Article
Microbiology
Agustin Estrada-Pena, Aitor Cevidanes, Hein Sprong, Javier Millan
Summary: Understanding the relationships between ticks and tick-borne pathogens requires integrating data from multiple studies, and ensuring harmonization in data collection, study design, and reporting. Rules should be followed to avoid serendipitous correlations, and raw data should be included in reports. Standardized methods for tick collection should be used, and conclusions based solely on molecular findings should be avoided.
Article
Parasitology
Sergio Villanueva-Saz, Marivi Martinez, Ard M. Nijhof, Bastian Gerst, Michaela Gentil, Elisabeth Mueller, Antonio Fernandez, Ana Gonzalez, Mohamed Sh. Mohamud Yusuf, Grazia Greco, Maite Verde, Giovanni Sgroi, Delia Lacasta, Diana Marteles, Michele Trotta, Ingo Schaefer
Summary: This study assessed the prevalence of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) in stray cats in Zaragoza, Spain, and identified potential risk factors for infection. The findings revealed the presence of various VBP infections in stray cats and emphasized the importance of regular monitoring to prevent and manage potential zoonotic diseases.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Danielle M. Tufts, Ben Adams, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser
Summary: This study used a multi-year, multiple location, longitudinal dataset and mathematical modeling to investigate the coinfection dynamics between Bb and Bm in natural populations of P. leucopus in the eastern USA. The results showed that Bb can survive at lower tick numbers without vertical transmission, while Bm requires more ticks. However, with vertical transmission, Bm can survive at lower tick numbers. Vertical transmission has a strong impact on Bm prevalence early in the active season, while coinfection plays a larger role during the nymphal peak. Future research should examine the sensitivity of Bm vertical transmission and other key processes to local environmental conditions to guide tick-borne pathogen surveillance and control.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Yu-Sheng Pan, Xiao-Ming Cui, Li-Feng Du, Luo-Yuan Xia, Chun-Hong Du, Lesley Bell-Sakyi, Ming-Zhu Zhang, Dai-Yun Zhu, Yi Dong, Wei Wei, Lin Zhao, Yi Sun, Qing-Yu Lv, Run-Ze Ye, Zhi-Hai He, Qian Wang, Liang-Jing Li, Ming-Guo Yao, Tao Xiong, Jia-Fu Jiang, Wu-Chun Cao, Na Jia
Summary: This study identified two Rickettsia species in Haemaphysalis montgomeryi ticks and confirmed co-infection in 25.6% of field-collected ticks. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that one species of Rickettsia overwhelmed the other in cell culture infection models, indicating potential differences in their interactions with the host.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Mathematics, Applied
Vasundhara Rathore, Ayushi Suman, Sarika Jalan
Summary: This study investigates the impact of negative coupling from contrarians in multilayer networks of phase oscillators with higher-order interactions. It is found that the multilayer framework facilitates the onset of synchronization, with the multilayer strength governing the onset and nature of the phase transition, and higher-order interactions dictating the backward critical coupling.
Review
Microbiology
Aurore Picot, Shota Shibasaki, Oliver J. Meacock, Sara Mitri
Summary: This review article discusses how theoretical approaches are used to extract interaction measurements from experimental data in microbiology. The authors suggest avoiding the use of the gLV model for estimating interactions in batch culture and propose alternative approaches such as the serial-transfer and chemostat systems. This is expected to increase the tractability of microbial model systems for both experimentalists and theoreticians.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Zewen Gu, Xiaoxuan Ding, Xiaonan Hou, Jianqiao Ye
Summary: This paper proposes a new 3D discrete element model (DEM) combined with machine learning and genetic algorithm techniques to accurately simulate the interactions between material particles in general anisotropic composite materials.
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
D. J. Shaw, K. Czekoova, R. Marecek, B. Havlice Spilakova, M. Brazdil
Summary: We interact with others in various social contexts throughout our lives. Recent research shows that the cognitive processes underlying interactive behavior are supported by multiple functional brain networks that dynamically integrate with each other in response to situational demands. Different types of interaction lead to distinct patterns of dynamism among these brain networks.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sabine Dritz, Rebecca A. Nelson, Fernanda S. Valdovinos
Summary: Understanding the assembly of plant-pollinator communities is crucial for their conservation amidst increasing species invasions, extirpations, and range shifts. This study investigates the role of intra-guild indirect interactions and adaptive foraging in shaping the structure of plant-pollinator networks during assembly. The findings show that colonizers leverage indirect competition to establish, while adaptive foraging maintains species coexistence and produces nested networks.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Elgin Korkmazhan, Alexander R. Dunn
Summary: This study explores the stability of ecosystems using random matrix theory and reveals a nonmonotonic relationship between species diversity and stability. The research also investigates the impact of high-order correlations among species interactions and discusses how different types of next-to-nearest-neighbor correlations influence the stability of predator-prey networks compared to mutualist-competitive networks.
