Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kacie Ring, Lisa Couper, Anne L. Sapiro, Fauna Yarza, X. Frank Yang, Keith Clay, Chase Mateusiak, Seemay Chou, Andrea Swei
Summary: The bloodmeal source of ticks, especially from lizards, significantly affects their vector competency and gene regulation, challenging previous assumptions about the role of lizards in the ecology of Lyme disease transmission.
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
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Chong Wang, Xiaoyu Shi, Jiangang Liu, Jiongchao Zhao, Xiaozhi Bo, Fu Chen, Qingquan Chu
Summary: The study found that climate change has a potential impact on the distribution of potatoes in China, leading to a shrinking of climate suitable areas and expansion to the east while shrinking to the north. The consistency between major planting areas and high climate suitability areas decreased, and potato planting in low climate suitable areas may have adverse effects on production.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Howard S. Ginsberg, Graham J. Hickling, Russell L. Burke, Nicholas H. Ogden, Lorenza Beati, Roger A. LeBrun, Isis M. Arsnoe, Richard Gerhold, Seungeun Han, Kaetlyn Jackson, Lauren Maestas, Teresa Moody, Genevieve Pang, Breann Ross, Eric L. Rulison, Jean I. Tsao
Summary: Lyme disease is more prevalent in the northeastern and northern midwest regions of the eastern United States, with a decline in the south, due to differences in tick-host associations, with a shift from mammals in the north to reptiles in the south. These geographical trends are attributed to selective host choice, differences in tick behavior, and variations in tick densities.
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
Ecology
Jordan Salomon, Alexandra Lawrence, Arielle Crews, Samantha Sambado, Andrea Swei
Summary: Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. Research shows that tick burdens on rodent hosts are influenced by predator diversity and questing tick abundance, impacting tick transmission and pathogen prevalence.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lisa Couper, Andrew J. MacDonald, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in temperate zones, and climate change is expected to significantly impact disease incidence, particularly in the Northeast of the United States. Projections indicate a substantial increase in cases in the Northeast by 2050, but other regions are not projected to experience significant changes. The results emphasize the need for improved preparedness and public health interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change on Lyme disease burden.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Xiaoyu Shi, Chong Wang, Jiongchao Zhao, Kaicheng Wang, Fu Chen, Qingquan Chu
Summary: This study examined the interdecadal variations of climate-suitable areas of cotton in China from 1961 to 2017, using occurrence records, national meteorological data, and the MaxEnt model. It found that climate suitability has increased in recent decades, with the distribution of suitable areas moving northward and expanding westward. However, the increasing inconsistency between planting areas and climate-suitable areas may pose a risk to cotton production in certain regions, despite the overall improvements in suitability.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Lu Zhang, Delong Ma, Chao Li, Ruobing Zhou, Jun Wang, Qiyong Liu
Summary: In this study, the potential distribution and future trends of Ixodes scapularis under climate change were projected and analyzed using the maximum entropy model. It was found that precipitation plays a key role in the expansion of suitable areas for this tick species.
Article
Entomology
James C. Burtis, Jenna Bjork, Tammi L. Johnson, Elizabeth Schiffman, David Neitzel, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: Ixodes scapularis, the primary vector of Lyme disease, poses a threat to public health in the United States. The incidence of Lyme disease is increasing rapidly in upper midwestern states, such as Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The phenology of host-seeking I. scapularis affects the risk of tick bites. We conducted a study in Minnesota from 2015 to 2017 and found that adult ticks were active throughout the collection season, with peaks in April and sporadic activity in the summer and October. Nymphs were most active from May to August, with peak activity in June. These findings highlight the risk of human exposure to I. scapularis from April to November and are important for understanding the ecoepidemiology of Lyme disease.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Lu Feng, Hongyan Wang, Xiaowei Ma, Hongbo Peng, Jianrong Shan
Summary: Using a MaxEnt model, the study examined the current global potential cultivation areas of soybean and its future dynamics in response to climate change. It found that most of the current global soybean distribution is in areas with medium to high land suitability, and there are still potential undeveloped suitable areas worldwide.
