Article
Veterinary Sciences
Elton J. R. Vasconcelos, Chayan Roy, Joseph A. Geiger, Kristina M. Oney, Melody Koo, Songyang Ren, Brian B. Oakley, Pedro Paulo V. P. Diniz
Summary: The study introduces a method for genetic characterization of VBPs using NGS and computational approaches, showing its effectiveness in detecting multiple pathogens in a single sample. This approach has the potential to expand the molecular diagnostic toolbox in veterinary and human medicine and provide significant improvements in VBP diagnostics.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan, Giovanni Benelli, Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos, Viet-Linh Nguyen, Giuseppe Conte, Roberta Iatta, Tommaso Furlanello, Domenico Otranto
Summary: This study assessed the prevalence and distribution of tick-borne pathogens in clinically suspect dogs from three macro areas in Italy over a 15-year period. The results showed high seroprevalence and wide distribution of the four key pathogens, advocating for integrative control strategies for their prevention.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
DeAnna J. Friedman-Klabanoff, Megan Birkhold, Mara T. Short, Timothy R. Wilson, Claudio R. Meneses, Joshua R. Lacsina, Fabiano Oliveira, Shaden Kamhawi, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Sally Hunsberger, Allyson Mateja, Gregory Stoloff, Olga Pleguezuelos, Matthew J. Memoli, Matthew B. Laurens
Summary: This study evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of a mosquito salivary peptide vaccine in healthy adults. The results showed that the vaccine had a favorable safety profile and induced robust immune responses. Further research will determine if the vaccine translates into clinical efficacy against mosquito-borne diseases.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cassandra Davitt, Rebecca Traub, Basan Batsukh, Banzragch Battur, Martin Pfeffer, Anke K. Wiethoelter
Summary: This study investigates the overall knowledge, perceptions and practices of Mongolian veterinarians towards canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD). The study reveals that Mongolian veterinarians have a low overall knowledge of CVBD, with a discrepancy between self-rated and actual knowledge. It also finds that female veterinarians and those with frequent canine consultations have higher knowledge levels.
Article
Allergy
Susie Min, Tetsuo Shoda, Ting Wen, Marc E. Rothenberg
Summary: This study investigated whether molecular mRNA profiling of a distal esophageal biopsy sample predicts eosinophilia in the proximal esophagus. The results showed a negative correlation between the distal molecular profile score and proximal eosinophil levels. Analysis of histologically negative distal biopsy samples predicted the presence of proximal esophagitis with high sensitivity.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Archana Upadhyay, Raza Muhammad Waleed, Jinhua Wang, Jianguo Zhao, Qingfeng Guan, Chenghong Liao, Qian Han
Summary: This study demonstrates an efficient detection system for parasitic vector-borne pathogens by linking the LAMP assay to a smartphone, providing a simple, inexpensive, and portable tool for diagnosing canine diseases and other parasitic diseases. The sensitivity of the LAMP assay is high, making it a potential platform for field-based diagnostics of various zoonotic diseases.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Ana Mafalda Dordio, Relja Beck, Telmo Nunes, Isabel Pereira da Fonseca, Jacinto Gomes
Summary: This study detected canine vector-borne bacteria and protozoa in dogs from southern Portugal using molecular methods. The most commonly found infections were Hepatozoon spp., Mycoplasma spp., Anaplasma spp./Ehrlichia spp., and Babesia spp. DNA sequencing identified specific species such as B. canis and M. haematoparvum. The importance of molecular methods in identifying CVBD pathogens and guiding veterinarians' clinical approach was highlighted.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Nina S. Smirnova, Alexey Kostarnoy, Alexey Kondratev, Petya G. Gancheva, Daniil A. Grumov, Alexander L. Gintsburg
Summary: The diagnostic value of IgA antibody determination was investigated in patients with tick-borne spotted fever. The analysis of both IgA and IgM can significantly enhance the accuracy of diagnostics of tick-borne spotted fever rickettsiosis.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Juergen Kruecken, Gabor A. Czirjak, Sabrina Ramunke, Maria Serocki, Sonja K. Heinrich, Joerg Melzheimer, M. Carolina Costa, Heribert Hofer, Ortwin H. K. Aschenborn, Nancy A. Barker, Stefano Capodanno, Luis Madeira de Carvalho, Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Marion L. East, Bettina Wachter
Summary: A study on brown and spotted hyenas in Namibia and Tanzania revealed high frequencies of various pathogens, with frequent co-infections observed in the samples. Ecological conditions were found to have a greater impact on pathogen diversity and frequency than host taxonomy.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Linda Kidd
Summary: The increasing prevalence of tick-borne diseases highlights the need to consider various pathogens and coinfection in patients. Comprehensive testing using PCR and serology, as well as repeat testing, can help identify infections and improve outcomes, especially in patients with suspected immune-mediated diseases.
