Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tyson H. Holmes
Summary: The study compared the bacterial genera richness of Ixodes pacificus at different life stages, genders, and rearing conditions using NGS. It provides guidance on statistical design and analysis for quantifying microbiome richness, with a focus on sampling design in tick studies. The study discusses the merits of estimating mean richness versus median richness and highlights the need for more research on methods to make microbiome diversity studies in ticks more rigorous.
Letter
Immunology
Guang Xu, Chu-Yuan Luo, Fumiko Ribbe, Patrick Pearson, Michel Ledizet, Stephen M. Rich
Summary: Between 2013 and 2019, Borrelia miyamotoi infection was detected in 19 U.S. states with an infection rate ranging from 0.5% to 3.2%. A significant percentage (59.09%) of B. miyamotoi-positive ticks were found to have concurrent infections. The pathogen showed genetic homogeneity with one genotype found in Ixodes scapularis ticks in northeastern and midwestern states, and another genotype found in I. pacificus ticks in western states.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Molly McVicar, Isabella Rivera, Jeremiah B. Reyes, Monika Gulia-Nuss
Summary: Lyme disease, transmitted by the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus), is the most important vector-borne disease in the US. This tick species is well adapted to the coastal areas of California, Oregon, and Washington. It carries various pathogens, but our understanding of its ecology and transmission of these pathogens is still limited.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Justin Long, Keiran Maskell, Regine Gries, Saif Nayani, Claire Gooding, Gerhard Gries
Summary: In this study, it was found that Western black-legged ticks and black-legged ticks can use microbes in the sebaceous gland secretions of white-tailed deer to locate their preferred host. Four specific microbes, including Bacillus aryabhattai, emitted carbon dioxide, ammonia, and volatile blends, which enhanced the attraction of the ticks to CO2. The combination of these microbial volatile blends and CO2 attracted more ticks compared to CO2 alone. Future research should focus on developing a simple yet attractive host volatile blend for diverse tick species.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Entomology
David K. James, Sergio Mendoza, Lucia Hui
Summary: This study investigated the movement of Ixodes pacificus and Dermacentor occidentalis adult ticks down a hill slope under natural conditions. The results showed that some ticks may move from uphill areas to trail margins below. The trail acted as a barrier to tick movement.
JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jing Sun, Hong Liu, Xin-Yan Yao, Yu-Qian Zhang, Zhi-Hang Lv, Jian-Wei Shao
Summary: This study collected 1286 adult ticks from different hosts and vegetation in Harbin area, northeastern China, and identified tick-borne Anaplasmataceae bacteria using genetic analysis. The results showed a prevalence of 7.4% among the tick species, with Ixodes persulcatus being the dominant species. Four species of pathogenic bacteria to humans and/or animals were detected, including a new cluster that was identified for the first time in Asia. These findings highlight the genetic diversity of Anaplasmataceae bacteria in ticks and the importance of studying their potential risks to human and animal health.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Olcay Hekimoglu, Mert Elverici, Tarkan Yorulmaz
Summary: In this study, a comprehensive field-based survey was conducted on bat ticks in Turkey, resulting in the collection and identification of several species of bat ticks. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to provide insights into the relationships among these ticks. The results revealed two distinct lineages of I. vespertilionis in Turkey, while I. simplex showed significant genetic divergence from other bat tick species.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark P. Nelder, Curtis B. Russell, Steven Johnson, Ye Li, Kirby Cronin, Tania Cawston, Samir N. Patel
Summary: The distribution of the American dog tick has changed in Ontario, Canada, with higher submission rates in certain areas. The range of D. variabilis has also expanded during the study, highlighting the need for further research to assess the health risks associated with this tick species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Beata Wodecka, Valentyna Kolomiiets
Summary: In Europe, the Ixodes ricinus tick is the primary vector for Lyme disease spirochetes and their relatives. However, a newly described tick called I. inopinatus, with similar biological features to I. ricinus, may also act as a vector for different Borrelia species. This study found 14 different Borreliaceae species in northern Poland, including three newly detected species in the natural ixodid tick population in Europe.
