Article
Entomology
Pia L. Kjellander, Malin Aronsson, Ulrika A. Bergvall, Josep L. Carrasco, Madeleine Christensson, Per-Eric Lindgren, Mikael Akesson, Petter Kjellander
Summary: The cloth-dragging method is commonly used for collecting and counting ticks, but its reliability varies depending on tick density. Higher tick counts in areas with high abundance lead to better repeatability and agreement, while low tick counts in areas with lower abundance result in poorer repeatability but better agreement.
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ACAROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Jose de la Fuente, Agustin Estrada-Pena, Marta Rafael, Consuelo Almazan, Sergio Bermudez, Abdelbaset E. Abdelbaset, Paul D. Kasaija, Fredrick Kabi, Foluke Adedayo Akande, Dorcas Oluwakemi Ajagbe, Timothy Bamgbose, Srikant Ghosh, Azhahianambi Palavesam, Penny H. Hamid, Charlotte L. Oskam, Siobhon L. Egan, Amanda Duarte-Barbosa, Olcay Hekimoglu, Matias P. J. Szabo, Marcelo B. Labruna, Ananta Dahal
Summary: In this comprehensive review study, the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting global human and animal health was addressed. Data and perspectives from different countries and regions were collected to update the current situation with ticks and TBDs and highlight the existing information bias and gaps perceived by society. The study emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary and international collaborations in advancing surveillance, communication, and proposed future directions to address these challenges.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Lee Ann Lyons, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, Rebecca L. Smith
Summary: This study aimed to develop and deliver tick surveillance training workshops for local health department employees in Illinois. Results showed that the training effectively increased knowledge of ticks and tick-borne diseases, as well as promoting positive attitudes towards surveillance. While the training did not lead to significant increases in surveillance practices, it empowered local public health officials with the knowledge and attitudes needed to make a difference.
Article
Entomology
Amy C. Fleshman, Erik Foster, Sarah E. Maes, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: Tickborne diseases account for a significant portion of vector-borne diseases reported in the United States each year. By mapping the distribution of pathogens carried by ticks, we can identify areas of risk for tickborne diseases and develop targeted prevention strategies.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Eric L. Siegel, Nathalie Lavoie, Guang Xu, Catherine M. Brown, Michel Ledizet, Stephen M. Rich
Summary: Tick-borne zoonoses have a significant impact on global public health, and understanding their distribution and determinants requires consideration of the complex interactions among the environment, vectors, and hosts. This study analyzed human cases and tick testing data to assess the correlation between tick submissions and the incidence of babesiosis and anaplasmosis. The results showed moderate-to-strong correlations, suggesting that tick testing data can serve as a proxy for disease incidence and help understand human-tick interactions.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Lynn M. Osikowicz, Andrias Hojgaard, Sarah Maes, Rebecca J. Eisen, Mark D. Stenglein
Summary: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed a bioinformatics pipeline, called MPAS, that can enhance the detection of human pathogens in ticks. This pipeline is portable and reproducible, with the ability to modify input parameters, assay primer, and reference sequences. It automates the analysis process, reducing the time needed for downstream analysis. The validation of the MPAS pipeline showed comparable results to previous analyses and improved sequencing resolution for co-infected samples.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sarah P. Maxwell, Connie L. McNeely, Kevin Thomas, Chris Brooks
Summary: Recent research suggests that tick bite encounters can be used as a proxy for human disease risk, particularly in areas where certain diseases are not considered endemic. A study in Texas found that self-reported tick bite encounters aligned with official CDC data on Lyme disease cases and canine reports of tick-borne diseases. This study highlights the potential for using patient-reported data on tick bites for public health surveillance and response efforts.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Patricia F. Barradas, Clara Lima, Luis Cardoso, Irina Amorim, Fatima Gartner, Joao R. Mesquita
Summary: This study investigated the presence of pathogens in ticks removed from Testudo graeca tortoises, with 43% of examined adult ticks found to be infected with at least one agent. The most prevalent pathogen identified was Hemolivia mauritanica. The detection of H. mauritanica, Ehrlichia spp. and Candidatus M. mitochondrii in H. aegyptium ticks collected from pet spur-thighed tortoises in Qatar expands the geographical range of these agents.