VETERINARY CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA-SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE
(2022)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Kaja Troha, Nina Bozanic Urbancic, Misa Korva, Tatjana Avsic-Zupanc, Saba Battelino, Domen Vozel
Summary: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by the highly invasive bacterium Francisella tularensis. It can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected animals or by vectors. Although it is known as a tick-borne illness, it is often not immediately recognized after a tick bite. In Slovenia, tularemia is rare but the incidence appears to be increasing. Ulceroglandular tularemia, characterized by cervical colliquative lymphadenopathy, is one of the most common forms of the disease. Diagnosis relies on epidemiological information, clinical examination, imaging, and molecular studies.
TROPICAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Andrea Springer, Antje Glass, Julia Probst, Christina Strube
Summary: Ticks play a crucial role in transmitting zoonotic pathogens between humans and animals, supporting the One Health concept. While there are differences in the relevance of TBDs in human and veterinary medicine, a One Health approach can lead to synergistic benefits by promoting the development of new diagnostic tools. Collaboration in addressing existing gaps and opportunities in a One Health framework is essential for tackling tick-borne diseases effectively.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Onyekwere Joseph Okoro, Gideon Gywa Deme, Charles Obinwanne Okoye, Sabina Chioma Eze, Elijah Chibueze Odii, Janet Temitope Gbadegesin, Emmanuel Sunday Okeke, Greater Kayode Oyejobi, Raphael Nyaruaba, Chike Chukwuenyem Ebido
Summary: Mosquitoes and snails in the African ecoregion are commonly found freshwater organisms that can transmit devastating diseases. The increasing population distributions of these organisms are directly associated with the rising vector-borne diseases in Africa. Further studies on the environmental conditions and vectorial capacities are needed to guide policymakers in controlling these diseases.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Patricia Perez Perez, Ivan Rodriguez-Escolar, Elena Carreton, Jose Angel Sanchez Agudo, Jacob Lorenzo-Morales, Jose Alberto Montoya-Alonso, Rodrigo Morchon
Summary: This study analyzed the prevalence and distribution of canine vector-borne diseases caused by Dirofilaria immitis, Leishmania infantum, Anaplasma platys, and Ehrlichia canis in Castilla y Leon, Spain. The results showed that infected animals were mainly located in areas with stagnant water, irrigated agriculture, or riverbanks, always near forest and woodland vegetation. Dogs in this region should take prophylactic measures to prevent infections.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Bayissa Chala, Feyissa Hamde
Summary: Vector-borne emerging and re-emerging diseases pose significant public health challenges globally. Interactions among pathogens, hosts, environment, and social demographic factors are key to the emergence and re-emergence of these diseases. Ongoing evolution of pathogens, population growth, urbanization, and climate change are among the factors linked with the appearance and resurgence of vector-borne infectious diseases.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Tzushan S. Yang, Mason Reichard, Jennifer E. Thomas, Laura S. Miller, Henry S. Marr, Michael Karounos, Aaron J. Bell, Adam J. Birkenheuer
Summary: This study provides the first direct visualization of any developing stage of Cytauxzoon felis in ticks using a combination of molecular and microscopic techniques. It lays the foundation for further investigations into the life cycle of C. felis.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Hongxia Bai, Leonard B. B. Collins, Marcos Rogerio Andre, Edward B. B. Breitschwerdt, Taufika Islam Williams
Summary: A bottom-up proteomics workflow was developed to study a system containing multiple organisms, allowing a thorough understanding of their interactions. The workflow utilized label-free quantification proteomics with nanoLC-MS/MS. Detailed instructions were provided to promote the adoption of this workflow in other laboratories.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Natalie Thiel, Marissa Baker, Beth Lipton, Lee Fuller, Edward B. Breitschwerdt, Peter Rabinowitz
Summary: This study investigated personal protective equipment use, injury frequency, and Bartonella seroreactivity in veterinary workers in Washington State. The results showed that Bartonella seroreactivity ranged from 24.0% to 55.2% depending on the titer cutoff. No significant predictors of seroreactivity were found, although the relationship between high-risk status and increased seroreactivity for some Bartonella species approached significance.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Charlotte Moore, Edward B. B. Breitschwerdt, Lisa Kim, Yiyao Li, Kelli Ferris, Ricardo Maggi, Erin Lashnits
Summary: Surveillance of fleas and flea-borne pathogens in cats is crucial for human and animal health. Our study aimed to identify cat and flea factors associated with Bartonella and Rickettsia infection. We found that Bartonella and Rickettsia were the most common pathogens infecting fleas, emphasizing the importance of considering host and vector characteristics in epidemiological studies of flea-borne diseases.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Pabasara Weerarathne, Rebekah Maker, Chaoqun Huang, Brianne Taylor, Shannon R. Cowan, Julia Hyatt, Miruthula Tamil Selvan, Shoroq Shatnawi, Jennifer E. Thomas, James H. Meinkoth, Ruth Scimeca, Adam Birkenheuer, Lin Liu, Mason V. Reichard, Craig A. Miller
Summary: Cytauxzoonosis is a disease caused by C. felis, a parasite transmitted by ticks, that can cause severe illness in domestic cats in the United States. Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent this deadly disease due to difficulties in culturing the parasite in vitro.