FIELD CROPS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Suri Guga, Jie Xu, Dao Riao, Kaiwei Li, Aru Han, Jiquan Zhang
Summary: The climate suitability and land use patterns of sugarcane planting areas in Guangxi have changed over time, expanding from low-lying areas to high altitudes but showing a decreasing trend from the 2000s to the 2010s. Cropland area within the suitable sugarcane climate range has increased, but with a fragmentation trend observed from 1980 to 2005.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Malgorzata Kwasnik, Jerzy Rola, Wojciech Rozek
Summary: Tick-borne encephalitis virus is considered one of the most important tick-borne viral diseases in Europe and Asia. In recent years, there has been an increase in cases and the geographical range of the disease. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis is rising in more than half of European countries. The virus is transmitted between ticks, animals, and humans, with ticks and small mammals playing a role in maintaining the virus in nature. Prevention through vaccination and protection against tick bites is crucial.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
H. Heinrich Hoffmann, William M. Schneider, Kathryn Rozen-Gagnon, Linde A. Miles, Felix Schuster, Brandon Razooky, Eliana Jacobson, Xianfang Wu, Soon Yi, Charles M. Rudin, Margaret R. MacDonald, Laura K. McMullan, John T. Poirier, Charles M. Rice
Summary: Flaviviruses pose a constant threat to human health, being transmitted by infected mosquitoes and ticks, and causing regular outbreaks. Through full-genome loss of function CRISPR-Cas9 screens, TMEM41B and VMP1 were identified as key factors in flavivirus infection. TMEM41B was found to be essential for all tested members of the Flaviviridae family, as well as for SARS-CoV-2 of the Coronaviridae. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in nearly 20% of East Asian populations were shown to reduce flavivirus infection.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Claire A. Runge, Andrew J. Plantinga, Ashley E. Larsen, David E. Naugle, Kate J. Helmstedt, Stephen Polasky, J. Patrick Donnelly, Joseph T. Smith, Tyler J. Lark, Joshua J. Lawler, Sebastian Martinuzzi, Joe Fargione
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Ashley E. Larsen, D. Nakoa Farrant, Andrew J. MacDonald
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Andrew J. MacDonald, Sara B. Weinstein, Kerry E. O'Connor, Andrea Swei
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew J. MacDonald, Sofie McComb, Craig O'Neill, Kerry A. Padgett, Ashley E. Larsen
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Nicole Nova, Ethan R. Deyle, Marta S. Shocket, Andrew J. MacDonald, Marissa L. Childs, Martin Rypdal, George Sugihara, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Experiments and models show that climate affects mosquito-borne disease transmission, with temperature and rainfall having net positive and negative effects respectively when susceptible availability is high. This study uses empirical dynamic modeling to effectively capture nonlinear and context-dependent effects of population susceptibility, temperature, and rainfall on dengue dynamics. By doing so, the model improves forecast skill over recent, state-of-the-art models for dengue incidence, providing empirical evidence that host population susceptibility and climate drive dengue dynamics in a nonlinear and complex, yet predictable way.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lisa Couper, Andrew J. MacDonald, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in temperate zones, and climate change is expected to significantly impact disease incidence, particularly in the Northeast of the United States. Projections indicate a substantial increase in cases in the Northeast by 2050, but other regions are not projected to experience significant changes. The results emphasize the need for improved preparedness and public health interventions to mitigate the impact of climate change on Lyme disease burden.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Skylar R. Hopkins, Susanne H. Sokolow, Julia C. Buck, Giulio A. De Leo, Isabel J. Jones, Laura H. Kwong, Christopher LeBoa, Andrea J. Lund, Andrew J. MacDonald, Nicole Nova, Sarah H. Olson, Alison J. Peel, Chelsea L. Wood, Kevin D. Lafferty
Summary: This Perspective emphasizes the importance of recognizing trade-offs and synergies among targets in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By distinguishing win-wins from other outcomes and utilizing a framework for assessing relationships among targets, interdisciplinary problem-solvers can effectively compare multi-target interventions related to human health and conservation.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Review
