Article
Immunology
Keith J. Price, Christine B. Graham, Bryn J. Witmier, Holly A. Chapman, Brooke L. Coder, Christian N. Boyer, Erik Foster, Sarah E. Maes, Ying Bai, Rebecca J. Eisen, Andrew D. Kyle
Summary: Ticks of Haemaphysalis longicornis collected from southeastern Pennsylvania were tested for pathogens, with 1 adult female testing positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, resulting in an infection rate of 0.4%. It is crucial to continue monitoring this invasive tick species to assess its impact on public health.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marek Asman, Joanna Witecka, Jan Korbecki, Krzysztof Solarz
Summary: Ixodes ricinus is the main vector in Europe for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti. A study conducted in Wolinski National Park showed a high potential human risk of exposure to tick-borne infection with Babesia microti, and low risks of infection with Borrelia garinii and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the area.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Lauriane Duplaix, Victoria Wagner, Salima Gasmi, L. Robbin Lindsay, Antonia Dibernardo, Karine Thivierge, Christopher Fernandez-Prada, Julie Arsenault
Summary: A study conducted in Quebec from 2010 to 2017 revealed that cats and dogs are at risk of exposure to blacklegged ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The majority of ticks collected were adult females and partially engorged, with a higher prevalence of infections with B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Russell Smalley, Haris Zafar, John Land, Asma Samour, Dylan Hance, Robert E. Brennan
Summary: This study screened I. scapularis ticks in central Oklahoma for potential tick-borne pathogens using real-time reverse transcription-PCR. B. miyamotoi and deer tick virus were detected for the first time in this region. The presence of these pathogens suggests the need for further surveillance of I. scapularis in Oklahoma.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Demerise Johnston, Jill R. Kelly, Michel Ledizet, Nathalie Lavoie, Robert P. Smith, Jeffrey Parsonnet, Jonathan Schwab, John Stratidis, Scott Espich, Giyoung Lee, Kaitlin R. Maciejewski, Yanhong Deng, Victoria Majam, Hong Zheng, Sougr-nooma Bonkoungou, June Stevens, Sanjai Kumar, Peter J. Krause
Summary: Although the number of people who are seropositive to Borrelia miyamotoi is less than the number who are seropositive to Borrelia burgdorferi or Babesia microti, transmission of these three tickborne agents is widespread among residents of New England.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Hanne Quarsten, Anna Henningsson, Karen Krogfelt, Christina Strube, Christine Wenneras, Sally Mavin
Summary: The impact of tick-borne diseases caused by various pathogens on public health, particularly Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, Borrelia miyamotoi, Rickettsia helvetica, and Babesia species, remains largely unknown. This study reports and discusses data on the prevalence of these pathogens in Ixodes ricinus ticks from seven countries within the North Sea Region in Europe, as well as the diagnostic tests available and the main clinical features of their corresponding diseases. Increased awareness is crucial to identify cases of these under-recognized tick-borne diseases, providing valuable insights into their clinical significance.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Thomas F. Rounsville, Griffin M. Dill, Ann M. Bryant, Claudia C. Desjardins, James F. Dill
Summary: This study provides an updated distribution of the blacklegged tick in Maine and reports the infection and coinfection prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti within the state's tick population. Adult blacklegged ticks had higher infection rates compared to nymphs, while prevalence of Babesia microti was similar between adults and nymphs.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Anna E. Jacob, Jeffrey Scott Weese, Joyce Rosseau, Katie M. Clow
Summary: Increasing temperatures due to climate change have led to the expansion of Ixodes scapularis ticks in Canada, which carry pathogens that are significant for public and animal health. A study on ticks of companion animals found that B. burgdorferi had a higher prevalence in certain regions of Canada, while B. miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum had lower prevalence rates.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Grochowska, Justyna Dunaj-Malyszko, Slawomir Pancewicz, Piotr Czupryna, Robert Milewski, Piotr Majewski, Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska
Summary: Ticks, including Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus, collected from urban environments in northeastern Poland were found to be infected with at least three pathogens. This study provides valuable information for understanding the prevalence of tick-borne diseases in urban areas.
Article
Entomology
Amy Prunuske, Cole Fisher, Jhomary Molden, Amarpreet Brar, Ryan Ragland, Jesse vanWestrienen
Summary: Lyme disease is a common tickborne illness that scientists play a key role in disseminating public health knowledge about. Middle-school students are an ideal population for community-based science activities, as they can meaningfully contribute to research by generating samples for testing tick pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
W. Tanner Porter, Julie Wachara, Zachary A. Barrand, Nathan C. Nieto, Daniel J. Salkeld
Summary: Tick-borne diseases have expanded in the past two decades due to shifts in tick and pathogen distributions. Monitoring pathogen distribution and prevalence is resource intensive, and citizen science tick collections provide a method to collect samples from the general public for real-time monitoring. This approach helps to characterize and understand the threats of tick-borne diseases to communities.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Supreet Khanal, Vikas Taank, John F. Anderson, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta
Summary: This study provides evidence for the first time that Anaplasma phagocytophilum modulates the arthropod circadian gene for its transmission to the vertebrate host. The results suggest that the circadian modulation of tick gene expression plays an important role in arthropod blood feeding and transmission of pathogens from vector to the vertebrate host.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
John D. Scott, Risa R. Pesapane
Summary: This study identified various pathogens carried by blacklegged ticks and determined their prevalence. Multiple zoonotic pathogens were detected in I. scapularis ticks in Ontario and Quebec, highlighting the potential transmission risks posed by these ticks.
