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Teel PD, Hairgrove T. Transboundary Tick and Tick-Borne Pathogen Threats to Cattle. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2024:S0749-0720(24)00008-2. [PMID: 38402041 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2024.01.006] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Transboundary incursions of ticks and tick-borne pathogens are ever present concerns for US cattle industries. Global trade in livestock and wildlife, historic and emerging transboundary issues with endemic tick populations and pathogens, and migratory bird flyways are pathways of concern. Transboundary challenges are presented for the Asian long-horned tick and Theileria orientalis Ikeda, for 2 cattle fever tick species [Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R (B) microplus] and Babesia bigemina and B bovis, and for the tropical bont tick and Ehrlichia ruminantium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Room 412 Heep Center, 370 Olsen Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA.
| | - Thomas Hairgrove
- Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 241 Kleberg Building, 474 Olsen Boulevard, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Harman PR, Mendell NL, Harman MM, Draney PA, Boyle AT, Gompper ME, Orr TJ, Bouyer DH, Teel PD, Hanley KA. Science abhors a surveillance vacuum: Detection of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in southern New Mexico through passive surveillance. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292573. [PMID: 38295027 PMCID: PMC10830002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Robust tick surveillance enhances diagnosis and prevention of tick-borne pathogens, yet surveillance efforts in the United States are highly uneven, resulting in large surveillance vacuums, one of which spans the state of New Mexico. As part of a larger effort to fill this vacuum, we conducted both active and passive tick sampling in New Mexico, focusing on the southern portion of the state. We conducted active tick sampling using dragging and CO₂ trapping at 45 sites across Hidalgo, Doña Ana, Otero, and Eddy counties between June 2021 to May 2022. Sampling occurred intermittently, with at least one sampling event each month from June to October 2021, pausing in winter and resuming in March through May 2022. We also conducted opportunistic, passive tick sampling in 2021 and 2022 from animals harvested by hunters or captured or collected by researchers and animals housed in animal hospitals, shelters, and farms. All pools of ticks were screened for Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, Rickettsia amblyommatis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Active sampling yielded no ticks. Passive sampling yielded 497 ticks comprising Carios kelleyi from pallid bats, Rhipicephalus sanguineus from dogs, mule deer, and Rocky Mountain elk, Otobius megnini from dogs, cats, horses, and Coues deer, Dermacentor parumapertus from dogs and black-tailed jackrabbits, Dermacentor albipictus from domesticated cats, mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk, and Dermacentor spp. from American black bear, Rocky Mountain elk, and mule deer. One pool of D. parumapterus from a black-tailed jackrabbit in Luna County tested positive for R. parkeri, an agent of spotted fever rickettsiosis. Additionally, a spotted fever group Rickettsia was detected in 6 of 7 C. kelleyi pools. Two ticks showed morphological abnormalities; however, these samples did not test positive for any of the target pathogens, and the cause of the abnormalities is unknown. Passive surveillance yielded five identified species of ticks from three domestic and six wild mammal species. Our findings update tick distributions and inform the public, medical, and veterinary communities of the potential tick-borne pathogens present in southern New Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige R. Harman
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Nicole L. Mendell
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Maysee M. Harman
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Puck A. Draney
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Anna T. Boyle
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Matthew E. Gompper
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Teri J. Orr
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Donald H. Bouyer
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kathryn A. Hanley
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
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Dou T, Holman AP, Hays SR, Donaldson TG, Goff N, Teel PD, Kurouski D. Species identification of adult ixodid ticks by Raman spectroscopy of their feces. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:43. [PMID: 38291487 PMCID: PMC10825978 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06091-7] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ticks and tick-borne diseases pose significant challenges to cattle production, thus the species identification of ticks and knowledge on their presence, abundance, and dispersal are necessary for the development of effective control measures. The standard method of inspection for the presence of ticks is the visual and physical examination of restrained animals, but the limitations of human sight and touch can allow larval, nymphal, and unfed adult ticks to remain undetected due to their small size and site of attachment. However, Raman spectroscopy, an analytical tool widely used in agriculture and other sectors, shows promise for the identification of tick species in infested cattle. Raman spectroscopy is a non-invasive and efficient method that employs the interaction between molecules and light for the identification of the molecular constituents of specimens. METHODS Raman spectroscopy was employed to analyze the structure and composition of tick feces deposited on host skin and hair during blood-feeding. Feces of 12 species from a total of five genera and one subgenus of ixodid ticks were examined. Spectral data were subjected to partial least squares discriminant analysis, a machine-learning model. We also used Raman spectroscopy and the same analytical procedures to compare and evaluate feces of the horn fly Haematobia irritans after it fed on cattle. RESULTS Five genera and one sub-genus at overall true prediction rates ranging from 92.3 to 100% were identified from the Raman spectroscopy data of the tick feces. At the species level, Dermacentor albipictus, Dermacentor andersoni and Dermacentor variabilis at overall true prediction rates of 100, 99.3 and 100%, respectively, were identified. There were distinct differences between horn fly and tick feces with respect to blood and guanine vibrational frequencies. The overall true prediction rate for the separation of tick and horn fly feces was 98%. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the utility of Raman spectroscopy for the reliable identification of tick species from their feces, and its potential application for the identification of ticks from infested cattle in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Aidan P Holman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Samantha R Hays
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Taylor G Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Nicolas Goff
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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Hays SR, Rich BT, Longnecker MT, Angerer JP, Tolleson DR, Teel PD. Detection of winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, infestations using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy of bovine feces. Vet Parasitol 2023; 323:110045. [PMID: 37813063 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.110045] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine whether artificial infestations of D. albipictus could be detected in cattle using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy of bovine feces (fNIRS) and if detection capability was sensitive to size of tick infestation and phase of on-host stage-specific tick development. Fecal samples were collected daily from six non-infested then later tick-infested Bos taurus yearling heifers who each served as their own control. Cattle with D. albipictus infestations arising from as few as 1000 larvae were identified by fecal chemistry changes using fNIRS technology. In two separate trials, three animal pairs were infested with one of three treatment levels (low: ∼ 1000, medium: ∼ 4000, and high: ∼ 8000) of D. albipictus larvae in a repeated measures experimental design. Trial 1 consisted of tick naïve cattle while Trial 2 consisted of prior tick exposed cattle. Date of drop and daily sum of engorged female ticks were tabulated to characterize each infestation. Cluster, common factor, principal component and MANOVA analyses were used to define and assess fecal spectra changes associated with experimental stages of infestation. Cluster analyses found significant differences in fecal samples for heifer pairs in each treatment level group (low, medium, and high) in Trial 1 and then in Trial 2 from two pre-infestation control periods (outside and inside), three stages of tick development (larval feeding, nymphal feeding, adult feeding), and post-tick recovery periods. Five shifts in fecal chemistry of non-infested and tick-infested periods were identified by six clusters of NIRS fecal spectra measured between 576 and 1126 nm. The PCA's resulted in 97.56% and 97.77% for Trials 1 and 2 respectively of the total variation in the 1050 frequencies being explained by the first three principal components (P1, P2, P3). Results from the MANOVA and the Wilk's Lambda test for both trials showed highly significant evidence (p-values < 0.0001) of a difference in the means of the three principal components across the six Stages. There was significant evidence in Trial 1 (p-values = 0.0067) and Trial 2 (p-values < 0.0001) of a difference between the means of the three principal components across the three levels of tick infestation. These significant pair-wise comparisons reflect developmental phases of tick attachment and blood-feeding that define periods of increasing, peak and declining stress identified in five fecal chemistry shifts defined by six fecal spectral clusters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Hays