Article
Ecology
Alexander T. Strauss, Lucas Bowerman, Anita Porath-Krause, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer
Summary: The interaction between host resources and pathogens has a significant impact on disease risk, especially in the presence of multiple pathogens. Co-inoculated hosts show emergent patterns of infection risk and viral richness that vary with nitrogen and phosphorus supply. Understanding these within-host interactions is crucial for accurate predictions of disease risk.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Mathias Bonal, Lise Goetghebuer, Clemence Joseph, Didier Gonze, Karoline Faust, Isabelle F. George
Summary: The dynamics of a community of four planktonic bacterial strains isolated from river water were studied in R2 broth for 72 hours. Two interaction networks were constructed to summarize the impact of the strains on each other's growth rate and carrying capacity. The results showed that growth rate and carrying capacity were positively correlated, and that a minor strain could greatly influence the dynamics of a dominant one.
CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ainhoa Magrach, Maddi Artamendi, Paula Dominguez Lapido, Clara Parejo, Encarnacion Rubio
Summary: In recent years, research has focused on the importance of temporal and spatial dynamics in shaping plant and pollinator communities. However, few studies have simultaneously examined these dynamics and collected data across different habitat types. This study used a dataset collected in two contrasting habitat types over two years to evaluate species and interaction persistence, pollinator fidelity, and turnover patterns in interaction composition. The results suggest that moderately generalist species show the greatest fidelity to the subset of plant species they visit through space and time, and that interaction turnover is driven by changes in species composition and indirect competitive interactions between pollinator species. These findings contribute to our understanding of community assembly patterns beyond niche or neutral processes.
Article
Microbiology
Shilong Duan, Stephane Declerck, Gu Feng, Lin Zhang
Summary: AM fungi form a continuum between roots and soil, and the communication between the plant-fungus interface and the fungus-bacteria interface in this mutualism is not well understood.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Clement E. Gille, Patrick M. Finnegan, Patrick E. Hayes, Kosala Ranathunge, Treena I. Burgess, Felix de Tombeur, Duccio Migliorini, Paul Dallongeville, Gaetan Glauser, Hans Lambers
Summary: Nonmycorrhizal plants enhance the defense of mycorrhizal plants against soil-borne pathogens through their symbiosis, and ectomycorrhizal fungi play a vital role in the interactions between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants in severely P-impoverished environments.
Article
Immunology
Marinela Contreras, Joaquin Vicente, Jose Joaquin Ceron, Silvia Martinez Subiela, Jose Miguel Urra, Francisco J. Rodriguez-del-Rio, Elisa Ferreras-Colino, Rita Vaz-Rodrigues, Isabel G. de Fernandez G. de Mera, Sandra Antunes, Ana Domingos, Christian Gortazar, Jose de la Fuente
Summary: This study identified potential diagnostic, prognostic, and protective antibody binding epitopes for SARS-CoV-2. The results provide new tools for COVID-19 surveillance and risk evaluation in hospitalized patients, as well as potential insights for the development of new vaccines.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohan Gupta, Roji Raut, Sulochana Manandhar, Ashok Chaudhary, Ujwal Shrestha, Saubhagya Dangol, G. C. Sudarshan, Keshab Raj Budha, Gaurab Karki, Sandra Diaz-Sanchez, Christian Gortazar, Jose de la Fuente, Pragun Rajbhandari, Prajwol Manandhar, Rajindra Napit, Dibesh Karmacharya
Summary: This study aimed to isolate and test potential probiotics bacteria from the cloacal swabs of indigenous chicken breeds in the rural outskirts of Kathmandu valley, Nepal. Four strains of Lactobacillus spp. with potential probiotics properties were identified. Further research is needed to evaluate these strains for use as poultry probiotics feed supplements.
Article
Parasitology
Adnan Hodzic, Nolwenn M. Dheilly, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, David Berry
Summary: Gastrointestinal helminths manipulate the host microbiome to create a favorable environment for their survival, and understanding the helminth-associated microbiome may lead to alternative control strategies against parasitic diseases.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Rita Vaz-Rodrigues, Lorena Mazuecos, Margarita Villar, Jose Miguel Urra, Christian Gortazar, Jose de la Fuente
Summary: The aim of this study was to identify serum protein biomarkers for nutritional status to predict disease symptoms in COVID-19 patients before and after vaccination. Proteomics analysis revealed significant differences in serum proteins between pre-vaccine cohorts, with AGPs, CRP, and RBP increasing with COVID-19 severity, while albumin, TTR, and TF decreased. Immunoassay validated the results for albumin and RBP. In post-vaccine cohorts, the same pattern was observed for AGPs, CRP, albumin, and TTR, but TF levels were similar and RBP showed a slight reduction. Immunoassay validated the results for albumin, TTR, and TF. The study identified serum nutritional biomarkers that could predict COVID-19 prognosis and emphasized the importance of personalized nutrition protocols in managing the disease.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Agustin Estrada-Pena, Jose de la Fuente
Summary: Ticks and tick-borne diseases have a global impact on human and animal health. This study used scientometric analysis to evaluate trends and gaps in anti-tick vaccine research. The analysis revealed the need for new candidates for vaccine development, the lack of participation from African and Asian countries, and the importance of sustained and integrated research.
