducted on 7050 ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from france, denmark, and the netherlands using a powerful new high-throughput approach. this advanced methodology permitted the simultaneous detect ... | 2014 | 25120960 |
| lyme disease. | 2014 | 25119621 | |
| detection of bacterial agents in amblyomma americanum (acari: ixodidae) from georgia, usa, and the use of a multiplex assay to differentiate ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii. | amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick, is the most common and most aggressive human biting tick in the southeastern united states. it is known to transmit the agents of human ehrlichioses, ehrlichia chaffeensis and ehrlichia ewingii. in addition, it carries agents of unspecified pathogenicity to humans, including rickettsia amblyommii, borrelia lonestari, and the newly emerging panola mountain ehrlichia (pme). surveillance of these ticks for recognized or emerging pathogens is necessary for a ... | 2014 | 25118421 |
| multiplex qpcr assay for identification and differentiation of amblyomma americanum, amblyomma cajennense, and amblyomma maculatum (ixodida: ixodidae) tick species in the eastern united states. | many ticks of the genus amblyomma are vectors of human pathogens, and the correct species identification is medically and epidemiologically important. morphological identification is time-consuming and requires a high level of expertise. identification of engorged, immature, or damaged ticks and the differentiation of closely related species remain problematic. here, we report the development of a real-time taqman assay for the genomic identification and differentiation of amblyomma americanum ( ... | 2014 | 25118411 |
| the prevalence of rickettsial and ehrlichial organisms in amblyomma americanum ticks collected from ohio and surrounding areas between 2000 and 2010. | the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum, feeds upon a variety of hosts and is a known vector of several human pathogens. in ohio, populations of a. americanum have been expanding their range and increasing in abundance and distribution, thereby elevating the public health concerns regarding bites from this species. we used a set of pcr assays to detect the presence of ehrlichial and rickettsial species in a. americanum ticks submitted to the ohio department of health zoonotic disease program ov ... | 2014 | 25108789 |
| expression of bovine genes associated with local and systemic immune response to infestation with the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum. | the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum linnaeus 1758 (acari; ixodidae), causes considerable production losses to the southern u.s. cattle industry due to reduced weight, infertility, secondary infections at bite wound sites, damaged hides, and potentially death, as these ticks tend to infest livestock in large numbers. increasing environmental concerns, along with the potential for chemical residue in food products, have led to more emphasis on alternative tick control strategies, such as sele ... | 2014 | 25108787 |
| ixodes pacificus ticks maintain embryogenesis and egg hatching after antibiotic treatment of rickettsia endosymbiont. | rickettsia is a genus of intracellular bacteria that causes a variety of diseases in humans and other mammals and associates with a diverse group of arthropods. although rickettsia appears to be common in ticks, most rickettsia-tick relationships remain generally uncharacterized. the most intimate of these associations is rickettsia species phylotype g021, a maternally and transstadially transmitted endosymbiont that resides in 100% of i. pacificus in california. we investigated the effects of t ... | 2014 | 25105893 |
| microbial population analysis of the salivary glands of ticks; a possible strategy for the surveillance of bacterial pathogens. | ticks are one of the most important blood-sucking vectors for infectious microorganisms in humans and animals. when feeding they inject saliva, containing microbes, into the host to facilitate the uptake of blood. an understanding of the microbial populations within their salivary glands would provide a valuable insight when evaluating the vectorial capacity of ticks. three tick species (ixodes ovatus, i. persulcatus and haemaphysalis flava) were collected in shizuoka prefecture of japan between ... | 2014 | 25089898 |
| 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 |
| tick-borne pathogen - reversed and conventional discovery of disease. | molecular methods have increased the number of known microorganisms associated with ticks significantly. some of these newly identified microorganisms are readily linked to human disease while others are yet unknown to cause human disease. the face of tick-borne disease discovery has changed with more diseases now being discovered in a "reversed way," detecting disease cases only years after the tick-borne microorganism was first discovered. compared to the conventional discovery of infectious d ... | 2014 | 25072045 |
| understanding anaplasmataceae pathogenesis using "omics" approaches. | this paper examines how "omics" approaches improve our understanding of anaplasmataceae pathogenesis, through a global and integrative strategy to identify genes and proteins involved in biochemical pathways key for pathogen-host-vector interactions. the anaplasmataceae family comprises obligate intracellular bacteria mainly transmitted by arthropods. these bacteria are responsible for major human and animal endemic and emerging infectious diseases with important economic and public health impac ... | 2014 | 25072029 |