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Brian T Rich
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Jay P Angerer
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Temple, TX 76502, USA; USDA Agricultural Research Service-Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory, Miles City, MT 59301, USA
| | - Douglas R Tolleson
- Sonora AgriLife Research Station, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Sonora, TX, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Bishop A, Wang HH, Donaldson TG, Brockinton EE, Kothapalli E, Clark S, Vishwanath T, Canales T, Sreekumar K, Grant WE, Teel PD. Tularemia cases increase in the USA from 2011 through 2019. Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis 2023; 3:100116. [PMID: 36865594 PMCID: PMC9972391 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100116] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Tularemia is a rare but potentially serious bacterial zoonosis, which has been reported in the 47 contiguous states of the USA during 2001-2010. This report summarizes the passive surveillance data of tularemia cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2011 through 2019. There were 1984 cases reported in the USA during this period. The average national incidence was 0.07 cases per 100,000 person-years (PY), compared to 0.04 cases per 100,000 PY during 2001-2010. The highest statewide reported case 2011-2019 was in Arkansas (374 cases, 20.4% of total), followed by Missouri (13.1%), Oklahoma (11.9%), and Kansas (11.2%). Regarding race, ethnicity, and sex, tularemia cases were reported more frequently among white, non-Hispanic, and male patients. Cases were reported in all age groups; however, individuals 65 years-old and older exhibited the highest incidence. The seasonal distribution of cases generally paralleled the seasonality of tick activity and human outdoor activity, increasing during spring through mid-summer and decreasing through late summer and fall to winter lows. Improved surveillance and education of ticks and tick- and water-borne pathogens should play a key role in efforts to decrease the incidence of tularemia in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Bishop
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA,Corresponding author.
| | - Taylor G. Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Emily E. Brockinton
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Esha Kothapalli
- The Department of Public Health Studies, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Scott Clark
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Tanvi Vishwanath
- Department of Mathematics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Tatyana Canales
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Krishnendu Sreekumar
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - William E. Grant
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
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Wang HH, Grant WE, Donaldson TG, Teel PD. Modeling Effects of Vertebrate Host Exclosures and Host-Targeted Acaricides on Lone Star Tick ( Amblyomma americanum, L.) Infestations. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121412. [PMID: 36558745 PMCID: PMC9784951 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121412] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We used a spatially explicit model to simulate the potential effects of exclosures and acaricides targeted at medium-sized mammalian hosts on the local distribution and abundance of lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) within forestlands of the southeastern United States. Both exclosures and acaricides were successful in markedly reducing the densities of all off-host tick life stages inside the treatment areas. Densities dropped to almost zero immediately inside the edges of the exclosures, with noticeably depressed densities extending outward 30 to 60 m from the exclosures, and the simulated exclosures maintained their effectiveness as their sizes were decreased from 4.5 to 2.25 to 0.8 ha. Densities exhibited a smooth gradient across the edges of the acaricide-treated areas, with depressed densities extending ≈100 m outward from the edges, but with perceptible densities extending ≈60 m inward from the edges; thus, the simulated acaricide areas lost their effectiveness as size was decreased to slightly less than one-half the diameter of the activity range of the targeted host. Our simulation results indicated that off-host nymph densities responded to reductions of medium-sized host densities. These results suggest that targeting acaricides at medium-sized hosts may be an effective, and currently under-utilized, method for tick suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-979-845-5702
| | - William E. Grant
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Taylor G. Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Kneubehl AR, Muñoz-Leal S, Filatov S, de Klerk DG, Pienaar R, Lohmeyer KH, Bermúdez SE, Suriyamongkol T, Mali I, Kanduma E, Latif AA, Sarih M, Bouattour A, de León AAP, Teel PD, Labruna MB, Mans BJ, Lopez JE. Amplification and sequencing of entire tick mitochondrial genomes for a phylogenomic analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19310. [PMID: 36369253 PMCID: PMC9652274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23393-5] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has proven to be important for the taxonomy, systematics, and population genetics of ticks. However, current methods to generate mitogenomes can be cost-prohibitive at scale. To address this issue, we developed a cost-effective approach to amplify and sequence the whole mitogenome of individual tick specimens. Using two different primer sites, this approach generated two full-length mitogenome amplicons that were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies' Mk1B sequencer. We used this approach to generate 85 individual tick mitogenomes from samples comprised of the three tick families, 11 genera, and 57 species. Twenty-six of these species did not have a complete mitogenome available on GenBank prior to this work. We benchmarked the accuracy of this approach using a subset of samples that had been previously sequenced by low-coverage Illumina genome skimming. We found our assemblies were comparable or exceeded the Illumina method, achieving a median sequence concordance of 99.98%. We further analyzed our mitogenome dataset in a mitophylogenomic analysis in the context of all three tick families. We were able to sequence 72 samples in one run and achieved a cost/sample of ~ $10 USD. This cost-effective strategy is applicable for sample identification, taxonomy, systematics, and population genetics for not only ticks but likely other metazoans; thus, making mitogenome sequencing equitable for the wider scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Kneubehl
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sebastián Muñoz-Leal
- Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Serhii Filatov
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Daniel G de Klerk
- Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ronel Pienaar
- Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Kimberly H Lohmeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | - Sergio E Bermúdez
- Medical Entomology Department, Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Research, City of Panamá, Panama
| | - Thanchira Suriyamongkol
- Department of Biology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, NM, USA.,Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | - Ivana Mali
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Esther Kanduma
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Abdalla A Latif
- University of KwaZulu-Natal, School of Life Sciences, Durban, Westville, South Africa
| | - M'hammed Sarih
- Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Service de Parasitologie et des Maladies Vectorielles, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Ali Bouattour
- Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire Virus, Vecteurs, Hôtes, Service d'Entomologie Médicale, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Parlier, CA, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Marcelo B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ben J Mans
- Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Bishop A, Borski J, Wang HH, Donaldson TG, Michalk A, Montgomery A, Heldman S, Mogg M, Derouen Z, Grant WE, Teel PD. Increasing Incidence of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses in the United States, 2010-2018. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022; 22:491-497. [PMID: 36037000 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Spotted fever group Rickettsia species are intracellular bacteria transmitted by tick or mite vectors and that cause human diseases referred to as spotted fever group rickettsioses, or spotted fevers. In the United States, the most recognized and commonly reported spotted fevers are Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) (Rickettsia rickettsii), Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, Pacific Coast tick fever (Rickettsia species 364D), and rickettsialpox (Rickettsia akari). In this study, we summarize and evaluate surveillance data on spotted fever cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System from 2010 to 2018. During this period, there were 36,632 reported cases of spotted fevers with 95.83% (N = 35,104) reported as meeting the case definition as probable and 4.17% (N = 1528) reported as meeting the case definition as confirmed. The average national incidence of total cases, both probable and confirmed, was 12.77 cases per million persons per year. The highest statewide incidence was in Arkansas, with 256.84 per million per year, whereas the lowest incidence occurred in California, with 0.32 per million per year (note that spotted fevers were not notifiable in Hawaii and Alaska). Cases of spotted fevers were reported more frequently among males by gender, White by race, and non-Hispanic by ethnicity. The incidence of spotted fevers increased significantly from 2010 to 2018, but it is uncertain how many of the reported cases were RMSF and how many developed from more moderate spotted fevers. Improvement of the ability to differentiate between spotted fever group Rickettsia species is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Bishop
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Borski
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Taylor G Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Avery Michalk
- Department of Biomedical Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Annie Montgomery
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Samantha Heldman
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Michael Mogg
- Department of Management, and Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Zakary Derouen
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - William E Grant
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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9
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Dou T, Ermolenkov A, Hays SR, Rich BT, Donaldson TG, Thomas D, Teel PD, Kurouski D. Raman-based identification of tick species (Ixodidae) by spectroscopic analysis of their feces. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2022; 271:120966. [PMID: 35123191 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.120966] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that vector a large number of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. There are strong connections between tick and pathogen species. Timely detection of certain tick species on cattle can cease the spread of numerous devastating diseases such as Bovine babiesiosis and anaplasmosis. Detection of ticks is currently performed by slow and laborious scout-based inspection of cattle. In this study, we investigated the possibility of identification of tick species (Ixodidae) based on spectroscopic signatures of their feces. We collected Raman spectra from individual grains of feces of seven different species of ticks. Our results show that Raman spectroscopy (RS) allows for highly accurate (above 90%) differentiation between tick species. Furthermore, RS can be used to predict the tick developmental stage and differentiate between nymphs, meta-nymphs and adult ticks. We have also demonstrated that diagnostics of tick species present on cattle can be achieved using a hand-held Raman spectrometer. These findings show that RS can be used for non-invasive, non-destructive and confirmatory on-site analysis of tick species present on cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Dou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Alexei Ermolenkov
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Samantha R Hays
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Brian T Rich
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Taylor G Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Donald Thomas
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 North Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
| | - Pete D Teel
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 North Moorefield Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541, United States
| | - Dmitry Kurouski
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States.
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Heo CC, Teel PD, OConnor BM, Tomberlin JK. Acari community in association with delayed pig carrion decomposition. Exp Appl Acarol 2021; 85:223-246. [PMID: 34762225 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-021-00676-6] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Acari community structure and function associated with delayed pig carrion decomposition has not been examined. In this study, 18 swine carcasses were studied in central Texas, USA, during two consecutive summers (2013 and 2014). Samples of ca. 400 g soil were collected from beneath, aside, and 5 m away from each pig carcass over 180 days. Mites from soil samples were extracted using Berlese funnels and identified to order and family levels and classified according to ecological function. In total 1565 and 1740 mites were identified from the 2013 and 2014 soil samples, respectively. Significant differences were determined for mite community structure at order and family levels temporally on carrion (e.g., day 0 × day 14) regardless of treatments and between soil regions where mites were collected (e.g., soil beneath vs. soil 5 m away from carrion). However, no significant differences were found in mite community structure at the order level between pig carrion with and without delayed Diptera colonization (i.e., treatments). Analysis at the family level determined a significant difference across treatments for both summers. Ecological function of mites did not change significantly following the delayed decomposition of pig carcasses. However, detritivores and fungivores were significant indicator groups during the pig carrion decomposition process. Furthermore, 13 phoretic mite species associated with eight forensically important beetle species were documented. Data from this study indicated that the rate of nutrient flow into the soil impacted associated arthropod communities; however, detecting such shifts depends on the taxonomic resolution being applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C Heo
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh Campus, 47000, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - P D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - B M OConnor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J K Tomberlin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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11
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Krishnavajhala A, Armstrong BA, Kneubehl AR, Gunter SM, Piccione J, Kim HJ, Ramirez R, Castro-Arellano I, Roachell W, Teel PD, Lopez JE. Diversity and distribution of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009868. [PMID: 34813588 PMCID: PMC8651100 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia turicatae is a causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in the subtropics and tropics of the United States and Latin America. Historically, B. turicatae was thought to be maintained in enzootic cycles in rural areas. However, there is growing evidence that suggests the pathogen has established endemic foci in densely populated regions of Texas. With the growth of homelessness in the state and human activity in city parks, it was important to implement field collection efforts to identify areas where B. turicatae and its vector circulate. Between 2017 and 2020 we collected Ornithodoros turicata ticks in suburban and urban areas including public and private parks and recreational spaces. Ticks were fed on naïve mice and spirochetes were isolated from the blood. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on eight newly obtained isolates and included previously reported sequences. The four chromosomal loci targeted for MLST were 16S ribosomal RNA (rrs), flagellin B (flaB), DNA gyrase B (gyrB), and the intergenic spacer (IGS). Given the complexity of Borrelia genomes, plasmid diversity was also evaluated. These studies indicate that the IGS locus segregates B. turicatae into four genomic types and plasmid diversity is extensive between isolates. Furthermore, B. turicatae and its vector have established endemic foci in parks and recreational areas in densely populated settings of Texas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics and the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Brittany A. Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics and the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander R. Kneubehl
