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Foster E, Maes SA, Holcomb KM, Eisen RJ. Prevalence of five human pathogens in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus by region, state, and county in the contiguous United States generated through national tick surveillance. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102250. [PMID: 37703795 PMCID: PMC10629455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
The majority of vector-borne disease cases reported in the United States (U.S.) are caused by pathogens spread by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. In recent decades, the geographic ranges of the tick and its associated human pathogens have expanded, putting an increasing number of communities at risk for tick-borne infections. In 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated a national tick surveillance program to monitor changes in the distribution and abundance of ticks and the presence and prevalence of human pathogens in them. We assessed the geographical representativeness of prevalence data submitted to CDC as part of the national tick surveillance effort. We describe county, state, and regional variation in the prevalence of five human pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.), Borrelia mayonii, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti) in host-seeking I. scapularis and I. pacificus nymphs and adults. Although I. scapularis and I. pacificus are widely distributed in the eastern and western U.S., respectively, pathogen prevalence was estimated predominantly in ticks collected in the Northeast, Ohio Valley, and Upper Midwest regions, where human Lyme disease cases are most commonly reported. Within these regions, we found that state and regional estimates of pathogen prevalence generally reached predictable and stable levels, but variation in prevalence estimates at the sub-state level was considerable. Borrelia burgdorferi s.s. was the most prevalent and widespread pathogen detected. Borrelia miyamotoi and A. phagocytophilum shared a similarly broad geographic range, but were consistently detected at much lower prevalence compared with B. burgdorferi s.s. Babesia microti was detected at similar prevalence to A. phagocytophilum, where both pathogens co-occurred, but was reported over a much more limited geographic range compared with A. phagocytophilum or B. burgdorferi s.s. Borrelia mayonii was identified at very low prevalence with a focal distribution within the Upper Midwest. National assessments of risk for tick-borne diseases need to be improved through collection and testing of ticks in currently under-represented regions, including the West, South, Southeast, and eastern Plains states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
| | - Sarah A Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Karen M Holcomb
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Narvaez ZE, Rainey T, Puelle R, Khan A, Jordan RA, Egizi AM, Price DC. Detection of multiple tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes scapularis from Hunterdon County, NJ, USA. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 4:100140. [PMID: 37680762 PMCID: PMC10481180 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Several human pathogens vectored by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis Say; Acari: Ixodidae) are endemic in the state of New Jersey. Disease incidence data suggest that these conditions occur disproportionately in the northwestern portion of the state, including in the county of Hunterdon. We conducted active surveillance at three forested sites in Hunterdon County during 2020 and 2021, collecting 662 nymphal and adult I. scapularis. Ticks were tested for five pathogens by qPCR/qRT-PCR: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus (POWV) lineage 2. Over 2 years, 25.4% of nymphs and 58.4% of adults were found infected with at least one pathogen, with 10.6% of all ticks infected with more than one pathogen. We report substantial spatial and temporal variability of A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi, with high relative abundance of the human-infective A. phagocytophilum variant Ap-ha. Notably, POWV was detected for the first time in Hunterdon, a county where human cases have not been reported. Based on comparisons with active surveillance initiatives in nearby counties, further investigation of non-entomological factors potentially influencing rates of tick-borne illness in Hunterdon is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe E. Narvaez
- Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Tadhgh Rainey
- Hunterdon County Department of Health, 314 State Route 12, Flemington, NJ, 08822, USA
| | - Rose Puelle
- Hunterdon Healthcare Partners, 114 Broad St, Flemington, NJ, 08822, USA
| | - Arsala Khan
- Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Robert A. Jordan
- Tick-borne Diseases Laboratory, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ, 07724, USA
| | - Andrea M. Egizi
- Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Tick-borne Diseases Laboratory, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ, 07724, USA
| | - Dana C. Price
- Rutgers University Center for Vector Biology, 180 Jones Ave, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
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Burde J, Bloch EM, Kelly JR, Krause PJ. Human Borrelia miyamotoi Infection in North America. Pathogens 2023; 12:553. [PMID: 37111439 PMCID: PMC10145171 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12040553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging pathogen that causes a febrile illness and is transmitted by the same hard-bodied (ixodid) ticks that transmit several other pathogens, including Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease. B. miyamotoi was discovered in 1994 in Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Japan. It was first reported in humans in 2011 in Russia. It has subsequently been reported in North America, Europe, and Asia. B. miyamotoi infection is widespread in Ixodes ticks in the northeastern, northern Midwestern, and far western United States and in Canada. In endemic areas, human B. miyamotoi seroprevalence averages from 1 to 3% of the population, compared with 15 to 20% for B. burgdorferi. The most common clinical manifestations of B. miyamotoi infection are fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia, and nausea. Complications include relapsing fever and rarely, meningoencephalitis. Because clinical manifestations are nonspecific, diagnosis requires laboratory confirmation by PCR or blood smear examination. Antibiotics are effective in clearing infection and are the same as those used for Lyme disease, including doxycycline, tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin, and ceftriaxone. Preventive measures include avoiding areas where B. miyamotoi-infected ticks are found, landscape management, and personal protective strategies such as protective clothing, use of acaricides, and tick checks with rapid removal of embedded ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed Burde
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Evan M. Bloch
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21217, USA
| | - Jill R. Kelly
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter J. Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Fleshman AC, Foster E, Maes SE, Eisen RJ. Reported County-Level Distribution of Seven Human Pathogens Detected in Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Contiguous United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1328-1335. [PMID: 35583265 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tickborne disease cases account for over 75% of reported vector-borne disease cases in the United States each year. In addition to transmitting the agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu strict [Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae] and Borrelia mayonii [Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae]), the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus collectively transmit five additional human pathogens. By mapping the distributions of tickborne pathogens in host-seeking ticks, we can understand where humans are at risk of contracting tickborne diseases and devise targeted strategies to prevent them. Using publicly available tickborne pathogen surveillance databases, internal CDC pathogen testing databases, and SCOPUS search records published since 2000, we mapped the county-level distribution of Borrelia miyamotoi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae), Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae), Babesia microti (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae), and Powassan virus (Flaviviridae) reported in host-seeking I. scapularis or I. pacificus in the contiguous United States. We also updated recently published maps of the distributions of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Borrelia mayonii. All seven pathogen distributions were more limited than the distributions of vector ticks, with at least one of the seven pathogens detected in 30 states out of 41 total states (73.2% of states) where vector ticks are considered to be established. Prevention and diagnosis of tickborne diseases rely on an accurate understanding by the public and health care providers of where people are at risk for exposure to infected ticks. Our county-level pathogen distribution maps expand on previous efforts showing the distribution of Lyme disease spirochetes and highlight counties where further investigation may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Fleshman
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Erik Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