| virome analysis of amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, and ixodes scapularis ticks reveals novel highly divergent vertebrate and invertebrate viruses. | a wide range of bacterial pathogens have been identified in ticks, yet the diversity of viruses in ticks is largely unexplored. in the united states, amblyomma americanum, dermacentor variabilis, and ixodes scapularis are among the principal tick species associated with pathogen transmission. we used high-throughput sequencing to characterize the viromes of these tick species and identified the presence of powassan virus and eight novel viruses. these included the most divergent nairovirus descr ... | 2014 | 25056893 |
| characterization of the bacterial communities of life stages of free living lone star ticks (amblyomma americanum). | the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum) is an abundant and aggressive biter of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife in the southeastern-central usa and an important vector of several known and suspected zoonotic bacterial pathogens. however, the biological drivers of bacterial community variation in this tick are still poorly defined. knowing the community context in which tick-borne bacterial pathogens exist and evolve is required to fully understand the ecology and immunobiology of the tic ... | 2014 | 25054227 |
| are ticks venomous animals? | as an ecological adaptation venoms have evolved independently in several species of metazoa. as haematophagous arthropods ticks are mainly considered as ectoparasites due to directly feeding on the skin of animal hosts. ticks are of major importance since they serve as vectors for several diseases affecting humans and livestock animals. ticks are rarely considered as venomous animals despite that tick saliva contains several protein families present in venomous taxa and that many ixodida genera ... | 2014 | 25006341 |
| bayesian spatio-temporal analysis and geospatial risk factors of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. | variations in spatio-temporal patterns of human monocytic ehrlichiosis (hme) infection in the state of kansas, usa were examined and the relationship between hme relative risk and various environmental, climatic and socio-economic variables were evaluated. hme data used in the study was reported to the kansas department of health and environment between years 2005-2012, and geospatial variables representing the physical environment [national land cover/land use, nasa moderate resolution imaging ... | 2014 | 24992684 |
| spotted fever group rickettsiae in multiple hard tick species from fairfax county, virginia. | spotted fever group rickettsiosis (sfgr) is a potentially fatal disease that has displayed increasing incidence in the united states in recent years. the most well-known and severe type of this disease is rocky mountain spotted fever, but there are other mild forms that occur. recently, human infection with rickettsia parkeri has been reported and linked with the tick amblyomma maculatum. in 2010, a population of r. parkeri-infected a. maculatum was discovered in fairfax county, virginia, leadin ... | 2014 | 24978651 |
| review: unraveling lyme disease. | 2014 | 24965960 | |
| a 24-48 h fed amblyomma americanum tick saliva immuno-proteome. | multiple tick saliva proteins, the majority of which are unknown, confer tick resistance in repeatedly infested animals. the objective of this study was to identify the 24-48 h fed amblyomma americanum tick saliva immuno-proteome. the 24-48 h tick-feeding phase is critical to tick parasitism as it precedes important events in tick biology, blood meal feeding and disease agent transmission. fed male, 24 and 96 h fed female phage display cdna expression libraries were biopanned using rabbit antibo ... | 2014 | 24962723 |
| the salivary secretome of the biting midge, culicoides sonorensis. | culicoides biting midges (diptera: ceratopogonidae) are hematophagous insects with over 1400 species distributed throughout the world. many of these species are of particular agricultural importance as primary vectors of bluetongue and schmallenberg viruses, yet little is known about culicoides genomics and proteomics. detailed studies of members from other blood-feeding dipteran families, including those of mosquito (culicidae) and black fly (simuliidae), have shown that protein components with ... | 2014 | 24949243 |
| cultivation of rickettsia amblyommii in tick cells, prevalence in florida lone star ticks (amblyomma americanum). | rickettsia amblyommii is a bacterium in the spotted fever group of organisms associated with the lone star tick (lst), amblyomma americanum. the lst is the most commonly reported tick to parasitize humans in the southeastern us. within this geographic region, there have been suspected cases of rocky mountain spotted fever (rmsf) where the causative agent, r. rickettsii, was not identified in the local tick population. in these areas, patients with clinical signs of rmsf had low or no detectable ... | 2014 | 24927809 |
| suppression of amblyomma americanum (ixodida: ixodidae) for short-term field operations utilizing cypermethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin. | tick-borne diseases pose significant risks to u.s. military personnel who conduct operations, both domestic and abroad. to determine the feasibility of protecting personnel from tick vectors during short-term field deployments, acaricides cypermethrin (demon wp, syngenta, greensboro, nc) and lambda-cyhalothrin (surrender pestabs, csi, pasadena, tx) were applied to plots within two separate field sites on camp blanding joint training center in starke, fl, from may to june 2011. we analyzed their ... | 2014 | 24897866 |
| solvent, drying time, and substrate affect the responses of lone star ticks (acari: ixodidae) to the repellents deet and picaridin. | behavioral bioassays remain a standard tool in the discovery, development, and registration of arthropod repellents. tick repellent bioassays are generally uncomplicated, but their results can be affected by basic variables (e.g., dimensions of testing materials, substrate, timing, temperature) of the assay. using lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.), nymphs in climbing bioassays, we tested for the effects of substrate, solvent, and drying time on tick responses. in dose-response tests, the ... | 2014 | 24897855 |