- Department of Pediatrics and the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Gunter
- Department of Pediatrics and the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Julie Piccione
- Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hee J. Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rosa Ramirez
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ivan Castro-Arellano
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Walter Roachell
- Public Health Command-Central, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics and the National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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12
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Hüe T, Berger A, Wang HH, Grant WE, Teel PD, de León AAP. Integrated control of the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus australis (Acari: Ixodidae), in New Caledonia through the Pasture and Cattle Management method. Parasitol Res 2021; 120:2749-2758. [PMID: 34322733 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07235-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Development of the Pasture and Cattle Management (PCM) method is a priority to control the cattle tick, Rhipicephalus australis, in New Caledonia. The PCM method provides the foundation for sustainable integrated tick control because approximately 95% of cattle ticks in infested pastures are off the host in the non-parasitic life stages, and the practice of treating cattle intensely with chemical acaricides is a risk for the emergence of resistance to these active ingredients in commercial acaricidal products available for veterinary use. Here, we report the findings of an assessment survey to document the utility of the PCM method. Analyses of questionnaire data provided by 21 beef cattle producers describing their management of 37 herds informed how to (1) assess the ability of PCM to reduce acaricide use and (2) prioritize best practices and define recommendations to breeders promoting efficient tick control with minimum acaricide use. Boosted regression tree analysis showed a significant (p = 0.002) reduction of ≈33% in the number of acaricide treatments from 7.9 to 5.3 per year by using PCM. Of the 24 factors identified as potentially affecting acaricide use, six factors accounted for ≈86% of the variability in number of acaricide treatments applied annually. The six most influential factors involved farm characteristics as well as pasture and herd management recommendations. These results demonstrated the usefulness of PCM for integrated control of R. australis infestations while reducing acaricide use to improve cattle production in New Caledonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Hüe
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Animale, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), BP73, Païta, New Caledonia.
| | - Anna Berger
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie Animale, Institut Agronomique néo-Calédonien (IAC), BP73, Païta, New Caledonia
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - William E Grant
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, USDA, 2700 Fredericksburg Rd., Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA.,USDA-ARS San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, 9611 S. Riverbend Av., Parlier, CA, 93648, USA
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13
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Mader EM, Ganser C, Geiger A, Harrington LC, Foley J, Smith RL, Mateus-Pinilla N, Teel PD, Eisen RJ. A Survey of Tick Surveillance and Control Practices in the United States. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:1503-1512. [PMID: 34270770 PMCID: PMC9379860 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Tickborne diseases are an increasing public health threat in the United States. Prevention and diagnosis of tickborne diseases are improved by access to current and accurate information on where medically important ticks and their associated human and veterinary pathogens are present, their local abundance or prevalence, and when ticks are actively seeking hosts. The true extent of tick and tickborne pathogen expansion is poorly defined, in part because of a lack of nationally standardized tick surveillance. We surveyed 140 vector-borne disease professionals working in state, county, and local public health and vector control agencies to assess their 1) tick surveillance program objectives, 2) pathogen testing methods, 3) tick control practices, 4) data communication strategies, and 5) barriers to program development and operation. Fewer than half of respondents reported that their jurisdiction was engaged in routine, active tick surveillance, but nearly two-thirds reported engaging in passive tick surveillance. Detection of tick presence was the most commonly stated current surveillance objective (76.2%). Most of the programs currently supporting tick pathogen testing were in the Northeast (70.8%), Upper and Central Midwest (64.3%), and the West (71.4%) regions. The most common pathogens screened for were Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) and bacterial and viral agents transmitted by Ixodes (Acari: Ixodidae) ticks. Only 12% of respondents indicated their jurisdiction directly conducts or otherwise financially supports tick control. Responses indicated that their ability to expand the capacity of tick surveillance and control programs was impeded by inconsistent funding, limited infrastructure, guidance on best practices, and institutional capacity to perform these functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Mader
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Corresponding author,
| | - Claudia Ganser
- Department of Geography and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Annie Geiger
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | | | - Janet Foley
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA
| | - Rebecca L. Smith
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
| | - Nohra Mateus-Pinilla
- Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Rebecca J. Eisen
- Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO
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Hays SR, Teel PD, Starns HD, Garza NE, Diaz-Gomez JM, Beall SL, Tolleson DR. Effect of Anti-acaricide Treatment on Tick Species Present and Performance of Growing Beef Heifers. J Anim Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jas/skab096.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The Edwards Plateau region of Texas is largely used for grazing cattle and small ruminants. Tick parasitism in range livestock can occur year-round with direct production losses manifested as body weight or condition. The objective was to assess two acaricide treatments on the active tick burden on livestock within two forage growing seasons (winter through summer). At the Sonora AgriLife Station, 22 Bos taurus crossbred heifers (248 ± 47 kg) were maintained on 97 hectares of rangeland. Tick burden was assessed by individual animal inspection every two wk from 18-Dec-2019 to 11-May-2020 (Season 1) and from 8-Jun-2020 to 3-Aug-2020 (Season 2). Acaricide treatment was applied each date to heifers chosen randomly to serve in the non-treated control (control: 11 heifers) or acaricide-treated (treatment: 11 heifers) groups. Season 1 acaricide treatment was a pour-on synthetic pyrethroid (11 dates) and Season 2 was a diluted synthetic pyrethroid whole-body spray (5 dates). Tick species observed included Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor albipictus. Tick burden (total counts) and body condition score differences were determined by analysis of variance procedures. For tick burden, there were significant differences (P < 0.0012) between treatment (0.528 ± 0.06) and control (0.819 ± 0.06) heifers in Season 1 (0.673 ± 10.44), and no differences (P > 0.11) between treatment (0.642 ± 0.07) and control (0.799 ± 0.07) heifers in Season 2 (0.721 ± 2.64). For body condition score, there were no differences (P > 0.72) between treatment (5.61 ± 0.04) and control (5.59 ± 0.04) heifers in Season 1 nor Season 2 (5.51 ± 0.005 and 5.80 ± 0.47, respectively). Season 1 acaricide treatment was effective in controlling tick burden (efficacy = 3–4 wk) as compared to Season 2 (efficacy = 1–2 wk). Tick burdens observed under the conditions of this study had no effect on body condition.