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Jordan RA, Gable S, Egizi A. Relevance of Spatial and Temporal Trends in Nymphal Tick Density and Infection Prevalence for Public Health and Surveillance Practice in Long-Term Endemic Areas: A Case Study in Monmouth County, NJ. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1451-1466. [PMID: 35662344 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health problem in the United States, and the US northeast has reported consistently high case rates for decades. Monmouth County, New Jersey, was one of the earliest jurisdictions to report Lyme disease cases in 1979 and reports several hundred cases per year nearly 40 yr later. In the time since, however, tick-borne health risks have expanded far beyond Lyme disease to include a variety of other bacterial pathogens and viruses, and additional vectors, necessitating a continually evolving approach to tick surveillance. In 2017, Monmouth County initiated an active surveillance program targeting sites across three ecological regions for collection of Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) and Amblyomma americanum L. (Acari: Ixodidae) as well as testing via qPCR for associated bacterial pathogens. During the first five years of this program (2017-2021), we report high levels of spatiotemporal variability in nymphal density and infection prevalence in both species, limiting the granularity with which human risk can be predicted from acarological data. Nonetheless, broader patterns emerged, including an ongoing trend of A. americanum dominance, risks posed by Borrelia miyamotoi, and the frequency of coinfected ticks. We present some of the first county-level, systematic surveillance of nymphal A. americanum density and infection prevalence in the northeastern US. We also documented a temporary decline in Borrelia burgdorferi that could relate to unmeasured trends in reservoir host populations. We discuss the implications of our findings for tick-borne disease ecology, public health communication, and tick surveillance strategies in endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Jordan
- Tick-borne Disease Program, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724, USA
- Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Sydney Gable
- Tick-borne Disease Program, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724, USA
- Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Andrea Egizi
- Tick-borne Disease Program, Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division, 1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724, USA
- Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, 180 Jones Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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Karshima SN, Ahmed MI, Kogi CA, Iliya PS. Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection rates in questing and host-attached ticks: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Trop 2022; 228:106299. [PMID: 34998998 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum causes a multi-organ non-specific febrile illness referred to as human granulocytic anaplasmosis. The epidemiologic risk of the pathogen is underestimated despite human encroachment into the natural habitats of ticks. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the global infection rates and distribution of A. phagocytophilum in tick vectors. We pooled data using the random-effects model, assessed individual study quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal instrument for prevalence studies and determined heterogeneity and across study bias using Cochran's Q-test and Egger's regression test respectively. A total of 126 studies from 33 countries across 4 continents reported A. phagocytophilum estimated infection rate of 4.76% (9453/174,967; 95% CI: 3.96, 5.71). Estimated IRs across sub-groups varied significantly (p <0.05) with a range of 1.95 (95% CI: 0.63, 5.86) to 7.15% (95% CI: 5.31, 9.56). Country-based IRs ranged between 0.42 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.80) in Belgium and 37.54% (95% CI: 0.72, 98.03) in Norway. The highest number of studies on A. phagocytophilum were in Europe (82/126) by continent and the USA (33/126) by country. The risk of transmitting this pathogens from ticks to animals and humans exist and therefore, we recommend the use of chemical and biological control measures as well as repellents and protective clothing by occupationally exposed individuals to curtail further transmission of the pathogen to humans and animals.
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Foster E, Burtis J, Sidge JL, Tsao JI, Bjork J, Liu G, Neitzel DF, Lee X, Paskewitz S, Caporale D, Eisen RJ. Inter-annual variation in prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) at long-term surveillance sites in the upper midwestern United States: Implications for public health practice. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101886. [PMID: 34929604 PMCID: PMC10621653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The geographic range of the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and its associated human pathogens have expanded substantially over the past 20 years putting an increasing number of persons at risk for tick-borne diseases, particularly in the upper midwestern and northeastern United States. Prevention and diagnosis of tick-borne diseases rely on an accurate understanding by the public and health care providers of when and where persons may be exposed to infected ticks. While tracking changes in the distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens provides fundamental information on risk for tick-borne diseases, metrics that incorporate prevalence of infection in ticks better characterize acarological risk. However, assessments of infection prevalence are more labor intensive and costly than simple measurements of tick or pathogen presence. Our objective was to examine whether data derived from repeated sampling at longitudinal sites substantially influences public health recommendations for Lyme disease and anaplasmosis prevention, or if more constrained sampling is sufficient. Here, we summarize inter-annual variability in prevalence of the agents of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi s.s.) and anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) in host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs and adults at 28 longitudinal sampling sites in the Upper Midwestern US (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). Infection prevalence was highly variable among sites and among years within sites. We conclude that monitoring infection prevalence in ticks aids in describing coarse acarological risk trends, but setting a fixed prevalence threshold for prevention or diagnostic decisions is not feasible given the observed variability and lack of temporal trends. Reducing repeated sampling of the same sites had minimal impact on regional (Upper Midwest) estimates of average infection prevalence; this information should be useful in allocating scarce public health resources for tick and tick-borne pathogen surveillance, prevention, and control activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
| | - James Burtis
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Jennifer L Sidge
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lansing, MI 48933, USA
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Gongping Liu
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - David F Neitzel
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55164, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Susan Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Diane Caporale
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Fellin E, Schulte-Hostedde A. Tick infestation effects on haemoglobin levels of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus). Parasitology 2022; 149:209-217. [PMID: 35234604 PMCID: PMC11010517 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021001700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are hosts to ixodid ticks as well as the associated tick-borne pathogens they can spread. As the ranges of black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) expand northwards, naïve host populations of deer mice are likely to become infested by ticks and experience the physiological effects that ticks can have on them via blood-feeding. The prevalence of these haematophagous ticks can affect the haemoglobin levels of the mice they infest. Haemoglobin levels were compared and analysed in deer mice populations at three different sites with varying tick exposure. These results suggested that without confounding effects, the abundance of black-legged and American dog ticks on individual mice had a significant negative effect on the hosts' haemoglobin levels, but only in an area with high tick infestation. This was seen across the average haemoglobin levels between populations, where there was a significant difference between the source population with the longest established tick populations and the source population where neither black-legged nor American dog ticks were prevalent. As the ticks' ranges expand and they become more abundant, it is important to understand how their prevalence and intensity can alter host physiology, potentially affecting their own range expansion and the spread of the diseases they may carry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Fellin
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
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Karshima SN, Karshima MN, Ahmed MI. Infection rates, species diversity, and distribution of zoonotic Babesia parasites in ticks: a global systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasitol Res 2021; 121:311-334. [PMID: 34750651 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07359-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic Babesia species are emerging public health threats globally, and are the cause of a mild to severe malaria-like disease which may be life threatening in immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we determine the global infection rate, distribution, and the diversity of zoonotic Babesia species in tick vectors using a systematic review and meta-analysis. We used the random-effects model to pool data and determined quality of individual studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal instrument for prevalence studies, heterogeneity using Cochran's Q test, and across study bias using Egger's regression test. Herein, we reported a 2.16% (3915/175345, 95% CI: 1.76-2.66) global infection rate of zoonotic Babesia species (B. divergens, B. microti, and B. venatorum) in tick vectors across 36 countries and 4 continents. Sub-group infection rates ranged between 0.65% (95% CI: 0.09-4.49) and 3.70% (95% CI: 2.61-5.21). B. microti was the most prevalent (1.79%, 95% CI: 1.38-2.31) species reported in ticks, while Ixodes scapularis recorded the highest infection rate (3.92%, 95% CI: 2.55-5.99). Larvae 4.18% (95% CI: 2.15-7.97) and females 4.08% (95% CI: 2.56-6.43) were the tick stage and sex with the highest infection rates. The presence of B. divergens, B. microti, and B. venatorum in tick vectors as revealed by the present study suggests possible risk of transmission of these pathogens to humans, especially occupationally exposed population. The control of tick vectors through chemical and biological methods as well as the use of repellants and appropriate clothing by occupationally exposed population are suggested to curtail the epidemiologic, economic, and public health threats associated with this emerging public health crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solomon Ngutor Karshima
- Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Jos, PMB 2084, Jos, Nigeria.
