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Reid R, Capilla-Lasheras P, Haddou Y, Boonekamp J, Dominoni DM. The impact of urbanization on health depends on the health metric, life stage and level of urbanization: a global meta-analysis on avian species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240617. [PMID: 39016598 PMCID: PMC11253839 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0617] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressors associated with urban habitats have been linked to poor wildlife health but whether a general negative relationship between urbanization and animal health can be affirmed is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of avian literature to test whether health biomarkers differed on average between urban and non-urban environments, and whether there are systematic differences across species, biomarkers, life stages and species traits. Our dataset included 644 effect sizes derived from 112 articles published between 1989 and 2022, on 51 bird species. First, we showed that there was no clear impact of urbanization on health when we categorized the sampling locations as urban or non-urban. However, we did find a small negative effect of urbanization on health when this dichotomous variable was replaced by a quantitative variable representing the degree of urbanization at each location. Second, we showed that the effect of urbanization on avian health was dependent on the type of health biomarker measured as well as the individual life stage, with young individuals being more negatively affected. Our comprehensive analysis calls for future studies to disentangle specific urban-related drivers of health that might be obscured in categorical urban versus non-urban comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Reid
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Yacob Haddou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jelle Boonekamp
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Davide M. Dominoni
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
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Perumalsamy N, Sharma R, Subramanian M, Nagarajan SA. Hard Ticks as Vectors: The Emerging Threat of Tick-Borne Diseases in India. Pathogens 2024; 13:556. [PMID: 39057783 PMCID: PMC11279560 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hard ticks (Ixodidae) play a critical role in transmitting various tick-borne diseases (TBDs), posing significant global threats to human and animal health. Climatic factors influence the abundance, diversity, and vectorial capacity of tick vectors. It is imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of hard ticks, pathogens, eco-epidemiology, and the impact of climatic changes on the transmission dynamics of TBDs. The distribution and life cycle patterns of hard ticks are influenced by diverse ecological factors that, in turn, can be impacted by changes in climate, leading to the expansion of the tick vector's range and geographical distribution. Vector competence, a pivotal aspect of vectorial capacity, involves the tick's ability to acquire, maintain, and transmit pathogens. Hard ticks, by efficiently feeding on diverse hosts and manipulating their immunity through their saliva, emerge as competent vectors for various pathogens, such as viruses, parasites and bacteria. This ability significantly influences the success of pathogen transmission. Further exploration of genetic diversity, population structure, and hybrid tick vectors is crucial, as they play a substantial role in influencing vector competence and complicating the dynamics of TBDs. This comprehensive review deals with important TBDs in India and delves into a profound understanding of hard ticks as vectors, their biology, and the factors influencing their vector competence. Given that TBDs continue to pose a substantial threat to global health, the review emphasizes the urgency of investigating tick control strategies and advancing vaccine development. Special attention is given to the pivotal role of population genetics in comprehending the genetic diversity of tick populations and providing essential insights into their adaptability to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shriram Ananganallur Nagarajan
- Division of Vector Biology and Control, Indian Council of Medical Research—Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR-VCRC), Puducherry 605006, India; (N.P.); (R.S.); (M.S.)
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Ng’eno E, Alkishe A, Romero-Alvarez D, Sundstrom K, Cobos ME, Belgum H, Chitwood A, Grant A, Keck A, Kloxin J, Letterman B, Lineberry M, McClung K, Nippoldt S, Sharum S, Struble S, Thomas B, Ghosh A, Brennan R, Little S, Peterson AT. Phenology of five tick species in the central Great Plains. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302689. [PMID: 38722854 PMCID: PMC11081307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The states of Kansas and Oklahoma, in the central Great Plains, lie at the western periphery of the geographic distributions of several tick species. As the focus of most research on ticks and tick-borne diseases has been on Lyme disease which commonly occurs in areas to the north and east, the ticks of this region have seen little research attention. Here, we report on the phenology and activity patterns shown by tick species observed at 10 sites across the two states and explore factors associated with abundance of all and life specific individuals of the dominant species. Ticks were collected in 2020-2022 using dragging, flagging and carbon-dioxide trapping techniques, designed to detect questing ticks. The dominant species was A. americanum (24098, 97%) followed by Dermacentor variabilis (370, 2%), D. albipictus (271, 1%), Ixodes scapularis (91, <1%) and A. maculatum (38, <1%). Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum and D. variabilis were active in Spring and Summer, while D. albipictus and I. scapularis were active in Fall and Winter. Factors associated with numbers of individuals of A. americanum included day of year, habitat, and latitude. Similar associations were observed when abundance was examined by life-stage. Overall, the picture is one of broadly distributed tick species that shows seasonal limitations in the timing of their questing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ng’eno
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Abdelghafar Alkishe
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Daniel Romero-Alvarez
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Emerging and Neglected Diseases, Ecoepidemiology and Biodiversity Research Group, Universidad Internacional SEK (UISEK), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Kellee Sundstrom
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Marlon E. Cobos
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Hallee Belgum
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Abigail Chitwood
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Amber Grant
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Alex Keck
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Josiah Kloxin
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Brayden Letterman
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Megan Lineberry
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Kristin McClung
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Sydney Nippoldt
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Sophia Sharum
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Stefan Struble
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Breanne Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Anuradha Ghosh
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Robert Brennan
- Department of Biology, University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Susan Little
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - A. Townsend Peterson
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
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Hurd SN, Kenefic LS, Leahy JE, Sponarski CC, Gardner AM. Cascading impacts of overstory structure in managed forests on understory structure, microclimate conditions, and Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) densities. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2024:tjae030. [PMID: 38491994 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjae030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Forest management practices designed to meet varied landowner objectives affect wildlife habitat and may interrupt the life-cycle stages of disease vectors, including the black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae). Ixodes scapularis transmits multiple pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, which is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. There is evidence that a range of active forest management practices (e.g., invasive plant removal, prescribed burning) can alter tick densities and pathogen transmission. However, few studies have investigated relationships between forest stand structural variables commonly manipulated by timber harvesting and tick ecology. Foresters may harvest timber to create certain forest structural conditions like the mean number of trees, or basal area, per hectare. This study used a spatially replicated experiment in a blocked design to compare forest stands with a range of overstory structures and document variations in the midstory, understory, and forest floor, as well as microclimate conditions within tick off-host habitat. Greater numbers of trees or basal area per hectare correlated with greater canopy closure but less understory cover, stabilized microclimate temperature, higher microclimate humidity, and greater I. scapularis nymph densities. A random forest model identified understory forest structure as the strongest predictor of nymph densities. There was no relationship between the number of trees or basal area per hectare and daily deer (Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann) activity or nymphal infection prevalence. These findings provide a deeper understanding of tick-habitat associations within a forest stand and have the potential to inform forest management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Hurd
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Laura S Kenefic
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 54 Government Road, Bradley, ME 04411, USA
| | - Jessica E Leahy
- Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
| | - Carly C Sponarski
- Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320 122 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada
| | - Allison M Gardner
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA
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