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15
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Wang HH, Grant WE, Teel PD, Lohmeyer KH, Pérez de León AA. Simulated dynamics of southern cattle fever ticks (Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus) in south Texas, USA: investigating potential wildlife-mediated impacts on eradication efforts. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:231. [PMID: 33933151 PMCID: PMC8088722 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cattle fever ticks (CFT), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus, are vectors of microbes causing bovine babesiosis and pose a threat to the economic viability of the US livestock industry. Efforts by the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP) along the US-Mexico border in south Texas are complicated by the involvement of alternate hosts, including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus). Methods In the present study, we use a spatially explicit, individual-based model to explore the potential effects of host species composition and host habitat use patterns on southern cattle fever ticks (SCFT, R. (B.) microplus) infestation dynamics and efficacy of eradication schemes. Results In simulations without eradication efforts, mean off-host larval densities were much higher when cattle were present than when only white-tailed deer and nilgai were present. Densities in mesquite and meadows were slightly higher, and densities in mixed brush were much lower, than landscape-level densities in each of these scenarios. In eradication simulations, reductions in mean off-host larval densities at the landscape level were much smaller when acaricide was applied to cattle only, or to cattle and white-tailed deer, than when applied to cattle and nilgai. Relative density reductions in mesquite, mixed brush, and meadows depended on host habitat use preferences. Shifting nilgai habitat use preferences increasingly toward mixed brush and away from mesquite did not change mean off-host larval tick densities noticeably at the landscape level. However, mean densities were increased markedly in mesquite and decreased markedly in mixed brush, while no noticeable change in density was observed in meadows. Conclusions Our results suggest that continued integration of field data into spatially explicit, individual-based models will facilitate the development of novel eradication strategies and will allow near-real-time infestation forecasts as an aid in anticipating and preventing wildlife-mediated impacts on SCFT eradication efforts.![]() Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04724-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - William E Grant
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Kimberly H Lohmeyer
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA.,San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center, United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Parlier, CA, 93648, USA
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16
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Kim HJ, Hamer GL, Hamer SA, Lopez JE, Teel PD. Identification of Host Bloodmeal Source in Ornithodoros turicata Dugès (Ixodida: Argasidae) Using DNA-Based and Stable Isotope-Based Techniques. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:620441. [PMID: 33681326 PMCID: PMC7925843 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.620441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecology and host feeding patterns of many soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) remain poorly understood. To address soft tick-host feeding associations, we fed Ornithodoros turicata Dugès on multiple host species and evaluated quantitative PCR (qPCR) and stable isotope analyses to identify the vertebrate species used for the bloodmeal. The results showed that a qPCR with host-specific probes for the cytochrome b gene successfully identified bloodmeals from chicken (Gallus gallus L.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus L), and swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) beyond 330 days post-feeding and through multiple molting. Also, qPCR-based bloodmeal analyses could detect multiple host species within individual ticks that fed upon more than one species. The stable isotope bloodmeal analyses were based on variation in the natural abundance of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) isotopes in ticks fed on different hosts. When compared to reference isotope signatures, this method discerned unique δ13C and δ15N signatures in the ticks fed on each host taxa yet could not discern multiple host species from O. turicata that fed on more than one host species. Given the significance of soft tick-borne zoonoses and animal diseases, elucidating host feeding patterns from field-collected ticks using these methods may provide insight for an ecological basis to disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee J. Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Gabriel L. Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, Center for Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
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Busselman RE, Olson MF, Martinez V, Davila E, Briggs C, Eldridge DS, Higgins B, Bass B, Cropper TL, Casey TM, Edwards T, Teel PD, Hamer SA, Hamer GL. Host Bloodmeal Identification in Cave-Dwelling Ornithodoros turicata Dugès (Ixodida: Argasidae), Texas, USA. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:639400. [PMID: 33659288 PMCID: PMC7917080 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.639400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-host bloodmeal associations are important factors when characterizing risks of associated pathogen transmission and applying appropriate management strategies. Despite their biological importance, comparatively little is known about soft tick (Argasidae) host associations in the United States compared to hard ticks (Ixodidae). In this study, we evaluated a PCR and direct Sanger sequencing method for identifying the bloodmeal hosts of soft ticks. We collected 381 cave-associated Ornithodoros turicata near San Antonio, Texas, USA, and also utilized eight colony-reared specimens fed artificially on known host blood sources over 1.5 years ago. We correctly identified the vertebrate host bloodmeals of two colony-reared ticks (chicken and pig) up to 1,105 days post-feeding, and identified bloodmeal hosts from 19 out of 168 field-collected soft ticks, including raccoon (78.9%), black vulture (10.5%), Texas black rattlesnake (5.3%), and human (5.3%). Our results confirm the retention of vertebrate blood DNA in soft ticks and advance the knowledge of argasid host associations in cave-dwelling O. turicata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Busselman
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Mark F. Olson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Viridiana Martinez
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Edward Davila
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Cierra Briggs
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Devon S. Eldridge
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Bailee Higgins
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Brittany Bass
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Thomas L. Cropper
- 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Theresa M. Casey
- 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Theresa Edwards
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Government Canyon State Natural Area, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Gabriel L. Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
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18
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Guerrero FD, Ghaffari N, Bendele KG, Metz RP, Dickens CM, Blood PD, Tidwell J, Miller RJ, de León AAP, Teel PD, Johnson CD. Raw pacific biosciences and illumina sequencing reads and assembled genome data for the cattle ticks Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus annulatus. Data Brief 2021; 35:106852. [PMID: 33644273 PMCID: PMC7893435 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.106852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks from the genus Rhipicephalus have enormous global economic impact as ectoparasites of cattle. Rhipicephalus microplus and Rhipicephalus annulatus are known to harbor infectious pathogens such as Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale. Having reference quality genomes of these ticks would advance research to identify druggable targets for chemical entities with acaricidal activity and refine anti-tick vaccine approaches. We sequenced and assembled the genomes of R. microplus and R. annulatus, using Pacific Biosciences and HiSeq 4000 technologies on very high molecular weight genomic DNA. We used 22 and 29 SMRT cells on the Pacific Biosciences Sequel for R. microplus and R. annulatus, respectively, and 3 lanes of the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform for each tick. The PacBio sequence yields for R. microplus and R. annulatus were 21.0 and 27.9 million subreads, respectively, which were assembled with Canu v. 1.7. The final Canu assemblies consisted of 92,167 and 57,796 contigs with an average contig length of 39,249 and 69,055 bp for R. microplus and R. annulatus, respectively. Annotated genome quality was assessed by BUSCO analysis to provide quantitative measures for each assembled genome. Over 82% and 92% of the 1066 member BUSCO gene set was found in the assembled genomes of R. microplus and R. annulatus, respectively. For R. microplus, only 189 of the 1066 BUSCO genes were missing and only 140 were present in a fragmented condition. For R. annulatus, only 75 of the BUSCO genes were missing and only 109 were present in a fragmented condition. The raw sequencing reads and the assembled contigs/scaffolds are archived at the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix D Guerrero