| | - Magdalene Nguvan Karshima
- Department of Parasitology and Entomology, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, PMB 2076, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
| | - Musa Isiyaku Ahmed
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru, PMB 28, Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria
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10
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Fellin E, Schulte-Hostedde A. Effects of ticks on community assemblages of ectoparasites in deer mice. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 13:101846. [PMID: 34666287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Ectoparasites are fundamental to ecosystems, playing a key role in trophic regulation. Fleas, mites, and ticks are common hematophagous ectoparasites that infest shared mammalian hosts. One common host in Ontario, Canada, is the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus). As the climate warms and the geographic ranges of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) expand, their introduction to new ecosystems may alter current ectoparasite communities. At three different sites where exposure to ticks varied (both in terms of tick diversity and abundance), ectoparasite community structures found on deer mouse hosts were examined, focusing on species co-occurrences and habitat partitioning on the host. We predicted that when tick species were prevalent, ticks would dominate the micro-habitat attachment sites often inhabited by other parasites, thereby significantly altering parasite community structure. Our results suggest that blacklegged ticks and American dog ticks could have a positive association with each other, but a negative or random association with other ectoparasite species, even when they do not occupy the same attachment site. Sampling site played a significant role in community assemblages as well, possibly due to the differences in tick exposure. As the ticks' ranges expand and they become more abundant, it is important to understand how their prevalence can potentially alter the dynamics in an ectoparasite community, affecting the transmission of pathogens that may spread within an ecosystem, from one host to another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Fellin
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Rd, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada.
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11
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Sidge JL, Foster ES, Buttke DE, Hojgaard A, Graham CB, Tsao JI. Lake Michigan insights from island studies: the roles of chipmunks and coyotes in maintaining Ixodes scapularis and Borrelia burgdorferi in the absence of white-tailed deer. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021; 12:101761. [PMID: 34167044 PMCID: PMC11373426 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Deer management (e.g., reduction) has been proposed as a tool to reduce the acarological risk of Lyme disease. There have been few opportunities to investigate Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick) and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto dynamics in the absence of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in midwestern North America. A pair of islands in Lake Michigan presented a unique opportunity to study the role of alternative hosts for the adult stage of the blacklegged tick for maintaining a tick population as a deer herd exists on North Manitou Island but not on South Manitou Island, where coyotes (Canis latrans) and hares (Lepus americanus) are the dominant medium mammals. Additionally, we were able to investigate the maintenance of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in small mammal communities on both islands, which were dominated by eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). From 2011 to 2015, we surveyed both islands for blacklegged ticks by drag cloth sampling, bird mist netting, and small and medium-sized mammal trapping. We assayed questing ticks, on-host ticks, and mammal biopsies for the Lyme disease pathogen, B. burgdorferi. We detected all three life stages of the blacklegged tick on both islands. Of the medium mammals sampled, no snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus, 0/23) were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, but 2/2 coyotes (Canis latrans) sampled on South Manitou Island in 2014 were parasitized by adult blacklegged ticks, suggesting that coyotes played a role in maintaining the tick population in the absence of deer. We also detected I. scapularis ticks on passerine birds from both islands, providing support that birds contribute to maintaining as well as introducing blacklegged ticks and B. burgdorferi to the islands. We observed higher questing adult and nymphal tick densities, and higher B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in small mammals and in adult ticks on the island with deer as compared to the deer-free island. On the islands, we also found that 25% more chipmunks were tick-infested than mice, fed more larvae and nymphs relative to their proportional abundance compared to mice, and thus may play a larger role compared to mice in the maintenance of B. burgdorferi. Our investigation demonstrated that alternative hosts could maintain a local population of blacklegged ticks and an enzootic cycle of the Lyme disease bacterium in the absence of white-tailed deer. Thus, alternative adult blacklegged tick hosts should be considered when investigating deer-targeted management tools for reducing tick-borne disease risk, especially when the alternative host community may be abundant and diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Sidge
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, State of Michigan, 525 West Allegan Street, Lansing, MI, USA, 48933.
| | - Erik S Foster
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Danielle E Buttke
- Biological Resources Division/Wildlife Health Branch and Office of Public Health, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80525
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Christine B Graham
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO, USA, 80521
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, 784 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI, USA, 48824
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12
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Fleshman AC, Graham CB, Maes SE, Foster E, Eisen RJ. Reported County-Level Distribution of Lyme Disease Spirochetes, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Borrelia mayonii (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), in Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Contiguous United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1219-1233. [PMID: 33600574 PMCID: PMC8355468 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. While Lyme disease vectors are widespread, high incidence states are concentrated in the Northeast, North Central and Mid-Atlantic regions. Mapping the distribution of Lyme disease spirochetes in ticks may aid in providing data-driven explanations of epidemiological trends and recommendations for targeting prevention strategies to communities at risk. We compiled data from the literature, publicly available tickborne pathogen surveillance databases, and internal CDC pathogen testing databases to map the county-level distribution of Lyme disease spirochetes reported in host-seeking Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis across the contiguous United States. We report B. burgdorferi s.s.-infected I. scapularis from 384 counties spanning 26 eastern states located primarily in the North Central, Northeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions, and in I. pacificus from 20 counties spanning 2 western states, with most records reported from northern and north-coastal California. Borrelia mayonii was reported in I. scapularis in 10 counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin in the North Central United States, where records of B. burgdorferi s.s. were also reported. In comparison to a broad distribution of vector ticks, the resulting map shows a more limited distribution of Lyme disease spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy C Fleshman
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Christine B Graham
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Sarah E Maes
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Erik Foster
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
| | - Rebecca J Eisen
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
- Corresponding author, e-mail:
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13