Article
Microbiology
Chance Liedig, Pradeep Neupane, Erin Lashnits, Edward B. Breitschwerdt, Ricardo G. Maggi
Summary: This study aims to improve the diagnostic detection of Bartonella henselae by combining patient samples with enriched bacterial cultures. The current methods for growing Bartonella henselae and extracting DNA should be optimized. Sheep blood was added to enhance the growth of Bartonella henselae, and different DNA extraction methods were compared.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Charlotte Moore, Erin Lashnits, Pradeep Neupane, Brian H. H. Herrin, Michael Lappin, Marcos Rogerio Andre, Edward B. B. Breitschwerdt
Summary: The effect of Bartonella henselae on the microbiome of Ctenocephalides felis (the cat flea) was investigated in this study. The microbiome of laboratory-origin C. felis fed on B. henselae-infected cats for 24 h or 9 days was analyzed to identify changes in microbial diversity. It was found that microbial diversity increased after 24 h of feeding on infected cats but returned to baseline after 9 days. B. henselae acquisition was poor, with only one out of four infected flea pools showing detection.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Kylie Grady, Eli Ernst, Patricia L. Secoura, Josh Price, Adam Birkenheuer, Shelly L. Vaden, Jonathan Lidbury, Emily Gould, Jeorg M. Steiner, M. Katherine Tolbert
Summary: This study compared gastric pH and serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with CKD to healthy dogs and found no significant differences between the two groups. These results suggest that prophylactic gastric acid suppression is not necessary in dogs with CKD unless there are other clinical indications.
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Tzushan S. Yang, Mason Reichard, Jennifer E. Thomas, Henry S. Marr, Michael Karounos, Julia Hyatt, Craig Miller, Adam J. Birkenheuer
Summary: The aim of this study was to determine if C. felis sporozoites collected from the salivary glands of Amblyomma americanum ticks could induce cytauxzoonosis in naive cats. The results showed that the inoculums produced by stimulation-fed ticks were capable of causing cytauxzoonosis, validating the feasibility of collecting infectious sporozoites from C. felis-infected ticks.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Tzushan S. Yang, Elise E. B. LaDouceur, Wes A. Baumgartner, Henry S. Marr, Michael Karounos, James Robertson, Nathan Whitehurst, Laura S. Miller, Adam J. Birkenheuer
Summary: This study aims to provide a feasible protocol for preparing high quality paraffin-embedded whole tick histology sections. Two common fixatives, 10% neutral-buffered formalin (NBF) and Bouin's solution, were compared and Bouin's solution showed significantly higher scores in terms of the quality of whole tick sections. The feasibility of using Bouin's solution for producing high quality whole tick sections for other tick species was also demonstrated.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Amy Offutt, Edward B. Breitschwerdt
Summary: This article examines a boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and suggests that poly-microbial vector-borne infections may have contributed to his neuropsychiatric symptoms. Targeted antimicrobial treatment led to substantial improvement in cognitive and neurobehavioral symptoms.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Janice C. C. Bush, Ricardo G. G. Maggi, Edward B. B. Breitschwerdt
Summary: This study investigated the survival ability of Bartonella henselae, the etiological agent of Cat Scratch Disease, in different fluid matrices, and found that it can survive in blood, urine, milk, and saline for several days. It was also observed that the bacteria can be preserved through air-desiccation, which may serve as a potential source of infection for animals and humans.