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland US Livestock Insect Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Noushin Ghaffari
- Department of Computer Science, Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
| | - Kylie G Bendele
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland US Livestock Insect Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Richard P Metz
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 101 Gateway, Suite A, Room 121, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - C Michael Dickens
- Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing, Texas A&M University, 1500 Research Parkway, Suite 250, 1157B Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Philip D Blood
- Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jason Tidwell
- USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA
| | - Robert J Miller
- USDA-ARS Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, 22675 Moorefield Road, Edinburg, TX 78541, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland US Livestock Insect Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, 2700 Fredericksburg Road, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA
| | - Charles D Johnson
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 101 Gateway, Suite A, Room 121, College Station, TX 77845, USA
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Wang HH, Grant WE, Teel PD, Lohmeyer KH, A Pérez de León A. Enhanced biosurveillance of high-consequence invasive pests: southern cattle fever ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, on livestock and wildlife. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:487. [PMID: 32967722 PMCID: PMC7513513 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04366-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some tick species are invasive and of high consequence to public and veterinary health. Socioeconomic development of rural parts of the USA was enabled partly through the eradication by 1943 of cattle fever ticks (CFT, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus). The southern cattle fever ticks (SCFT, R. (B.) microplus) remain a real and present threat to the USA animal agriculture because they are established in Mexico. Livestock-wildlife interactions in the Permanent Quarantine Zone (PQZ) established by the century-old Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Programme (CFTEP) in south Texas endanger its operations. Methods We describe a spatially-explicit, individual-based model that simulates interactions between cattle, white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus), and nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) to assess the risk for SCFT infestations across the pathogenic landscape in the PQZ and beyond. We also investigate the potential role of nilgai in sustaining SCFT populations by simulating various hypothetical infestation and eradication scenarios. Results All infestation scenarios resulted in a phase transition from a relatively small proportion of the ranch infested to almost the entire ranch infested coinciding with the typical period of autumn increases in off-host tick larvae. Results of eradication scenarios suggest that elimination of all on-host ticks on cattle, WTD, or nilgai would have virtually no effect on the proportion of the ranch infested or on the proportions of different tick habitat types infested; the entire ranch would remain infested. If all on-host ticks were eliminated on cattle and WTD, WTD and nilgai, or cattle and nilgai, the proportions of the ranch infested occasionally would drop to 0.6, 0.6 and 0.2, respectively. Differences in proportions of the ranch infested from year to year were due to primarily to differences in winter weather conditions, whereas infestation differences among tick habitat types were due primarily to habitat use preferences of hosts. Conclusions Infestations in nilgai augment SCFT refugia enabled by WTD and promote pest persistence across the landscape and cattle parasitism. Our study documented the utility of enhanced biosurveillance using simulation tools to mitigate risk and enhance operations of area-wide tick management programmes like the CFTEP through integrated tactics for SCFT suppression.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - William E Grant
- Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Kimberly H Lohmeyer
- United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
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20
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Paddock CD, Hecht JA, Green AN, Waldrup KA, Teel PD, Karpathy SE, Johnson TL. Rickettsia parkeri (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) in the Sky Islands of West Texas. J Med Entomol 2020; 57:1582-1587. [PMID: 32249319 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Rickettsia parkeri, a tick-borne pathogen distributed throughout several countries of the Americas, causes a mild to moderately severe, eschar-associated spotted fever rickettsiosis. Although most U.S. cases of R. parkeri rickettsiosis are reported from southeastern states, some have been reported recently from remote regions of southern Arizona. These cases are linked to R. parkeri-infected ticks of the Amblyomma maculatum (Acari: Ixodidae) group found in several isolated mountain ranges of southern Arizona and New Mexico, referred to as 'sky islands'. Archival records also document ticks of the A. maculatum group collected from domestic and wild animals in West Texas. We surveyed sites in two sky island chains of Jeff Davis and Brewster counties to document the off-host occurrence of these ticks and identify the presence of R. parkeri in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. During August 2019, 43 adult A. maculatum group ticks were flagged from vegetation or removed from a road-killed, female mule deer. Of 39 samples evaluated by PCR, eight contained a partial sca0 sequence with complete identity to R. parkeri and two with complete identity to 'Candidatus Rickettsia andeanae', a species of undetermined pathogenicity. Four isolates of R. parkeri were obtained using cell culture. Persons at risk for R. parkeri rickettsiosis include those who work or recreate in these mountains, such as hikers, backpackers, research scientists, foresters, and border enforcement personnel. Additional investigations are needed to define the distribution of these medically important arthropods in other parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Joy A Hecht
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Amy N Green
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, El Paso, TX
| | - Kenneth A Waldrup
- Zoonosis Control, Texas Department of State Health Services, El Paso, TX
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Sandor E Karpathy
- Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
| | - Tammi L Johnson
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, Uvalde, TX
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Armstrong BA, Kneubehl AR, Mitchell RD, Krishnavajhala A, Teel PD, Pérez de León AA, Lopez JE. Corrigendum: Differential Expression of Putative Ornithodoros turicata Defensins Mediated by Tick Feeding. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:310. [PMID: 32714879 PMCID: PMC7345982 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Armstrong
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexander R Kneubehl
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Robert D Mitchell
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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22