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Gardner AM, Pawlikowski NC, Hamer SA, Hickling GJ, Miller JR, Schotthoefer AM, Tsao JI, Allan BF. Landscape features predict the current and forecast the future geographic spread of Lyme disease. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202278. [PMID: 33352074 PMCID: PMC7779494 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in North America, is increasing in incidence and geographic distribution as the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, spreads to new regions. We re-construct the spatial-temporal invasion of the tick and human disease in the Midwestern US, a major focus of Lyme disease transmission, from 1967 to 2018, to analyse the influence of spatial factors on the geographic spread. A regression model indicates that three spatial factors-proximity to a previously invaded county, forest cover and adjacency to a river-collectively predict tick occurrence. Validation of the predictive capability of this model correctly predicts counties invaded or uninvaded with 90.6% and 98.5% accuracy, respectively. Reported incidence increases in counties after the first report of the tick; based on this modelled relationship, we identify 31 counties where we suspect I. scapularis already occurs yet remains undetected. Finally, we apply the model to forecast tick establishment by 2021 and predict 42 additional counties where I. scapularis will probably be detected based upon historical drivers of geographic spread. Our findings leverage resources dedicated to tick and human disease reporting and provide the opportunity to take proactive steps (e.g. educational efforts) to prevent and limit transmission in areas of future geographic spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Gardner
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Natalie C. Pawlikowski
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Graham J. Hickling
- The Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37966, USA
| | - James R. Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | - Jean I. Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd., East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Brian F. Allan
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois, 505 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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Han S, Hickling GJ, Ogden NH, Ginsberg HS, Kobbekaduwa V, Rulison EL, Beati L, Tsao JI. Seasonality of acarological risk of exposure to Borrelia miyamotoi from questing life stages of Ixodes scapularis collected from Wisconsin and Massachusetts, USA. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 12:101556. [PMID: 33035757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Measures of acarological risk of exposure to Ixodes scapularis-borne disease agents typically focus on nymphs; however, the relapsing fever group spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi can be passed transovarially, and I. scapularis larvae are capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi to their hosts. To quantify the larval contribution to acarological risk, relative to nymphs and adults, we collected questing I. scapularis for 3 yr at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin (WI, n = 23,367 ticks), and Cape Cod, Massachusetts (MA, n = 4190) in the United States. Borrelia miyamotoi infection prevalence was estimated for I. scapularis larvae, nymphs, females, and males, respectively, as 0.88, 2.05, 0.63, and 1.22 % from the WI site and 0.33, 2.32, 2.83, and 2.11 % from the MA site. Densities of B. miyamotoi-infected ticks (DIT, per 1000 m2) were estimated for larvae, nymphs, females, and males, respectively, as 0.36, 0.14, 0.01, and 0.03 from the WI site and 0.05, 0.06, 0.03, and 0.02 from the MA site. Thus, although larval infection prevalence with B. miyamotoi was significantly lower than that of nymphs and similar to that of adults, because of their higher abundance, the larval contribution to the overall DIT was similar to that of nymphs and trended towards a greater contribution than adults. Assuming homogenous contact rates with humans, these results suggest that eco-epidemiological investigations of B. miyamotoi disease in North America should include larvae. A fuller appreciation of the epidemiological implications of these results, therefore, requires an examination of the heterogeneity in contact rates with humans among life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungeun Han
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, St-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada.
| | - Howard S Ginsberg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Kingston, RI 02881, United States.
| | - Vishvapali Kobbekaduwa
- Comparative Medicine and Integrative Biology program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
| | - Eric L Rulison
- California Department of Transportation, Redding, CA 96001, United States.
| | - Lorenza Beati
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, United States.
| | - Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States; Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States.
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15
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Cutler S, Vayssier-Taussat M, Estrada-Peña A, Potkonjak A, Mihalca AD, Zeller H. A new Borrelia on the block: Borrelia miyamotoi - a human health risk? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 24. [PMID: 31064634 PMCID: PMC6505184 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.18.1800170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Borrelia miyamotoi clusters phylogenetically among relapsing fever borreliae, but is transmitted by hard ticks. Recent recognition as a human pathogen has intensified research into its ecology and pathogenic potential. Aims We aimed to provide a timely critical integrative evaluation of our knowledge on B. miyamotoi, to assess its public health relevance and guide future research. Methods This narrative review used peer-reviewed literature in English from January 1994 to December 2018. Results Borrelia miyamotoi occurs in the world’s northern hemisphere where it co-circulates with B. burgdorferi sensu lato, which causes Lyme disease. The two borreliae have overlapping vertebrate and tick hosts. While ticks serve as vectors for both species, they are also reservoirs for B. miyamotoi. Three B. miyamotoi genotypes are described, but further diversity is being recognised. The lack of sufficient cultivable isolates and vertebrate models compromise investigation of human infection and its consequences. Our understanding mainly originates from limited case series. In these, human infections mostly present as influenza-like illness, with relapsing fever in sporadic cases and neurological disease reported in immunocompromised patients. Unspecific clinical presentation, also occasionally resulting from Lyme- or other co-infections, complicates diagnosis, likely contributing to under-reporting. Diagnostics mainly employ PCR and serology. Borrelia miyamotoi infections are treated with antimicrobials according to regimes used for Lyme disease. Conclusions With co-infection of tick-borne pathogens being commonplace, diagnostic improvements remain important. Developing in vivo models might allow more insight into human pathogenesis. Continued ecological and human case studies are key to better epidemiological understanding, guiding intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Cutler
- School of Health, Sport & Bioscience, University of East London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Aleksandar Potkonjak
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Hervé Zeller
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Solna, Sweden
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16
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Xu G, Wielstra B, Rich SM. Northern and southern blacklegged (deer) ticks are genetically distinct with different histories and Lyme spirochete infection rates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10289. [PMID: 32581236 PMCID: PMC7314838 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67259-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the archetypal emerging zoonosis and is dependent on transmission by ticks in the genus Ixodes. Understanding the origin, maintenance, and spread of these ticks contributes much to our understanding of the spread of LB and other disease agents borne by these ticks. We collected 1232 Ixodes scapularis ticks from 17 east coast sites ranging from New Hampshire to Florida and used mtDNA, three nuclear genetic loci, and incorporated Bayesian analyses to resolve geographically distinct tick populations and compare their demographic histories. A sparse, stable, and genetically diverse population of ticks in the Southeastern US, that is rarely infected with the agent of LB is genetically distinct from an abundant, expanding, and comparatively uniform population in the Northeast, where epidemic LB now constitutes the most important vector borne disease in the United States. The contrasting geography and demography of tick populations, interpreted in the context of the geological history of the region, suggests that during the last glacial period such ticks occupied distinct refugia, with only the northern-most site of refuge giving rise to those ticks and pathogens now fueling the epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Xu
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America.