Article
Microbiology
Brittany A. Armstrong, Kevin S. Brandt, Irina Goodrich, Robert D. Gilmore
Summary: This study evaluated the response of different mouse strains and pathogen strains to B. miyamotoi infection and found that there is no mouse model that can fully mimic the infection. These findings underscore the challenges in establishing an experimental B. miyamotoi infection model.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Erik Foster, James Burtis, Jennifer L. Sidge, Jean Tsao, Jenna Bjork, Gongping Liu, David F. Neitzel, Xia Lee, Susan Paskewitz, Diane Caporale, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: The geographic range of the blacklegged tick and its associated human pathogens has expanded, increasing the risk for tick-borne diseases. Understanding the time and location of potential exposure to infected ticks is crucial for prevention and diagnosis. Monitoring infection prevalence in ticks aids in assessing risk, but setting a fixed threshold is not feasible due to variability. Reducing repeated sampling does not significantly impact estimates of average infection prevalence.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Stephen V. Burks, Jon E. Anderson, Bibhudutta Panda, Rebecca Haider, Tim Ginader, Nicole Sandback, Darya Pokutnaya, Derek Toso, Natalie Hughes, Humza S. Haider, Resa Brockman, Alice Toll, Nicholas Solberg, Jesse Eklund, Michael Cagle, Jeffery S. Hickman, Erin Mabry, Mark Berger, Charles A. Czeisler, Stefanos N. Kales
Article
Ecology
Kirstine M. Grab, Brian J. Hiller, John H. Hurlbert, McKenzie E. Ingram, Alexandra B. Parker, Darya Y. Pokutnaya, Sarah A. Knutie
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Garcia-Calavaro, Lee H. Harrison, Darya Pokutnaya, Christina F. Mair, Maria M. Brooks, Wilbert van Panhuis
Summary: The seasonality of influenza is influenced by various factors, including environmental factors, viral mutations, population crowding, and human travel. This study aims to analyze the seasonality and latitudinal patterns of influenza in Chile using influenza-like illness surveillance data. The findings suggest a north to south gradient of influenza and traveling waves in central Chile, indicating that larger populations in this region drive the seasonal influenza epidemics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Matthew M. Loiacono, Robertus Van Aalst, Darya Pokutnaya, Salaheddin M. Mahmud, Joshua Nealon
Summary: A brief literature review on observational seasonal influenza relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) studies reveals the use of diverse statistical methods with inconsistent results. To improve comparability and credibility in future research, it is essential for researchers to clearly explain their methods and design choices, and implement strategies to detect and quantify confounding.
INFLUENZA AND OTHER RESPIRATORY VIRUSES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemical Research Methods
Darya Pokutnaya, Bruce Childers, Alice E. Arcury-Quandt, Harry Hochheiser, Willem G. Van Panhuis
Summary: Computational models of infectious diseases are important tools for research and public health responses to epidemics. However, the reproducibility of these models has been limited, which undermines the scientific process and trust in the results and strategies based on these models. To address this issue, we have translated reproducibility guidelines from various scientific disciplines into a framework that consists of 22 elements grouped into 6 categories. This framework can be used by the scientific community to improve the reproducibility of infectious disease computational models and develop actionable tools for sharing them.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marquis S. Hawkins, Darya Y. Pokutnaya, Lisa M. Bodnar, Michele D. Levine, Daniel J. Buysse, Esa M. Davis, Meredith L. Wallace, Phyllis C. Zee, William A. Grobman, Kathryn J. Reid, Francesca L. Facco
Summary: The study examined the associations between mid-pregnancy sleep health indicators, multidimensional sleep health, and gestational weight gain (GWG). It found that each additional healthy sleep indicator was associated with a 10% lower risk of low GWG.
PAEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Darya Pokutnaya, Matthew M. Loiacono, Helen Booth, Rachael Williams, Christopher Ma, James Parker, Helene Bricout, Susan Farrow, Joshua Nealon
Summary: This study investigated the impact of influenza and pneumonia on individuals in clinical risk groups in England using linked databases. The findings showed that the incidence of medical events increased with age and risk conditions, with a concentration of disease burden in specific age and risk groups, emphasizing the importance of influenza vaccination.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Darya Pokutnaya, Mohammad Reza Shirzadi, Elham Salari, Goudarz Molaei
IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY
(2020)