Article
Microbiology
Alexandra Corduneanu, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Dasiel Obregon, Attila D. D. Sandor, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Bat gut microbiomes are adapted to specific diets, but the influence of diet on microbial community assembly is not fully understood. In this study, network analysis was used to characterize the microbial community assembly of five selected bat species with different diets and habitats. The results showed that diet alone may not be the sole factor determining bat gut microbiome assembly, as other factors such as host ecology and sociality may also play a role.
Letter
Infectious Diseases
Agustin Estrada-Pena
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Juste Azelyte, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Rita Ziegyte, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Dasiel Obregon, Vaidas Palinauskas, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Avian malaria infection does not significantly change the alpha and beta diversity of the bird gut microbiome, but it does alter the composition and abundance of certain bacterial taxa. The progression of microbiome structural states differs between infected and uninfected birds. Infection by avian malaria parasites is associated with the presence of specific metabolic pathways and the abundance of these pathways changes over the course of infection.
Article
Ecology
Alberto Moraga-Fernandez, Pilar Oliva-Vidal, Marta Sanchez-Sanchez, Clara Munoz-Hernandez, Jose Maria Martinez, Antoni Margalida, Jose de la Fuente, Isabel G. Fernandez de Mera
Summary: There is a knowledge gap in the study of Argasidae soft ticks and the pathogens they can transmit. These ticks are widely distributed and are often considered typical bird ectoparasites. Tick-parasitized birds can act as reservoirs of pathogens and also spread these infected ticks to new areas.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Dejan Jakimovski, Krsto Grozdanovski, Goran Rangelov, Verica Pavleva, Pavle Banovit, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Katerina Spasovska
Summary: The last reported case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in North Macedonia occurred over 50 years ago in the northwest region. However, a recent fatal case of CCHF was reported in July 2023 in the eastern part of the country, following a tick bite from Hyalomma ticks. Contact tracing identified one healthcare worker (HCW) who had contracted CCHF while providing care for the patient. As of now, 28 days after the death of the initial case, no further cases have been identified among the monitored contacts, including 11 additional HCW contacts.
Article
Microbiology
Karolina Svobodova, Apolline Maitre, Dasiel Obreg, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Srinivas Thaduri, Barbara Locke, Joachim R. de Miranda, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Alena Bruce Krejc, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: The spread of the parasite Varroa destructor and associated viruses has led to significant losses in honey bee colonies. The gut microbiota plays a major role in honey bees' resistance and tolerance to these parasites and viruses, but the contribution of viruses to the assembly of the microbiota in the context of varroa resistance and susceptibility is unclear. This study used a network approach to investigate the impact of five viruses on the gut microbiota assembly of varroa-susceptible and varroa-surviving honey bees. The findings suggest that varroa-surviving honey bees have a different microbiota assembly compared to varroa-susceptible honey bees, and viral pathogens are nested differently within the bacterial communities of these two groups. The results also show that the removal of viral nodes has a significant impact on the microbial networks of varroa-susceptible honey bees but not varroa-surviving honey bees. Additionally, the functional pathways in the bacterial communities of varroa-surviving honey bees were found to be different, with an increase in pathways related to antiviral compounds. This study highlights the importance of understanding the protective mechanisms mediated by the microbiota in order to develop effective strategies for controlling viral infections in honey bees.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jose de la Fuente, Agustin Estrada-Pena, Christian Gortazar, Rita Vaz-Rodrigues, Isabel Sanchez, Juan Carrion Tudela
Summary: This study used a citizen science approach to evaluate the risks associated with Lyme borreliosis (LB) and the implementation of control interventions in Spain. The results showed that factors such as age, gender, tick bites, disease clinical signs, comorbidities, health care services, and treatment effectiveness affect LB. The main conclusion of the study is the need for better surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of LB and related comorbidities, as well as the development and implementation of new interventions.
VECTOR-BORNE AND ZOONOTIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sabir Hussain, Abrar Hussain, Muhammad Umair Aziz, Baolin Song, Jehan Zeb, F. M. Yasir Hasib, Angel Almendros, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, David George, Olivier Sparagano
Summary: In recent years, vector-borne diseases have become more prevalent worldwide and pose a burden on animal health. However, there has been no research on the occurrence of these diseases in pet dogs and cats in Hong Kong SAR. This study is the first to determine the seroprevalence of major vector-borne diseases in dogs and cats, such as those caused by D. immitis, E. canis, E. ewingii, A. phagocytophilum, A. platys, and B. burgdorferi s.s. The study also found the presence of Babesia sp. through PCR and DNA sequencing.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jose de la Fuente, Lorena Mazuecos, Marinela Contreras
Summary: Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a global threat to human and animal health. Developing vaccines for tick control and pathogen transmission is still a challenge. Only two registered vaccines based on recombinant Bm86/Bm95 antigens have been commercialized for controlling cattle-tick infestations. However, new technologies and approaches are being explored for the development of vaccines and paratransgenic interventions to control tick-borne diseases.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
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.