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Panella NA, Nicholson WL, Komar N, Burkhalter KL, Hughes HR, Theuret DP, Blocher BH, Sexton C, Connelly R, Rothfeldt L, Kenney JL. Field-Collected Ticks From Benton County, Arkansas, and Prevalence of Associated Pathogens. J Med Entomol 2024:tjae040. [PMID: 38533824 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjae040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The recovery of a Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann (Acari: Ixodidae) tick from a dog in Benton County, Arkansas, in 2018 triggered a significant environmental sampling effort in Hobbs State Park Conservation Area. The objective of the investigation was to assess the tick population density and diversity, as well as identify potential tick-borne pathogens that could pose a risk to public health. During a week-long sampling period in August of 2018, a total of 6,154 ticks were collected, with the majority identified as Amblyomma americanum (L), (Acari: Ixodidae) commonly known as the lone star tick. No H. longicornis ticks were found despite the initial detection of this species in the area. This discrepancy highlights the importance of continued monitoring efforts to understand the dynamics of tick populations and their movements. The investigation also focused on pathogen detection, with ticks being pooled by species, age, and sex before being processed with various bioassays. The results revealed the presence of several tick-borne pathogens, including agents associated with ehrlichiosis (n = 12), tularemia (n = 2), and Bourbon virus (BRBV) disease (n = 1), as well as nonpathogenic rickettsial and anaplasmosis organisms. These findings emphasize the importance of public health messaging to raise awareness of the risks associated with exposure to tick-borne pathogens. Prevention measures, such as wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, and conducting regular tick checks, should be emphasized to reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases. Continued surveillance efforts and research are also essential to improve our understanding of tick-borne disease epidemiology and develop effective control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Panella
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - William L Nicholson
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Roybal Campus Building 17, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Nicholas Komar
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Kristen L Burkhalter
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Holly R Hughes
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - David P Theuret
- UPL, 5 Laboratory Drive, Building 1, Suite 1100 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Bessie H Blocher
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Roybal Campus Building 17, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
| | - Christopher Sexton
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Roxanne Connelly
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Laura Rothfeldt
- Arkansas Department of Health, 4815 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205-0599, USA
| | - Joan L Kenney
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Rotstein DS, Peloquin S, Proia K, Hart E, Lee J, Vyhnal KK, Sasaki E, Balamayooran G, Asin J, Southard T, Rothfeldt L, Venkat H, Mundschenk P, McDermott D, Crossley B, Ferro P, Gomez G, Henderson EH, Narayan P, Paulsen DB, Rekant S, Schroeder ME, Tell RM, Torchetti MK, Uzal FA, Carpenter A, Ghai R. Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lesions in exotic and companion animals. Vet Pathol 2022; 59:707-711. [PMID: 35038930 PMCID: PMC9207983 DOI: 10.1177/03009858211067467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Documented natural infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in exotic and companion animals following human exposures are uncommon. Those documented in animals are typically mild and self-limiting, and infected animals have only infrequently died or been euthanized. Through a coordinated One Health initiative, necropsies were conducted on 5 animals from different premises that were exposed to humans with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. The combination of epidemiologic evidence of exposure and confirmatory real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing confirmed infection in 3 cats and a tiger. A dog was a suspect case based on epidemiologic evidence of exposure but tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Four animals had respiratory clinical signs that developed 2 to 12 days after exposure. The dog had bronchointerstitial pneumonia and the tiger had bronchopneumonia; both had syncytial-like cells with no detection of SARS-CoV-2. Individual findings in the 3 cats included metastatic mammary carcinoma, congenital renal disease, and myocardial disease. Based on the necropsy findings and a standardized algorithm, SARS-CoV-2 infection was not considered the cause of death in any of the cases. Continued surveillance and necropsy examination of animals with fatal outcomes will further our understanding of natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals and the potential role of the virus in development of lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Rotstein
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Peloquin
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research, Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Kathleen Proia
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Research, Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Ellen Hart
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Jeongha Lee
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Emi Sasaki
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Javier Asin
- University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | | | - Laura Rothfeldt
- Arkansas Department of Health, Zoonotic Disease Section, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Heather Venkat
- Center for Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Darby McDermott
- New Jersey Department of Health, Communicable Disease Service, Trenton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Pamela Ferro
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Gabriel Gomez
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Paul Narayan
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Megan E Schroeder
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rachel M Tell
- USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | | | - Ann Carpenter
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ria Ghai
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Benedict K, Gibbons-Burgener S, Kocharian A, Ireland M, Rothfeldt L, Christophe N, Signs K, Jackson BR. Blastomycosis Surveillance in 5 States, United States, 1987-2018. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27. [PMID: 33757624 PMCID: PMC8007286 DOI: 10.3201/eid2704.204078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis and the severity of illness suggest that surveillance underestimates the true number of cases. Blastomycosis is caused by inhalation of Blastomyces spp. fungi. Limited data are available on the incidence and geographic range of blastomycosis in the United States. To better characterize its epidemiologic features, we analyzed combined surveillance data from the 5 states in which blastomycosis is reportable: Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Surveillance identified 4,441 cases during 1987–2018, a mean of 192 cases per year. The mean annual incidence was <1 case/100,000 population in most areas but >20 cases/100,000 population in some northern counties of Wisconsin. Median patient age was 46 years, 2,892 (65%) patients were male, 1,662 (57%) were hospitalized, and 278 (8%) died. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 33 days. The severity of illness and diagnostic delays suggest that surveillance underestimates the true number of cases. More in-depth surveillance in additional states could elucidate blastomycosis incidence and inform efforts to increase awareness.
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