| frequency of piroplasms babesia microti and cytauxzoon felis in stray cats from northern italy. | emerging diseases caused by piroplasms pose a health risk for man and other animals, and domestic cats have been proposed as potential reservoirs for some piroplasm infections. the aim of this study was to identify the frequency of the piroplasms babesia microti and cytauxzoon felis in stray cats from northern italy and to identify possible risk factors associated with these infections. blood samples from 260 stray cats enrolled in a trap-neuter-release (tnr) program in northern italy were exami ... | 2014 | 24895629 |
| experimental infection of rhipicephalus sanguineus with ehrlichia chaffeensis. | ehrlichia chaffeensis, the etiologic agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis, is a tick-borne rickettsial pathogen that is infective to a wide range of mammals, including dogs and people. amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick, is considered the primary vector of e. chaffeensis, but this pathogen has been detected in other tick species, including the brown dog tick, rhipicephalus sanguineus. we hypothesized that the arkansas strain of e. chaffeensis is infective to r. sanguineus, and used a nove ... | 2014 | 24894131 |
| history and complexity in tick-host dynamics: discrepancies between 'real' and 'visible' tick populations. | numerical responses of ticks to changes in densities of their hosts can be complex and apparently unpredictable. manipulations even of deterministic models can produce counter-intuitive results, including tick populations that either rise or fall under increasing host densities, depending on initial conditions. | 2014 | 24885852 |
| entamoeba histolytica and e. dispar calreticulin: inhibition of classical complement pathway and differences in the level of expression in amoebic liver abscess. | the role of calreticulin (crt) in host-parasite interactions has recently become an important area of research. information about the functions of calreticulin and its relevance to the physiology of entamoeba parasites is limited. the present work demonstrates that crt of both pathogenic e. histolytica and nonpathogenic e. dispar species specifically interacted with human c1q inhibiting the activation of the classical complement pathway. using recombinant ehcrt protein, we demonstrate that crt i ... | 2014 | 24860808 |
| detection of a borrelia species in questing gulf coast ticks, amblyomma maculatum. | borrelia spp. are agents of lyme disease and relapsing fever, diseases which use ixodes hard ticks and ornithodoros soft ticks, respectively, as primary vectors. some relapsing fever spirochetes, such as b. miyamotoi, are also found in hard ticks. to date, no borrelia sp. is known to use the hard tick, amblyomma maculatum, as a vector. however, both b. burgdorferi and b. lonestari were recently detected in a. maculatum removed from hosts. in our study, dna extracts from 306 questing adult a. mac ... | 2014 | 24844970 |
| prevalence and species of ticks on horses in central oklahoma. | ticks are common on horses, but there is a dearth of contemporary data on infestation prevalence, predominant species, and tick-borne disease agents important in this host. to determine the species of ticks most common on horses and the prevalence of equine exposure to and infection with tick-borne disease agents, ticks and blood samples were collected from 73 horses during may, june, and july of 2010. adult ticks were identified to species, and antibodies to ehrlichia spp., anaplasma spp., and ... | 2013 | 24843940 |
| analysis of multiple tsetse fly populations in uganda reveals limited diversity and species-specific gut microbiota. | the invertebrate microbiome contributes to multiple aspects of host physiology, including nutrient supplementation and immune maturation processes. we identified and compared gut microbial abundance and diversity in natural tsetse flies from uganda using five genetically distinct populations of glossina fuscipes fuscipes and multiple tsetse species (glossina morsitans morsitans, g. f. fuscipes, and glossina pallidipes) that occur in sympatry in one location. we used multiple approaches, includin ... | 2014 | 24814785 |
| phylogeny of a relapsing fever borrelia species transmitted by the hard tick ixodes scapularis. | the discovery of borrelia species that were related to the agents of relapsing fever but were transmitted by hard ticks rather than soft ticks challenged previous taxonomies based largely on microbe-host specificities and geographic considerations. one of these newly-identified organisms is the borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato strain lb-2001 from north america and transmitted by ixodes scapularis. this or related strains have been identified as the cause of human disease, but comparatively little i ... | 2014 | 24813576 |
| delayed anaphylaxis to red meat masquerading as idiopathic anaphylaxis. | anaphylaxis is traditionally recognized as a rapidly developing combination of symptoms that often includes hives and hypotension or respiratory symptoms. furthermore, when a specific cause is identified, exposure to this cause is usually noted to have occurred within minutes to 2 hours before the onset of symptoms. this case is of a 79-year-old woman who developed a severe episode of anaphylaxis 3 hours after eating pork. before 2012, she had not experienced any symptoms after ingestion of meat ... | 2014 | 24811014 |
| clinical practice. lyme disease. | 2014 | 24785207 | |