Article
Dermatology
Kenta Sasaki, Masaru Honma, Minoru Nakao, Mizuki Sasaki, Yoshio Hashimoto, Akemi Ishida-Yamamoto, Kentaro Yoshii
Summary: This study in Hokkaido collected and tested ticks feeding on humans for TBEV, but no positive results were found in the specimens. However, monitoring for the occurrence of TBE remains important, as there is an increase in human tick bites by the potential TBEV vector, I. ovatus, even in the northern and eastern areas of Hokkaido.
JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Micah B. Hahn, Shane Feirer, Andrew J. Monaghan, Robert S. Lane, Rebecca J. Eisen, Kerry A. Padgett, Maggi Kelly
Summary: This study predicts that the suitable habitat for Ixodes pacificus in California will expand in the future under different climate change scenarios, with the largest increases projected in northwestern and southern coastal regions. By the end of the century, a significant portion of federally-owned lands in the state is expected to become suitable habitat for this tick species.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yongxing Cui, Haijian Bing, Daryl L. Moorhead, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Luping Ye, Jialuo Yu, Shangpeng Zhang, Xia Wang, Shushi Peng, Xue Guo, Biao Zhu, Ji Chen, Wenfeng Tan, Yunqiang Wang, Xingchang Zhang, Linchuan Fang
Summary: This study used ecoenzymatic stoichiometry methods to investigate microbial nutrient limitations in forest soils across 181 sites in China. The results showed that phosphorus limitation was widespread in 80% of the forests, and it increased with soil depth and from boreal to tropical forests. This limitation was influenced by climate factors such as wetter and warmer conditions, as well as anthropogenic nitrogen deposition.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Leta Elias, Aimee-Joy M. Hearn, John C. Blazier, Yuliya V. Rogovska, Jiangli Wang, Sijia Li, Shuling Liu, Igor V. Nebogatkin, Artem S. Rogovskyy
Summary: Recent studies have analyzed the microbiota of two tick species in rural areas of Central and Northeastern Ukraine, showing high levels of inter-sex and inter-regional variations. The microbiota of ticks from Kyiv were found statistically different compared to those from other regions, possibly due to various anthropogenic factors of the city.
Article
Entomology
Christopher D. Paddock, Kimetha Slater, Andrea Swei, Maria L. Zambrano, Joyce E. Kleinjan, Kerry A. Padgett, Megan E. M. Saunders, Elizabeth S. Andrews, Erin Trent, Jianmin Zhong, Samantha Sambado, Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Emily L. Pascoe, Janet Foley, Robert S. Lane, Sandor E. Karpathy
Summary: The western black-legged tick is the most common tick species that bites humans in the western United States and is a major carrier of at least three known bacterial pathogens. A potential pathogenic Rickettsia species, called Rickettsia tillamookensis, has been identified in populations of this tick species. Through DNA analysis, it was found that 10 nymphs and 17 adults out of the collected samples carried the DNA of R. tillamookensis. Furthermore, four new isolates of R. tillamookensis were successfully cultivated.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ali G. Hamedani, Peggy Auinger, Allison W. Willis, Delaram Safarpour, David Shprecher, Natividad Stover, Thyagarajan Subramanian, Leslie Cloud
Summary: This study aims to estimate the prevalence of non-motor symptoms and Parkinson's disease-related quality of life limitations at a nationwide level, taking into account the underrepresentation in clinical research. The results suggest that underrepresentation may lead to underestimation of PD-related morbidity, and the use of inverse probability of participation weighting can help produce more generalizable estimates.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Scott R. Evans, Andrea M. Hujer, Hongyu Jiang, Kristine M. Hujer, Thomas Hall, Christine Marzan, Michael R. Jacobs, Rangarajan Sampath, David J. Ecker, Claudia Manca, Kalyan Chavda, Pan Zhang, Helen Fernandez, Liang Chen, Jose R. Mediavilla, Carol B. Hill, Federico Perez, Angela M. Caliendo, Vance G. Fowler, Henry F. Chambers, Barry N. Kreiswirth, Robert A. Bonomo
