Publications

rickettsia parkeri (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae) detected in ticks of the amblyomma maculatum (acari: ixodidae) group collected from multiple locations in southern arizona.	rickettsia parkeri is an emerging human pathogen transmitted by amblyomma ticks in predominately tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere. in 2014 and 2015, one confirmed case and one probable case of r. parkeri rickettsiosis were reported from the pajarita wilderness area, a semi-arid mountainous region in southern arizona. to examine more closely the potential public health risk of r. parkeri in this region, a study was initiated to investigate the pervasiveness of amblyomma ...	2017	28981813
natural history of amblyomma maculatum in virginia.	the gulf coast tick amblyomma maculatum koch is increasingly relevant to medical and veterinary communities as human infection rates of rickettsia parkeri rise, the risk of introduction of ehrlichia ruminantium increases, and the range of this tick expands into the densely populated mid-atlantic region of the united states. we report on the results of five years of field surveillance to better describe the ecology of a. maculatum in newly established populations in southeastern virginia. we docu ...	2017	28958704
erratum to: comparative analysis of germ cells and dna of the genus amblyomma: adding new data on amblyomma maculatum and amblyomma ovale species (acari: ixodidae).		2017	28932864
comparative analysis of germ cells and dna of the genus amblyomma: adding new data on amblyomma maculatum and amblyomma ovale species (acari: ixodidae).	among tick species, members of the subfamily amblyomminae have received special attention, since they serve as vectors for pathogens such as rickettsia spp. and display cryptic species complexes that make their taxonomical classification challenging. amblyomma ovale, amblyomma maculatum, and other species of the genus amblyomma have shown a long history of taxonomic controversies. spermiotaxonomy has proved to be a valuable tool in the solution of systematic conflicts in metazoa that can aid mol ...	2017	28821960
active surveillance to update county scale distribution of four tick species of medical and veterinary importance in oklahoma.	the incidence of tick-borne disease continues to increase in humans and companion animals in the united states, yet distribution maps for several tick vectors in oklahoma, including dermacentor variabilis, dermacentor albipictus, ixodes scapularis, and amblyomma maculatum, are not available or are outdated. to address this issue, county-scale tick records from peer-reviewed literature and passive collections were reviewed for oklahoma. additionally, dry ice traps, tick drags, and harvested deer ...	2017	28504425
investigating the adult ixodid tick populations and their associated anaplasma, ehrlichia, and rickettsia bacteria at a rocky mountain spotted fever hotspot in western tennessee.	ehrlichiosis and rickettsiosis are two common bacterial tick-borne diseases in the southeastern united states. ehrlichiosis is caused by ehrlichiae transmitted by amblyomma americanum and rickettsiosis is caused by rickettsiae transmitted by amblyomma maculatum and dermacentor variabilis. these ticks are common and have overlapping distributions in the region. the objective of this study was to identify anaplasma, ehrlichia, and rickettsia species associated with questing ticks in a rocky mounta ...	2017	28598270
comparative vertical transmission of rickettsia by dermacentor variabilis and amblyomma maculatum.	the geographical overlap of multiple rickettsia and tick species coincides with the molecular detection of a variety of rickettsial agents in what may be novel tick hosts. however, little is known concerning transmissibility of rickettsial species by various tick hosts. to examine the vertical transmission potential between select tick and rickettsial species, two sympatric species of ticks, dermacentor variabilis and amblyomma maculatum, were exposed to five different rickettsial species, inclu ...	2017	28433729
prevalence of babesia spp., ehrlichia spp., and tick infestations in oklahoma black bears (ursus americanus).	american black bears (ursus americanus) are commonly infested with ticks throughout their range, but there are few surveys for tick-borne disease agents in bears. to characterize tick infestations and determine the prevalence of current infection with babesia spp. and past or current infection with ehrlichia spp. in newly re-established populations of black bears in east central and southeastern oklahoma, we identified adult (n=1,048) and immature (n=107) ticks recovered from bears (n=62). we ev ...	2017	28657860
amblyomma maculatum secis binding protein 2 and putative selenoprotein p are indispensable for pathogen replication and tick fecundity.	selenium, a vital trace element, is incorporated into selenoproteins to produce selenocysteine. our previous studies have revealed an adaptive co-evolutionary process that has enabled the spotted fever-causing tick-borne pathogen rickettsia parkeri to survive by manipulating an antioxidant defense system associated with selenium, which includes a full set of selenoproteins and other antioxidants in ticks. here, we conducted a systemic investigation of secis binding protein 2 (sbp2) and putative ...	2017	28739494
molecular detection and identification of rickettsia species in ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected from belize, central america.	little is known about tick-borne rickettsial pathogens in belize, central america. we tested ixodid ticks for the presence of rickettsia species in three of the six northern and western belizean districts. ticks were collected from domestic animals and tick drags over vegetation in 23 different villages in november 2014, february 2015, and may 2015. a total of 2,506 collected ticks were identified to the following species: dermacentor nitens neumann (46.69%), rhipicephalus sanguineus (latreille) ...	2017	28981693
a survey of tick species in a recently reintroduced elk ( cervus elaphus canadensis) population in southeastern kentucky with potential implications for interstate translocation of zoonotic disease vectors.	in the late 20th century, elk ( cervus elaphus canadensis) were reintroduced into southeastern kentucky, us. this population has since been used as a stock population for additional elk reintroductions in other eastern states. although reintroduction and translocation practices are effective, they can disseminate vectors and pathogens. therefore, we surveyed tick species residing on elk hosts a decade after elk reintroduction in kentucky by examining 263 captured individuals (female=86; male=177 ...	2017	29286258
risk of encountering ticks and tick-borne pathogens in a rapidly growing metropolitan area in the u.s. great plains.	the prevalence of tick-borne diseases has increased dramatically in many urban areas of the u.s., yet little is known about the ecology of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in relation to characteristics of north american urban and suburban landscapes. this study aimed to begin identification of the risk of encountering ticks and tick-borne pathogens within a rapidly expanding metropolitan area in the u.s. great plains region. ten sites across oklahoma city, oklahoma were selected for tick sampling ...	2017	27773826
catalase is a determinant of the colonization and transovarial transmission of rickettsia parkeri in the gulf coast tick amblyomma maculatum.	the gulf coast tick (amblyomma maculatum) has evolved as a competent vector of the spotted-fever group rickettsia, rickettsia parkeri. in this study, the functional role of catalase, an enzyme responsible for the degradation of toxic hydrogen peroxide, in the colonization of the tick vector by r. parkeri and transovarial transmission of this pathogen to the next tick generation, was investigated. catalase gene (cat) expression in midgut, salivary glands and ovarian tissues exhibited a 2-11-fold ...	2017	28370634
contributions to the knowledge of hard ticks (acari: ixodidae) in colombia.	the known tick fauna of colombia includes 58 species (15 argasidae and 43 ixodidae). to add to the knowledge of the biology of ticks in colombia, hard ticks (ixodidae) were collected from domestic animals or vegetation during 2014-2016 in 10 of colombia's departments. ticks were identified to species through morphological examinations. taxonomic identification was confirmed for some specimens by molecular methods, including phylogenetic analyses inferred from three tick genes (cytochrome c oxida ...	2018	29055642