| proteomic analysis of cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus saliva: a comparison between partially and fully engorged females. | the cattle tick rhipicephalus (boophilus) microplus is one of the most harmful parasites affecting bovines. similarly to other hematophagous ectoparasites, r. microplus saliva contains a collection of bioactive compounds that inhibit host defenses against tick feeding activity. thus, the study of tick salivary components offers opportunities for the development of immunological based tick control methods and medicinal applications. so far, only a few proteins have been identified in cattle tick ... | 2014 | 24762651 |
| ehrlichia and spotted fever group rickettsiae surveillance in amblyomma americanum in virginia through use of a novel six-plex real-time pcr assay. | the population of the lone star tick amblyomma americanum has expanded in north america over the last several decades. it is known to be an aggressive and nondiscriminatory biter and is by far the most common human-biting tick encountered in virginia. few studies of human pathogen prevalence in ticks have been conducted in our state since the mid-twentieth century. we developed a six-plex real-time pcr assay to detect three ehrlichia species (e. chaffeensis, e. ewingii, and panola mountain ehrli ... | 2014 | 24746145 |
| occurrence and county-level distribution of ticks (acari: ixodoidea) in nebraska using passive surveillance. | a 100 yr (1911-2011) examination of tick submissions was compiled from the u.s. national tick collection and three state databases to determine tick species occurrence in nebraska sixteen tick species were identified including amblyomma americanum (l.), dermacentor variabilis (say), dermacentor albipictus (packard), dermacentor andersoni stiles, haemaphysalis leporispalustris (packard), rhipicephalus sanguineus (latreille), and otobius megrini (dughs). amblyomma maculatum koch and ixodes scapula ... | 2014 | 24724283 |
| spatial distribution of counties in the continental united states with records of occurrence of amblyomma americanum (ixodida: ixodidae). | in addition to being a major nuisance biter, the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum (l.), is increasingly recognized as an important vector of pathogens affecting humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. despite its notoriety, efforts have been lacking to define the spatial occurrence ofa. americanum in the continental united states with precision beyond that conveyed in continental-scale distribution maps. here we present a county-level distribution map for a. americanum generated by compiling ... | 2014 | 24724282 |
| diversity of piroplasms detected in blood-fed and questing ticks from several states in the united states. | piroplasms in the genera babesia, theileria, and cytauxzoon are tick-borne parasites that may be animal and human pathogens. most piroplasms with known life cycles are transmitted by ixodid ticks; however, for many species, the vector is unknown. this study was conducted to determine the prevalence and diversity of piroplasms in ticks from several us states. piroplasm-specific polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assays were used to test 1631 ticks from georgia (n=486), kentucky (n=103), pennsylvania ... | 2014 | 24709338 |
| tick community composition in midwestern us habitats in relation to sampling method and environmental conditions. | the ranges of many tick species are changing due to climate change and human alteration of the landscape. understanding tick responses to environmental conditions and how sampling method influences measurement of tick communities will improve our assessment of human disease risk. we compared tick sampling by three collection methods (dragging, co2 trapping and rodent surveys) in adjacent forested and grassland habitats in the lower midwest, usa, and analyzed the relationship between tick abundan ... | 2014 | 24705853 |
| 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 |
| a case of tick-bite-induced red meat allergy. | delayed hypersensitivity disorders and food allergies are often challenging for the clinician and patient alike. a recent discovery of an ige antibody specific to galactose-α-1,3-galactose, which is a carbohydrate abundantly expressed on cells and tissues of beef, pork, and lamb, adds one more tool to aid the clinician in making the appropriate diagnosis. a link has been discovered between the bite of the lone star tick (amblyomma americanum) and the development of sensitivity to galactose-α-1,3 ... | 2014 | 24690977 |
| exposure to borrelia burgdorferi and other tick-borne pathogens in gettysburg national military park, south-central pennsylvania, 2009. | since 1998, lyme disease cases have increased in south-central pennsylvania, which includes gettysburg national military park (nmp). limited information is available about tick populations or pathogens in this area, and no data regarding frequency of tick bites or prevention measures among gettysburg nmp employees are available. to address these gaps, ticks were collected, classified, and replaced (to minimize disruptions to tick populations) at two sites within gettysburg nmp during april-septe ... | 2014 | 24689815 |
| the prevalence of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in ixodes scapularis collected in the hudson valley, new york state. | ixodes scapularis, the blacklegged tick, is capable of transmitting the pathogens that cause lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi), babesiosis (babesia microti), anaplasmosis (anaplasma phagocytophilum), and to a lesser extent powassan encephalitis (deer tick virus [dtv]). these pathogens represent significant public health problems, but little is known about the occurrence and co-infection prevalence of these pathogens in i. scapularis. here, we used standard pcr and pathogen-specific primers to ... | 2014 | 24689680 |