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen M Rich
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America
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17
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Stewart PE, Bloom ME. Sharing the Ride: Ixodes scapularis Symbionts and Their Interactions. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:142. [PMID: 32322563 PMCID: PMC7156593 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The deer tick Ixodes scapularis transmits a variety of disease agents in the United States, spreading the bacteria that causes Lyme borreliosis, the protozoan agent of babesiosis, and viruses such as Powassan. However, a variety of other organisms have also evolved symbiotic relationships with this tick species, and it seems likely that some of these microbes have simultaneously coevolved mechanisms to impact each other and their tick host. The number of organisms identified as I. scapularis symbionts has increased seemingly exponentially with the advent of PCR and next generation sequencing technologies, but convincing arguments have proposed that some of these are of environmental origin, unadapted to surviving the physiological conditions of the tick or that they are artifacts of ultrasensitive detection methods. In this review, we examine the diversity of the known microbes occurring within the I. scapularis microbiome, the evidence for interactions between microbes, and discuss whether some organisms reported to be symbionts of I. scapularis are experimental artifacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip E Stewart
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Marshall E Bloom
- Biology of Vector-Borne Viruses Section, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, United States
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18
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Little EA, Molaei G. Passive Tick Surveillance: Exploring Spatiotemporal Associations of Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae), Babesia microti (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae), and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) Infection in Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; 20:177-186. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eliza A.H. Little
- Department of Entomology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Goudarz Molaei
- Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Environmental Sciences, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut
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19
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Prevention of transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum by Ixodes spp. ticks to dogs treated with the Seresto® collar (imidacloprid 10% + flumethrin 4.5%). Parasitol Res 2019; 119:299-315. [PMID: 31734862 PMCID: PMC6942034 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06394-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The capability of imidacloprid 10% + flumethrin 4.5% (Seresto®) collars to prevent transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap) by naturally infected ticks was evaluated in two studies with 44 dogs. In each study, one group served as non-treated control, whereas the other groups were treated with the Seresto® collar. All dogs were exposed to naturally Bbsl- and Ap-infected hard ticks (Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis). In study 1, tick infestation was performed on study day (SD) 63 (2 months post-treatment [p.t.]); in study 2, it was performed on SD 32 (one month p.t.) respectively SD 219 (seven months p.t.). In situ tick counts were performed 2 days after infestation. Tick counts and removals followed 6 (study 1) or 5 days (study 2) later. Blood sampling was performed for the detection of specific Bbsl and Ap antibodies and, in study 1, for the documentation of Ap DNA by PCR. Skin biopsies were examined for Bbsl by PCR and culture (only study 1). The efficacy against Ixodes spp. was 100% at all time points. In study 1, two of six non-treated dogs became infected with Bbsl, and four of six tested positive for Ap; none of the treated dogs tested positive for Bbsl or Ap. In study 2, ten of ten non-treated dogs became infected with Bbsl and Ap; none of the treated dogs tested positive for Bbsl or Ap; 100% acaricidal efficacy was shown in both studies. Transmission of Bbsl and Ap was successfully blocked for up to 7 months.
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20
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Vertical transmission rates of Borrelia miyamotoi in Ixodes scapularis collected from white-tailed deer. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:682-689. [PMID: 30846418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by ticks in the Ixodes ricinus complex. In the eastern United States, B. miyamotoi is transmitted by I. scapularis, which also vectors several other pathogens including B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. In contrast to Lyme borreliae, B. miyamotoi can be transmitted vertically from infected female ticks to their progeny. Therefore, in addition to nymphs and adults, larvae can vector B. miyamotoi to wildlife and human hosts. Two widely varying filial infection prevalence (FIP) estimates - 6% and 73% - have been reported previously from two vertically infected larval clutches; to our knowledge, no other estimates of FIP or transovarial transmission (TOT) rates for B. miyamotoi have been described in the literature. Thus, we investigated TOT and FIP of larval clutches derived from engorged females collected from hunter-harvested white-tailed deer in 2015 (n = 664) and 2016 (n = 599) from Maine, New Hampshire, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. After engorged females oviposited in the lab, they (n = 492) were tested for B. miyamotoi infection by PCR. Subsequently, from each clutch produced by an infected female, larval pools, as well as 100 individual eggs or larvae, were tested. The TOT rate of the 11 infected females was 90.9% (95% CI; 57.1-99.5%) and the mean FIP of the resulting larval clutches was 84.4% (95% CI; 68.1-100%). Even though the overall observed vertical transmission rate (the product of TOT and FIP; 76.7%, 95% CI; 44.6-93.3%) was high, additional horizontal transmission may be required for enzootic maintenance of B. miyamotoi based on the results of a previously published deterministic model. Further investigation of TOT and FIP variability and the underlying mechanisms, both in nature and the laboratory, will be needed to resolve this question. Meanwhile, studies quantifying the acarological risk of Borrelia miyamotoi disease need to consider not only nymphs and adults, but larval I. scapularis as well.
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21
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Ross BD, Hayes B, Radey MC, Lee X, Josek T, Bjork J, Neitzel D, Paskewitz S, Chou S, Mougous JD. Ixodes scapularis does not harbor a stable midgut microbiome. THE ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:2596-2607. [PMID: 29946195 PMCID: PMC6194123 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0161-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Hard ticks of the order Ixodidae serve as vectors for numerous human pathogens, including the causative agent of Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi. Tick-associated microbes can influence pathogen colonization, offering the potential to inhibit disease transmission through engineering of the tick microbiota. Here, we investigate whether B. burgdorferi encounters abundant bacteria within the midgut of wild adult Ixodes scapularis, its primary vector. Through the use of controlled sequencing methods and confocal microscopy, we find that the majority of field-collected adult I. scapularis harbor limited internal microbial communities that are dominated by endosymbionts. A minority of I. scapularis ticks harbor abundant midgut bacteria and lack B. burgdorferi. We find that the lack of a stable resident midgut microbiota is not restricted to I. scapularis since extension of our studies to I. pacificus, Amblyomma maculatum, and Dermacentor spp showed similar patterns. Finally, bioinformatic examination of the B. burgdorferi genome revealed the absence of genes encoding known interbacterial interaction pathways, a feature unique to the Borrelia genus within the phylum Spirochaetes. Our results suggest that reduced selective pressure from limited microbial populations within ticks may have facilitated the evolutionary loss of genes encoding interbacterial competition pathways from Borrelia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D Ross
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Beth Hayes
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Matthew C Radey
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Tanya Josek
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, 55164, USA
| | - David Neitzel
- Vectorborne Diseases Unit, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN, 55164, USA
| | - Susan Paskewitz
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Joseph D Mougous
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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22
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Eisen RJ, Eisen L. The Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes scapularis: An Increasing Public Health Concern. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:295-309. [PMID: 29336985 PMCID: PMC5879012 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the United States, the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is a vector of seven human pathogens, including those causing Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, Powassan virus disease, and ehrlichiosis associated with Ehrlichia muris eauclarensis. In addition to an accelerated rate of discovery of I. scapularis-borne pathogens over the past two decades, the geographic range of the tick, and incidence and range of I. scapularis-borne disease cases, have increased. Despite knowledge of when and where humans are most at risk of exposure to infected ticks, control of I. scapularis-borne diseases remains a challenge. Human vaccines are not available, and we lack solid evidence for other prevention and control methods to reduce human disease. The way forward is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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A historical snapshot of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens in New Jersey ticks reflects a changing disease landscape. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:418-426. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Layzell SJ, Bailey D, Peacey M, Nuttall PA. Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia miyamotoi in questing Ixodes ricinus ticks from four sites in the UK. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2018; 9:217-224. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Jobe DA, Lovrich SD, Oldenburg DG, Kowalski TJ, Callister SM. Borrelia miyamotoi Infection in Patients from Upper Midwestern United States, 2014-2015. Emerg Infect Dis 2018; 22:1471-3. [PMID: 27434048 PMCID: PMC4982184 DOI: 10.3201/eid2208.151878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We confirmed Borrelia miyamotoi infection in 7 patients who had contracted an illness while near La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA, an area where Ixodes scapularis ticks are endemic. B. miyamatoi infection should now be considered among differential diagnoses for patients from the midwestern United States who have signs and symptoms suggestive of tickborne illness.