Article
Microbiology
Chris Brooks, Connie L. McNeely, Sarah P. Maxwell, Kevin C. Thomas
Summary: This study provides an exploratory analysis of tick-borne diseases in the United States, examining the distribution and associated factors of self-reported tick bite encounters (TBEs) and diagnoses. The study finds that certain diagnostic data in animals, such as domesticated dogs, may serve as proxies for human tick-borne disease risk factors. These findings suggest that in the absence of a standardized national tick-borne disease database, proxies and relevant surveys may provide a working solution for studying tick-borne diseases.
Article
Parasitology
Emily L. Pascoe, Ankje de Vries, Helen J. Esser, Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt, Hein Sprong
Summary: In this study, it was demonstrated that tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA can be detected in non-destructive samples obtained from naturally infected wild rodents, providing a practical alternative for long-term surveillance of the virus.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Camille Guillot, Catherine Bouchard, Kayla Buhler, Ariane Dumas, Francois Milord, Marion Ripoche, Roxane Pelletier, Patrick A. Leighton
Summary: This study evaluates the ability of active sentinel surveillance to track Lyme disease risk in Quebec. By analyzing drag flannel data and using a Poisson regression model, the researchers found that the surveillance system could effectively monitor spatiotemporal trends in risk. The results provide valuable information for public health authorities to assess and inform the public about the risk of Lyme disease.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Nora Magyar, Zoltan Kis, Eva Barabas, Anna Nagy, Judit Henczko, Ivelina Damjanova, Maria Takacs, Bernadett Palyi
Summary: A pilot sero-surveillance study in Hungary found a 0.37% seroprevalence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, with higher rates in western and central regions, male donors, and donors aged 18-34 years. The results suggest the need for extended surveillance targeting specific at-risk populations and animals, as well as raising awareness among clinicians and high-risk groups about the emerging threat of CCHF in Hungary.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wan Cong, Jiri Bicak, David Kubiznak, Robert B. Mann
Summary: A relativistic theory of gravity, such as general relativity, produces phenomena fundamentally different from Newton's theory, including effects like gravitomagnetism. Recent research shows that a detector placed in a slowly rotating shell can distinguish between a static nonrotating shell and a rotating shell, detecting the presence of inertial frame dragging effects even within a finite time interval when light signals cannot convey the rotation.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Raphael Ryan Wood, Rosemary W. Roberts, Skyler M. Kerr, Madeline Wasden, Thelma G. Hammer, John W. McCreadie, Jonathan O. Rayner
Summary: A 4-year survey in Alabama found tick-borne disease pathogens associated with human health. Further studies and surveillance are needed to fully understand the threat to human health in the state.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(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
Infectious Diseases
Lindsey A. Bidder, Kristine M. Asmussen, Sean E. Campbell, Katerina A. Goffigan, Holly D. Gaff
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Alexandra N. Cumbie, Eric L. Walters, Holly D. Gaff, Wayne L. Hynes
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Holly Gaff, Rebecca J. Eisen, Lars Eisen, Robyn Nadolny, Jenna Bjork, Andrew J. Monaghan
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Entomology
Catherine A. Lippi, Holly D. Gaff, Alexis L. White, Heidi K. St John, Allen L. Richards, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: This study updated the modeled distribution of American dog tick and R. montanensis using maximum entropy model, finding that adding soil layers improved model accuracy, and the predicted "infected niche" was smaller than the overall predicted niche. Different models predicted different sizes of suitable niche, and the random forest model had the best validity and fit among them.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Catherine A. Lippi, Holly D. Gaff, Alexis L. White, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: The increasing prevalence of tick-borne diseases in humans in recent decades has highlighted the need for more information on geographic risk for public health planning. A systematic scoping review of species distribution models (SDMs) literature for rickettsial pathogens and tick vectors in the genus Amblyomma found that most studies estimated only tick distributions using vector presence as a proxy for pathogen exposure. The reliance on existing data sources and the lack of original data collection may indicate a lag in new data acquisition and a full understanding of the tick-pathogen ecology.