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Armstrong BA, Kneubehl AR, Mitchell RD, Krishnavajhala A, Teel PD, Pérez de León AA, Lopez JE. Differential Expression of Putative Ornithodoros turicata Defensins Mediated by Tick Feeding. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:152. [PMID: 32477960 PMCID: PMC7232577 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Additional research on soft ticks in the family Argasidae is needed to bridge the knowledge gap relative to hard ticks of the family Ixodidae; especially, the molecular mechanisms of Ornithodoros biology. Ornithodoros species are vectors of human and animal pathogens that include tick-borne relapsing fever spirochetes and African swine fever virus. Soft tick vector-pathogen interactions involving components of the tick immune response are not understood. Ticks utilize a basic innate immune system consisting of recognition factors and cellular and humoral responses to produce antimicrobial peptides, like defensins. In the present study, we identified and characterized the first putative defensins of Ornithodoros turicata, an argasid tick found primarily in the southwestern United States and regions of Latin America. Four genes (otdA, otdB, otdC, and otdD) were identified through sequencing and their predicted amino acid sequences contained motifs characteristic of arthropod defensins. A phylogenetic analysis grouped these four genes with arthropod defensins, and computational structural analyses further supported the identification. Since pathogens transmitted by O. turicata colonize both the midgut and salivary glands, expression patterns of the putative defensins were determined in these tissues 1 week post engorgement and after molting. Defensin genes up-regulated in the tick midgut 1 week post blood feeding were otdA and otdC, while otdD was up-regulated in the midgut of post-molt ticks. Moreover, otdB and otdD were also up-regulated in the salivary glands of flat post-molt ticks, while otdC was up-regulated within 1 week post blood-feeding. This work is foundational toward additional studies to determine mechanisms of vector competence and pathogen transmission from O. turicata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A Armstrong
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexander R Kneubehl
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Robert D Mitchell
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, United States
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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23
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Kim HJ, Krishnavajhala A, Armstrong BA, Pérez de León AA, Filatov S, Teel PD, Lopez JE. Humoral immune response of pigs, Sus scrofa domesticus, upon repeated exposure to blood-feeding by Ornithodoros turicata Duges (Ixodida: Argasidae). Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:66. [PMID: 32051021 PMCID: PMC7017561 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3931-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ornithodoros turicata is an important vector of both human and veterinary pathogens. One primary concern is the global spread of African swine fever virus and the risk of its re-emergence in the Americas through potential transmission by O. turicata to domestic pigs and feral swine. Moreover, in Texas, African warthogs were introduced into the state for hunting purposes and evidence exists that they are reproducing and have spread to three counties in the state. Consequently, it is imperative to develop strategies to evaluate exposure of feral pigs and African warthogs to O. turicata. Results We report the development of an animal model to evaluate serological responses of pigs to O. turicata salivary proteins after three exposures to tick feeding. Serological responses were assessed for ~ 120 days by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting using salivary gland extracts from O. turicata. Conclusions Our findings indicate that domestic pigs seroconverted to O. turicata salivary antigens that is foundational toward the development of a diagnostic assay to improve soft tick surveillance efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee J Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brittany A Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, USA.
| | - Serhii Filatov
- Laboratory of Virology, National Scientific Center, "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine", Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. .,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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Latas P, Auckland LD, Teel PD, Hamer SA. ARGAS ( PERSICARGAS) GIGANTEUS SOFT TICK INFECTION WITH RICKETTSIA HOOGSTRAALI AND RELAPSING FEVER BORRELIA ON WILD AVIAN SPECIES OF THE DESERT SOUTHWEST, USA. J Wildl Dis 2020; 56:113-125. [PMID: 31567038] [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] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Changing climatic conditions and the northward expansion of ticks and pathogens are of immense importance to human, animal, and environmental health assessment and risk management. From 2014 through 2015, a wildlife rehabilitation center in south-central Arizona, US noted soft ticks (Argasidae) infesting 23 birds, including Cooper's Hawks (Accipiter cooperii), Gray Hawks (Buteo plagiatus), Harris's Hawks (Parabuteo unicinctus), Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus), Common Ravens (Corvus corax), and a Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), during the late summer seasonal rainy seasons. The parasites numbered in the hundreds on individual birds. Infested birds were moribund, obtunded, or paralyzed on presentation, with no prior histories of illness or evidence of trauma. Tick and avian blood samples were collected for vector-borne pathogen analysis focusing on the molecular detection of Rickettsia and Borrelia species. Ticks were identified as the neotropical species of soft tick, Argas (Persicargas) giganteus; their occurrence in the southern US on raptors represented an expansion of host range. Pathogen testing of ticks showed that 41% of 54 ticks were infected with Rickettsia hoogstraalii and 23% of 26 ticks were infected with a relapsing fever Borrelia; both agents are associated with uncertain health consequences. Among the blood samples, one was infected with the same Borrelia spp.; this Red-tailed Hawk also had Borrelia-positive ticks. With supportive therapy, the majority of birds, 74% (17/23), recovered and were released or permanent residents. The management of soft tick-infested birds and mitigation of future disease risk will require additional characterizations of these poorly studied soft ticks and their associated pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Latas
- Awe Pono Avian Health, 7223 E Camino Valle Verde, Tucson, Arizona 85715, USA
| | - Lisa D Auckland
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, 4458 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, 2475 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, 4458 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
- Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, Texas A&M University, 4467 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
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26
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Kjeldgaard MK, Takano OM, Bockoven AA, Teel PD, Light JE, Hamer SA, Hamer GL, Eubanks MD. Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) aggression influences the behavior of three hard tick species. Exp Appl Acarol 2019; 79:87-97. [PMID: 31552562 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have documented the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior. We conducted behavioral assays in the laboratory to quantify the effects of a highly abundant predator, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), on three species of ticks endemic to the southern USA: the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf Coast tick (A. maculatum), and the Cayenne tick (A. mixtum). We documented ant aggression toward ticks (biting, carrying, and stinging) and determined the effects of ants on tick activity. Ticks were significantly less active in the presence of fire ants, and tick activity was negatively associated with ant aggression, but in many cases the effects of fire ants on ticks varied by tick species, stage, and engorgement status. For example, fire ants took half as long (~ 62 s) to become aggressive toward unfed A. americanum adults compared with unfed A. maculatum, and only ~ 8 s to become aggressive toward engorged A. maculatum nymphs. Correspondingly, the activity of unfed A. americanum adults and engorged A. maculatum nymphs was reduced by 67 and 93%, respectively, in the presence of fire ants. This reduction in tick activity translated to less questing by unfed ticks and less time spent walking by engorged nymphs. Our results suggest that fire ants may have important non-consumptive effects on ticks and demonstrate the importance of measuring the indirect effects of predators on tick behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- MacKenzie K Kjeldgaard
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Oona M Takano