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Chromosome and Large Linear Plasmid Sequences of a Borrelia miyamotoi Strain Isolated from Ixodes pacificus Ticks from California. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2017; 5:5/37/e00960-17. [PMID: 28912318 PMCID: PMC5597759 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00960-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi, a relapsing fever group spirochete, is an emerging tick-borne pathogen. It has been identified in ixodid ticks across the Northern Hemisphere, including the West Coast of the United States. We describe the chromosome and large linear plasmid sequence of a B. miyamotoi isolate cultured from a California field-collected Ixodes pacificus tick.
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Breuner NE, Dolan MC, Replogle AJ, Sexton C, Hojgaard A, Boegler KA, Clark RJ, Eisen L. Transmission of Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes in relation to duration of attachment by Ixodes scapularis nymphs. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2017; 8:677-681. [PMID: 28501504 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi sensu lato relapsing fever group spirochetes are emerging as causative agents of human illness (Borrelia miyamotoi disease) in the United States. Host-seeking Ixodes scapularis ticks are naturally infected with these spirochetes in the eastern United States and experimentally capable of transmitting B. miyamotoi. However, the duration of time required from tick attachment to spirochete transmission has yet to be determined. We therefore conducted a study to assess spirochete transmission by single transovarially infected I. scapularis nymphs to outbred white mice at three time points post-attachment (24, 48, and 72h) and for a complete feed (>72-96h). Based on detection of B. miyamotoi DNA from the blood of mice fed on by an infected nymph, the probability of spirochete transmission increased from 10% by 24h of attachment (evidence of infection in 3/30 mice) to 31% by 48h (11/35 mice), 63% by 72h (22/35 mice), and 73% for a complete feed (22/30 mice). We conclude that (i) single I. scapularis nymphs effectively transmit B. miyamotoi relapsing fever group spirochetes while feeding, (ii) transmission can occur within the first 24h of nymphal attachment, and (iii) the probability of transmission increases with the duration of nymphal attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Breuner
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Marc C Dolan
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Adam J Replogle
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Christopher Sexton
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Andrias Hojgaard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Karen A Boegler
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Rebecca J Clark
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, United States.
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Stone BL, Brissette CA. Host Immune Evasion by Lyme and Relapsing Fever Borreliae: Findings to Lead Future Studies for Borrelia miyamotoi. Front Immunol 2017; 8:12. [PMID: 28154563 PMCID: PMC5243832 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emerging pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi, is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same species of Ixodes ticks that carry the causative agents of Lyme disease in the US, Europe, and Asia. Symptoms caused by infection with B. miyamotoi are similar to a relapsing fever infection. However, B. miyamotoi has adapted to different vectors and reservoirs, which could result in unique physiology, including immune evasion mechanisms. Lyme Borrelia utilize a combination of Ixodes-produced inhibitors and native proteins [i.e., factor H-binding proteins (FHBPs)/complement regulator-acquiring surface proteins, p43, BBK32, BGA66, BGA71, CD59-like protein] to inhibit complement, while some relapsing fever spirochetes use C4b-binding protein and likely Ornithodoros-produced inhibitors. To evade the humoral response, Borrelia utilize antigenic variation of either outer surface proteins (Osps) and the Vmp-like sequences (Vls) system (Lyme borreliae) or variable membrane proteins (Vmps, relapsing fever borreliae). B. miyamotoi possesses putative FHBPs and antigenic variation of Vmps has been demonstrated. This review summarizes and compares the common mechanisms utilized by Lyme and relapsing fever spirochetes, as well as the current state of understanding immune evasion by B. miyamotoi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandee L Stone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota , Grand Forks, ND , USA
| | - Catherine A Brissette
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota , Grand Forks, ND , USA
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Lantos PM, Tsao J, Nigrovic LE, Auwaerter PG, Fowler VG, Ruffin F, Foster E, Hickling G. Geographic Expansion of Lyme Disease in Michigan, 2000-2014. Open Forum Infect Dis 2017; 4:ofw269. [PMID: 28480261 PMCID: PMC5412582 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofw269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most Lyme disease cases in the Midwestern United States are reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin. In recent years, however, a widening geographic extent of Lyme disease has been noted with evidence of expansion eastwards into Michigan and neighboring states with historically low incidence rates. Methods We collected confirmed and probable cases of Lyme disease from 2000 through 2014 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, entering them in a geographic information system. We performed spatial focal cluster analyses to characterize Lyme disease expansion. We compared the distribution of human cases with recent Ixodes scapularis tick distribution studies. Results Lyme disease cases in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan expanded more than 5-fold over the study period. Although increases were seen throughout the Upper Peninsula, the Lower Peninsula particularly expanded along the Indiana border north along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Human cases corresponded to a simultaneous expansion in established I scapularis tick populations. Conclusions The geographic distribution of Lyme disease cases significantly expanded in Michigan between 2000 and 2014, particularly northward along the Lake Michigan shore. If such dynamic trends continue, Michigan—and possibly neighboring areas of Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada—can expect a continued increase in Lyme disease cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Lantos
- Divisions of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.,General Internal Medicine
| | - Jean Tsao
- Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife.,Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | - Lise E Nigrovic
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts
| | - Paul G Auwaerter
- Fisher Center for Environmental Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Vance G Fowler
- Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Felicia Ruffin
- Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Erik Foster
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing
| | - Graham Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville
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Han S, Hickling GJ, Tsao JI. High Prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi among Adult Blacklegged Ticks from White-Tailed Deer. Emerg Infect Dis 2016; 22:316-8. [PMID: 26811985 PMCID: PMC4734535 DOI: 10.3201/eid2202.151218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We compared the prevalence of Borrelia miyamotoi infection in questing and deer-associated adult Ixodes scapularis ticks in Wisconsin, USA. Prevalence among deer-associated ticks (4.5% overall, 7.1% in females) was significantly higher than among questing ticks (1.0% overall, 0.6% in females). Deer may be a sylvatic reservoir for this newly recognized zoonotic pathogen.