Article
Entomology
Robyn M. Nadolny, Marcee Toliver, Holly D. Gaff, John G. Snodgrass, Richard G. Robbins
Summary: This study illustrates adult females and males of Ixodes affinis and Ixodes scapularis through focus stacking image photography and describes morphological character states that reliably differentiate the two species. These characteristics, along with other environmental cues, allow for rapid identification of adults of either sex in the southern Coastal Plain of the United States where these species coexist.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Entomology
Catherine A. Lippi, Sadie J. Ryan, Alexis L. White, Holly D. Gaff, Colin J. Carlson
Summary: Tick-borne diseases are a growing problem worldwide, and the surveillance and control measures involve various fields such as medical entomology, agricultural health, veterinary medicine, and biosecurity. Spatial approaches can help stakeholders understand the current and future distribution of risk, with major gaps in data utilization and mapping efforts in enzootic cycles of tick-borne pathogens, particularly in Africa and Asia. Future work can focus on applying available methods to track the distributions of tick-borne diseases in these regions following a One Health approach combining medical and veterinary surveillance.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Thabo Lephoto, Henry Mwambi, Oliver Bodhlyera, Holly Gaff
Summary: This study utilized data collected by researchers at the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University in Virginia, USA, to model tick life-stage counts and abundance variability. Spatio-temporal negative binomial models outperformed Poisson models in analyzing the data, suggesting that this model is more suitable for the analysis. Results indicated that covariates varied spatially across counties, with a decreasing time effect over the study period and increasing space-time interaction effects in York County.
Article
Entomology
Ciera N. Morris, Holly D. Gaff, Roy D. Berghaus, C. Morgan Wilson, Elizabeth R. Gleim
Summary: A comparative phenological study was conducted in Virginia to understand tick ecology and the increasing incidence of Lyme disease. The study found that Ixodes scapularis from the northeastern United States may be migrating into western Virginia, contributing to the higher incidence of Lyme disease in the region.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Catherine A. A. Lippi, Holly D. D. Gaff, Robyn M. M. Nadolny, Sadie J. J. Ryan
Summary: This study updates the distribution models of D. variabilis and R. montanensis-infected D. variabilis in the United States, using newer surveillance and testing data. The results show consistency in the predicted habitat suitability for D. variabilis, indicating its generalist habitat requirements. However, there is a slight shift in the updated niche distribution, including more southern areas, highlighting the need for continued monitoring and surveillance.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Catherine A. Lippi, Samuel Canfield, Christina Espada, Holly D. Gaff, Sadie J. Ryan
Summary: Geographic approaches are increasingly used to assess the risk of tick-borne diseases and inform public health decision-making. This study explored the potential geographic range of a marsh rice rat species and found considerable overlap with the distribution of a tick species in the southeastern United States, highlighting the need for extended surveillance efforts and attention to the role of hosts in transmission cycles.
Article
Entomology
Lindsey Bidder, Holly Gaff
Summary: Adult unfed Amblyomma americanum, Amblyomma maculatum, and Dermacentor variabilis ticks were placed in environmental containers in southeastern Virginia from May to August 2015. Analysis showed significant differences in survival rates among the three species across all field sites. A. maculatum had a higher risk of mortality compared to A. americanum and D. variabilis, and D. variabilis had a higher risk of mortality compared to A. americanum. There was also higher mortality in flooding-prone habitats compared to drier upland habitats. The study concluded that A. americanum was not negatively affected by increased flooding, while A. maculatum was more susceptible to mortality in both dry and flood-prone environments.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Alexis White, Robin Minch, Lindsey Bidder, Holly Gaff
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
(2020)