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2016)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Jean-Louis Vincent, David Brealey, Nicolas Libert, Nour Elhouda Abidi, Michael O'Dwyer, Kai Zacharowski, Malgorzata Mikaszewska-Sokolewicz, Jacques Schrenzel, Francois Simon, Mark Wilks, Marcus Picard-Maureau, Donald B. Chalfin, David J. Ecker, Rangarajan Sampath, Mervyn Singer
CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2015)
Correction
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Vincent Perreten, Andrea Endimiani, Andreas Thomann, Juliette R. K. Wipf, Alexandra Rossando, Michele Bodmer, Andreas Raemy, Kristin A. Sannes-Lowery, David J. Ecker, Rangarajan Sampath, Robert A. Bonomo, Cicely Washington
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE
(2015)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Catherine Satzke, Eileen M. Dunne, Barbara D. Porter, Keith P. Klugman, E. Kim Mulholland
Article
Cell Biology
Andrew J. Kennedy, Elizabeth J. Rahn, Brynna S. Paulukaitis, Katherine E. Savell, Holly B. Kordasiewicz, Jing Wang, John W. Lewis, Jessica Posey, Sarah K. Strange, Mikael C. Guzman-Karlsson, Scott E. Phillips, Kyle Decker, S. Timothy Motley, Eric E. Swayze, David J. Ecker, Todd P. Michael, Jeremy J. Day, J. David Sweatt
Article
Microbiology
Andrea Bacconi, Gregory S. Richmond, Michelle A. Baroldi, Thomas G. Laffler, Lawrence B. Blyn, Heather E. Carolan, Mark R. Frinder, Donna M. Toleno, David Metzgar, Jose R. Gutierrez, Christian Massire, Megan Rounds, Natalie J. Kennel, Richard E. Rothman, Stephen Peterson, Karen C. Carroll, Teresa Wakefield, David J. Ecker, Rangarajan Sampath
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David Metzgar, Mark W. Frinder, Richard E. Rothman, Stephen Peterson, Karen C. Carroll, Sean X. Zhang, Gideon D. Avornu, Megan A. Rounds, Heather E. Carolan, Donna M. Toleno, David Moore, Thomas A. Hall, Christian Massire, Gregory S. Richmond, Jose R. Gutierrez, Rangarajan Sampath, David J. Ecker, Lawrence B. Blyn
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
David J. Ecker
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
(2014)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mark W. Eshoo, Chris D. Crowder, Heather E. Carolan, Megan A. Rounds, David J. Ecker, Heike Haag, Benedikt Mothes, Oliver Nolte
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2014)
Article
Microbiology
Michael R. Mosel, Heather E. Carolan, Alison W. Rebman, Steven Castro, Christian Massire, David J. Ecker, Mark J. Soloski, John N. Aucott, Mark W. Eshoo
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2019)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Shane G. Poplawski, Krassimira A. Garbett, Rebekah L. McMahan, Holly B. Kordasiewicz, Hien Zhao, Andrew J. Kennedy, Slavina B. Goleva, Teresa H. Sanders, S. Timothy Motley, Eric E. Swayze, David J. Ecker, J. David Sweatt, Todd P. Michael, Celeste B. Greer
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2020)
Article
Microbiology
Michael R. Mosel, Alison W. Rebman, Heather E. Carolan, Tristan Montenegro, Robert Lovari, Steven E. Schutzer, David J. Ecker, Ting Yang, Nitya S. Ramadoss, William H. Robinson, Mark J. Soloski, Mark W. Eshoo, John N. Aucott
Summary: The study conducted on Lyme disease patients showed that PCR-based direct detection methods can help differentiate patient subgroups, especially those who are serologically negative in the early stages of infection. This approach could be particularly useful for future vaccine trials and public health surveillance of tick-borne diseases.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Vaclav Honig, Heather E. Carolan, Zuzana Vavruskova, Christian Massire, Michael R. Mosel, Christopher D. Crowder, Megan A. Rounds, David J. Ecker, Daniel Ruzek, Libor Grubhoffer, Benjamin J. Luft, Mark W. Eshoo
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2017)
Article
Infectious Diseases
M. J. O'Dwyer, M. H. Starczewska, J. Schrenzel, K. Zacharowski, D. J. Ecker, R. Sampath, D. Brealey, M. Singer, N. Libert, M. Wilks, J. -L. Vincent
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2017)