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Nelder MP, Russell CB, Sheehan NJ, Sander B, Moore S, Li Y, Johnson S, Patel SN, Sider D. Human pathogens associated with the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis: a systematic review. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:265. [PMID: 27151067 PMCID: PMC4857413 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1529-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis transmits Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) in eastern North America; however, the agent of Lyme disease is not the sole pathogen harbored by the blacklegged tick. The blacklegged tick is expanding its range into areas of southern Canada such as Ontario, an area where exposure to blacklegged tick bites and tick-borne pathogens is increasing. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the public health risks posed by expanding blacklegged tick populations and their associated pathogens. METHODS We followed PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for conducting our systematic review. We searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, Scopus and Environment Complete databases for studies published from 2000 through 2015, using subject headings and keywords that included "Ixodes scapularis", "Rickettsia", "Borrelia", "Anaplasma", "Babesia" and "pathogen." Two reviewers screened titles and abstracts against eligibility criteria (i.e. studies that included field-collected blacklegged ticks and studies that did not focus solely on B. burgdorferi) and performed quality assessments on eligible studies. RESULTS Seventy-eight studies were included in the final review, 72 were from the US and eight were from Canada (two studies included blacklegged ticks from both countries). Sixty-four (82%) studies met ≥ 75% of the quality assessment criteria. Blacklegged ticks harbored 91 distinct taxa, 16 of these are tick-transmitted human pathogens, including species of Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Theileria and Flavivirus. Organism richness was highest in the Northeast (Connecticut, New York) and Upper Midwest US (Wisconsin); however, organism richness was dependent on sampling effort. The primary tick-borne pathogens of public health concern in Ontario, due to the geographic proximity or historical detection in Ontario, are Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, B. burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, deer tick virus and Ehrlichia muris-like sp. Aside from B. burgdorferi and to a much lesser concern A. phagocytophilum, these pathogens are not immediate concerns to public health in Ontario; rather they represent future threats as the distribution of vectors and pathogens continue to proliferate. CONCLUSIONS Our review is the first systematic assessment of the literature on the human pathogens associated with the blacklegged tick. As Lyme disease awareness continues to increase, it is an opportune time to document the full spectrum of human pathogens transmittable by blacklegged ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Nelder
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Curtis B Russell
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nina Jain Sheehan
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beate Sander
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen Moore
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ye Li
- Analytic Services, Knowledge Services, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Johnson
- Analytic Services, Knowledge Services, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samir N Patel
- Public Health Ontario Laboratories, Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Doug Sider
- Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases; Communicable Diseases, Emergency Preparedness and Response; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Fredericks LP, Forgacs D, Yu J, Allan BF. An Expanded Reverse Line Blot Hybridization Protocol for the Simultaneous Detection of Numerous Tick-Borne Pathogens in North America. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 53:721-726. [PMID: 26819330 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Due to an increasing diversity of bacterial pathogens known to be transmitted by hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in North America, a comprehensive assay is needed to detect and differentiate among these numerous tick-borne pathogens. We describe an expanded protocol using a combination of multiplex polymerase chain reaction and reverse line blot hybridization to detect a greater diversity of infectious agents than were previously detectable. Ten novel oligonucleotide probes, either individually or in concert, enabled or enhanced identification of six Borrelia species, three Rickettsia species, and one Ehrlichia species. Simultaneous detection of these numerous tick-borne pathogens can advance surveillance efforts and improve accuracy of detection and, thus, reporting.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Page Fredericks
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (; ; )
| | - David Forgacs
- Interdisciplinary Program of Genetics, Texas A&M University, 2128 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Johnny Yu
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (; ; )
| | - Brian F Allan
- Department of Entomology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (; ; ),
- School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801, and
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Eisen RJ, Eisen L, Beard CB. County-Scale Distribution of Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Continental United States. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2016; 53:349-86. [PMID: 26783367 PMCID: PMC4844559 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say, is the primary vector to humans in the eastern United States of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, as well as causative agents of anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Its close relative in the far western United States, the western blacklegged tick Ixodes pacificus Cooley and Kohls, is the primary vector to humans in that region of the Lyme disease and anaplasmosis agents. Since 1991, when standardized surveillance and reporting began, Lyme disease case counts have increased steadily in number and in geographical distribution in the eastern United States. Similar trends have been observed for anaplasmosis and babesiosis. To better understand the changing landscape of risk of human exposure to disease agents transmitted by I. scapularis and I. pacificus, and to document changes in their recorded distribution over the past two decades, we updated the distribution of these species from a map published in 1998. The presence of I. scapularis has now been documented from 1,420 (45.7%) of the 3,110 continental United States counties, as compared with 111 (3.6%) counties for I. pacificus. Combined, these vectors of B. burgdorferi and other disease agents now have been identified in a total of 1,531 (49.2%) counties spread across 43 states. This marks a 44.7% increase in the number of counties that have recorded the presence of these ticks since the previous map was presented in 1998, when 1,058 counties in 41 states reported the ticks to be present. Notably, the number of counties in which I. scapularis is considered established (six or more individuals or one or more life stages identified in a single year) has more than doubled since the previous national distribution map was published nearly two decades ago. The majority of county status changes occurred in the North-Central and Northeastern states, whereas the distribution in the South remained fairly stable. Two previously distinct foci for I. scapularis in the Northeast and North-Central states appear to be merging in the Ohio River Valley to form a single contiguous focus. Here we document a shifting landscape of risk for human exposure to medically important ticks and point to areas of re-emergence where enhanced vector surveillance and control may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J. Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, NCEZID/CDC, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80522
| | - Lars Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, NCEZID/CDC, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80522
| | - Charles B. Beard
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, NCEZID/CDC, 3156 Rampart Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80522