Ecology
Tejas S. Athni, Marta S. Shocket, Lisa I. Couper, Nicole Nova, Iain R. Caldwell, Jamie M. Caldwell, Jasmine N. Childress, Marissa L. Childs, Giulio A. De Leo, Devin G. Kirk, Andrew J. MacDonald, Kathryn Olivarius, David G. Pickel, Steven O. Roberts, Olivia C. Winokur, Hillary S. Young, Julian Cheng, Elizabeth A. Grant, Patrick M. Kurzner, Saw Kyaw, Bradford J. Lin, Ricardo C. Lopez, Diba S. Massihpour, Erica C. Olsen, Maggie Roache, Angie Ruiz, Emily A. Schultz, Muskan Shafat, Rebecca L. Spencer, Nita Bharti, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) have far-reaching impacts beyond human morbidity and mortality, shaping human history through mechanisms such as demographic impacts, differential effects on populations, and weaponization for power hierarchies. By examining case studies from different diseases and time periods, it is evident that VBDs influence society and culture in diverse ways.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Boser, Daniel Sousa, Ashley Larsen, Andrew MacDonald
Summary: Mosquito-borne diseases threaten over 80% of the global population, and utilizing high resolution land surface temperature measurements with established relationships can generate fine resolution maps of MBD risk components, providing more accurate information for disease prevention efforts.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Skylar R. Hopkins, Isabel J. Jones, Julia C. Buck, Christopher LeBoa, Laura H. Kwong, Kim Jacobsen, Chloe Rickards, Andrea J. Lund, Nicole Nova, Andrew J. MacDonald, Miles Lambert-Peck, Giulio A. De Leo, Susanne H. Sokolow
Summary: Humans interact with parasites and pathogens in complex socio-ecological systems. Through a review of literature, it was found that nearly all infectious organisms spend time in reservoirs and can be transmitted to human hosts. Many infectious diseases are primarily controlled through environmental interventions.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eloise B. Skinner, Caroline K. Glidden, Andrew J. MacDonald, Erin A. Mordecai
Summary: Using human footprint index and machine learning, this study demonstrates the relationship between human pressure and the occurrence of diverse vector-borne diseases. The findings highlight the importance of predicting the impact of human-environment interactions on pathogen transmission to mitigate disease risks.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Susanne H. Sokolow, Nicole Nova, Isabel J. Jones, Chelsea L. Wood, Kevin D. Lafferty, Andres Garchitorena, Skylar R. Hopkins, Andrea J. Lund, Andrew J. MacDonald, Christopher LeBoa, Alison J. Peel, Erin A. Mordecai, Meghan E. Howard, Julia C. Buck, David Lopez-Carr, Michele Barry, Matthew H. Bonds, Giulio A. De Leo
Summary: Environmentally mediated infectious diseases pose a significant global health problem, particularly in tropical and impoverished countries. The burden of these diseases is closely linked to rural poverty, political stability, and wealth. Innovative social and ecological interventions are needed to address this issue and achieve global health and sustainability goals.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Skyfar R. Hopkins, Kevin D. Lafferty, Chelsea L. Wood, Sarah H. Olson, Julia C. Buck, Giulio A. De Leo, Kathryn J. Fiorella, Johanna L. Fomberg, Andres Garchitorena, Isabel J. Jones, Armand M. Kuris, Laura H. Kwong, Christopher LeBoa, Ariel E. Leon, Andrea J. Lund, Andrew J. MacDonald, Daniel C. G. Metz, Nicole Nova, Alison J. Peel, Justin Remais, Tara E. Stewart Merrill, Maya Wilson, Matthew H. Bonds, Andrew P. Dobson, David Lopez Carr, Meghan E. Howard, Lisa Mandle, Susanne H. Sokolow
Summary: This article discusses the win-win interventions in both nature conservation and reducing disease burdens, and investigates 46 proposed solutions through literature review. The research finds that some solutions have previous success in achieving proposed impacts, but there are also evidence gaps. The study provides feasible solutions or innovative ideas for stakeholders seeking win-win interventions.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Isabel J. Jones, Andrew J. MacDonald, Skylar R. Hopkins, Andrea J. Lund, Zac Yung-Chun Liu, Nurul Ihsan Fawzi, Mahardika Putra Purba, Katie Fankhauser, Andrew J. Chamberlin, Monica Nirmala, Arthur G. Blundell, Ashley Emerson, Jonathan Jennings, Lynne Gaffikin, Michele Barry, David Lopez-Carr, Kinari Webb, Giulio A. De Leo, Susanne H. Sokolow
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)