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Pritt BS, Mead PS, Johnson DKH, Neitzel DF, Respicio-Kingry LB, Davis JP, Schiffman E, Sloan LM, Schriefer ME, Replogle AJ, Paskewitz SM, Ray JA, Bjork J, Steward CR, Deedon A, Lee X, Kingry LC, Miller TK, Feist MA, Theel ES, Patel R, Irish CL, Petersen JM. Identification of a novel pathogenic Borrelia species causing Lyme borreliosis with unusually high spirochaetaemia: a descriptive study. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2016; 16:556-564. [PMID: 26856777 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(15)00464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 11/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. It is a multisystem disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies and characterised by tissue localisation and low spirochaetaemia. In this study we aimed to describe a novel Borrelia species causing Lyme borreliosis in the USA. METHODS At the Mayo clinic, from 2003 to 2014, we tested routine clinical diagnostic specimens from patients in the USA with PCR targeting the oppA1 gene of B burgdorferi sensu lato. We identified positive specimens with an atypical PCR result (melting temperature outside of the expected range) by sequencing, microscopy, or culture. We collected Ixodes scapularis ticks from regions of suspected patient tick exposure and tested them by oppA1 PCR. FINDINGS 100 545 specimens were submitted by physicians for routine PCR from Jan 1, 2003 to Sept 30, 2014. From these samples, six clinical specimens (five blood, one synovial fluid) yielded an atypical oppA1 PCR product, but no atypical results were detected before 2012. Five of the six patients with atypical PCR results had presented with fever, four had diffuse or focal rash, three had symptoms suggestive of neurological inclusion, and two were admitted to hospital. The sixth patient presented with knee pain and swelling. Motile spirochaetes were seen in blood samples from one patient and cultured from blood samples from two patients. Among the five blood specimens, the median oppA1 copy number was 180 times higher than that in 13 specimens that tested positive for B burgdorferi sensu stricto during the same time period. Multigene sequencing identified the spirochaete as a novel B burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies. This same genospecies was detected in ticks collected at a probable patient exposure site. INTERPRETATION We describe a new pathogenic Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies (candidatus Borrelia mayonii) in the upper midwestern USA, which causes Lyme borreliosis with unusually high spirochaetaemia. Clinicians should be aware of this new B burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies, its distinct clinical features, and the usefulness of oppA1 PCR for diagnosis. FUNDING US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases (ELC) Cooperative Agreement and Mayo Clinic Small Grant programme.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul S Mead
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | - Laurel B Respicio-Kingry
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Martin E Schriefer
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Adam J Replogle
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | - Julie A Ray
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Minnesota Department of Health, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Jenna Bjork
- Minnesota Department of Health, St Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Alecia Deedon
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xia Lee
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Luke C Kingry
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jeannine M Petersen
- Division of Vector Borne Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Cross-Immunity and Community Structure of a Multiple-Strain Pathogen in the Tick Vector. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:7740-52. [PMID: 26319876 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02296-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Many vector-borne pathogens consist of multiple strains that circulate in both the vertebrate host and the arthropod vector. Characterization of the community of pathogen strains in the arthropod vector is therefore important for understanding the epidemiology of mixed vector-borne infections. Borrelia afzelii and B. garinii are two species of tick-borne bacteria that cause Lyme disease in humans. These two sympatric pathogens use the same tick, Ixodes ricinus, but are adapted to different classes of vertebrate hosts. Both Borrelia species consist of multiple strains that are classified using the highly polymorphic ospC gene. Vertebrate cross-immunity against the OspC antigen is predicted to structure the community of multiple-strain Borrelia pathogens. Borrelia isolates were cultured from field-collected I. ricinus ticks over a period spanning 11 years. The Borrelia species of each isolate was identified using a reverse line blot (RLB) assay. Deep sequencing was used to characterize the ospC communities of 190 B. afzelii isolates and 193 B. garinii isolates. Infections with multiple ospC strains were common in ticks, but vertebrate cross-immunity did not influence the strain structure in the tick vector. The pattern of genetic variation at the ospC locus suggested that vertebrate cross-immunity exerts strong selection against intermediately divergent ospC alleles. Deep sequencing found that more than 50% of our isolates contained exotic ospC alleles derived from other Borrelia species. Two alternative explanations for these exotic ospC alleles are cryptic coinfections that were not detected by the RLB assay or horizontal transfer of the ospC gene between Borrelia species.
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Borrelia miyamotoi infection in nature and in humans. Clin Microbiol Infect 2015; 21:631-9. [PMID: 25700888 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 01/31/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi is a relapsing fever Borrelia group spirochete that is transmitted by the same hard-bodied (ixodid) tick species that transmit the agents of Lyme disease. It was discovered in 1994 in Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Japan. B. miyamotoi species phylogenetically cluster with the relapsing fever group spirochetes, which usually are transmitted by soft-bodied (argasid) ticks or lice. B. miyamotoi infects at least six Ixodes tick species in North America and Eurasia that transmit Lyme disease group spirochetes and may use small rodents and birds as reservoirs. Human cases of B. miyamotoi infection were first reported in 2011 in Russia and subsequently in the United States, Europe and Japan. These reports document the public health importance of B. miyamotoi, as human B. miyamotoi infection appears to be comparable in frequency to babesiosis or human granulocytic anaplasmosis in some areas and may cause severe disease, including meningoencephalitis. The most common clinical manifestations of B. miyamotoi infection are fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia, and nausea. Symptoms of B. miyamotoi infection generally resolve within a week of the start of antibiotic therapy. B. miyamotoi infection should be considered in patients with acute febrile illness who have been exposed to Ixodes ticks in a region where Lyme disease occurs. Because clinical manifestations are nonspecific, etiologic diagnosis requires confirmation by blood smear examination, PCR, antibody assay, in vitro cultivation, and/or isolation by animal inoculation. Antibiotics that have been used effectively include doxycycline for uncomplicated B. miyamotoi infection in adults and ceftriaxone or penicillin G for meningoencephalitis.
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Stromdahl E, Hamer S, Jenkins S, Sloan L, Williamson P, Foster E, Nadolny R, Elkins C, Vince M, Pritt B. Comparison of phenology and pathogen prevalence, including infection with the Ehrlichia muris-like (EML) agent, of Ixodes scapularis removed from soldiers in the midwestern and the northeastern United States over a 15 year period (1997-2012). Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:553. [PMID: 25465046 PMCID: PMC4265324 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0553-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since 1997, human-biting ticks submitted to the Department of Defense Human Tick Test Kit Program (HTTKP) of the US Army Public Health Command have been tested for pathogens by PCR. We noted differences in the phenology and infection prevalence among Ixodes scapularis ticks submitted from military installations in different geographic regions. The aim of this study was to characterize these observed differences, comparing the phenology and pathogen infection rates of I. scapularis submitted from soldiers at two sites in the upper Midwest (Camp Ripley, MN, and Ft. McCoy, WI) and one site in the northeastern US (Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA). METHODS From 1997 through 2012, the HTTKP received 1,981 I. scapularis from the three installations and tested them for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Borrelia burgdorferi and the Ehrlichia muris-like (EML) agent using PCR; pathogen presence was confirmed via sequencing or amplification of a second gene target. Pathogen and co-infection prevalence, tick engorgement status, and phenology were compared among installations. RESULTS Greater rates of A. phagocytophilum and Ba. microti infections were detected in ticks submitted from installations in Minnesota than in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania, and the EML agent was only detected in ticks from Minnesota and Wisconsin. Midwestern ticks were also more likely to be co-infected than those from Pennsylvania. Both adult and nymphal ticks showed evidence of feeding on people, although nymphs were more often submitted engorged. Adult I. scapularis were received more frequently in June from Minnesota than from either of the other sites. Minnesota adult and nymphal peaks overlapped in June, and submissions of adults exceeded nymphs in that month. CONCLUSIONS There were clear differences in I. scapularis phenology, pathogen prevalence and rates of co-infection among the three military installations. Seasonal and temperature differences between the three sites and length of time a population had been established in each region may contribute to the observed differences. The synchrony of adults and nymphs observed in the upper Midwest has implications for pathogen infection prevalence. The EML agent was only detected in Minnesota and Wisconsin, supporting the previous assertion that this pathogen is currently limited to the upper Midwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Stromdahl
- U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
| | - Sarah Hamer
- Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
| | | | | | - Phillip Williamson
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Ft. Worth, TX, USA. .,Creative Testing Solutions, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Erik Foster
- U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA. .,Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing, MI, USA.
| | - Robyn Nadolny
- U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.
| | - Chad Elkins
- U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
| | - Mary Vince
- U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
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