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
- Department of Biology and Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Alison A Bockoven
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jessica E Light
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, 402 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Micky D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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Hays SR, Teel PD, Starns HD, Garza N, Moen R, Tolleson DR. 125 Tick burden observed on cattle and sheep during winter season on the Edwards Plateau of Texas. J Anim Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz053.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Multi-species livestock grazing is a common practice in the Edwards Plateau of Texas. Winter demands on livestock are high because of forage quality and quantity limitations and stresses of tick parasitism. Our objective was to assess winter-active tick burden on livestock and gauge effectiveness of a pour-on synthetic pyrethroid acaricide. At the Sonora AgriLife Station, 26 Bos taurus crossbred heifers (260 ± 6 kg) and 28 Dorper ewes (42 ± 1 kg) were maintained on 97.125 hectares of rangeland. Tick burden was assessed by individual animal inspection on: 12-18-2017, 01-05-2018, 01-122018, 01-26-2018, 02-09-2018, 02-16-2018, 02-23-2018, and 03-08-2018. Trial 1 acaricide treatment was applied 01-05-2018 on heifers and ewes chosen randomly to serve in the non-treated control (13 heifers; 14 ewes) or acaricide-treated (13 heifers; 14 ewes) groups. Trial 2 acaricide treatment was applied 02-16-2018 using a switchback design. Tick species included Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor albipictus, and Ixodes scapularis. Tick burden differences were determined by analysis of variance procedures. There were no differences in tick burden on heifers or ewes prior to acaricide application for Trial 1 nor Trial 2 (P > 0.276, 0.002 ± 0.46; P > 0.354, 0.002 ± 0.11 and P > 0.606, 0.002 ± 0.05; P > 0.705, 0.001 ± 1.34, respectively). There were no differences (P > 0.149) between acaricide-treated (0.519 ± 0.05) and non-treated control (0.644 ± 0.07) heifers in Trial 1 nor Trial 2 (0.759 ± 0.07 and 0.404 ± 0.04, respectively). Similarly, there were no differences (P > 0.997) between acaricide-treated (2.964 ± 0.31) and non-treated control (2.965 ± 0.3) ewes in Trial 1 nor Trial 2 (1.015 ± 0.13 and 5.563 ± 0.45, respectively). We conclude ticks challenge the well-being and production in overwintering livestock in the Edwards Plateau. Alternative acaricides should be evaluated for efficacy and efficiency in these production systems
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pete D Teel
- Texas A&M University Department of Entomology
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Wang HH, Teel PD, Grant WE, Soltero F, Urdaz J, Ramírez AEP, Miller RJ, Pérez de León AA. Simulation tools for assessment of tick suppression treatments of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus on non-lactating dairy cattle in Puerto Rico. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:185. [PMID: 31029149 PMCID: PMC6487003 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3443-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The southern cattle fever tick (SCFT), Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, remains endemic in Puerto Rico. Systematic treatment programmes greatly reduced and even eradicated temporarily this tick from the island. However, a systemic treatment programme that includes integrated management practices for livestock against SCFT remains to be established in the island. We describe a spatially-explicit, individual-based model that simulates climate-livestock-SCFT-landscape interactions. This model was developed as an investigative tool to aid in a research project on integrated management of the SCFT that took place in Puerto Rico between 2014 and 2017. We used the model to assess the efficacy of tick suppression and probability of tick elimination when applying safer acaricides at 3-week intervals to different proportions of a herd of non-lactating dairy cattle. RESULTS Probabilities of eliminating host-seeking larvae from the simulated system decreased from ≈ 1 to ≈ 0 as the percentage of cattle treated decreased from 65 to 45, with elimination probabilities ≈ 1 at higher treatment percentages and ≈ 0 at lower treatment percentages. For treatment percentages between 65% and 45%, a more rapid decline in elimination probabilities was predicted by the version of the model that produced higher densities of host-seeking larvae. Number of weeks after the first acaricide application to elimination of host-seeking larvae was variable among replicate simulations within treatment percentages, with within-treatment variation increasing markedly at treatment percentages ≤ 65. Number of weeks after first application to elimination generally varied between 30 and 40 weeks for those treatment percentages with elimination probabilities ≈ 1. CONCLUSIONS Explicit simulation of the spatial and temporal dynamics of off-host (host-seeking) larvae in response to control methods should be an essential element of research that involves the evaluation of integrated SCFT management programmes. This approach could provide the basis to evaluate novel control technologies and to develop protocols for their cost-effective use with other treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - William E Grant
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Fred Soltero
- United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, 654 Munoz Rivera Ave. Plaza Bldg. Suite 700, San Juan, 00918, Puerto Rico
| | - José Urdaz
- United States Department of Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg. B, MS-3E13, Ft. Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Alejandro E Pérez Ramírez
- Veterinary Services and Animal Health, Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 10163, San Juan, 00908-1163, Puerto Rico
| | - Robert J Miller
- Cattle Fever Tick Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Edinburg, TX, 78541, USA
| | - Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Kerrville, TX, 78028, USA
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Golnar AJ, Martin E, Wormington JD, Kading RC, Teel PD, Hamer SA, Hamer GL. Reviewing the Potential Vectors and Hosts of African Swine Fever Virus Transmission in the United States. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2019; 19:512-524. [PMID: 30785371 PMCID: PMC6602103 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) continues to threaten global animal health and agricultural biosecurity. Mitigating the establishment of ASFV in the United States (U.S.) is contingent on (1) the identification of arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts that are capable of viral maintenance and transmission in the U.S. and (2) knowledge of vector-host associations that may permit transmission. We aggregated data on vector competence, host competence and tick–host associations by systematic review of published articles and collection records to identify species that may support the invasion of ASFV in the U.S. Three species of competent soft ticks occur in the U.S., Ornithodoros coriaceus, Ornithodoros turicata, and Ornithodoros puertoricensis, however, vector competence for the majority of soft ticks in the U.S. remains unknown. Three species of competent vertebrate hosts currently occur in the U.S.: domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), feral hogs (Sus scrofa), and common warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus). Hierarchical hazard categories based on vector competence, tick–host contact rates, and vector abundance were used to semiquantitatively rank U.S. soft tick species by their relative risk for contributing to ASFV transmission to identify which soft tick species are a priority for future studies. High-risk vector and host species identified in this study can be used to focus ASFV risk assessments in the U.S., guide targeted surveillance and control strategies, and proactively prepare for an ASFV incursion event. Results indicate O. coriaceus, O. turicata, and O. puertoricensis demonstrate the highest relative risk for contributing to ASFV transmission in the U.S., however, many gaps in knowledge exist preventing the full evaluation of at least 30 soft tick species in the U.S. Further study is required to identify soft tick vectors that interact with feral swine populations, elucidate vector competence, and further understand the biology of soft tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Golnar
- 1 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Estelle Martin
- 1 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Jillian D Wormington
- 2 Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Rebekah C Kading
- 3 Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Pete D Teel
- 1 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- 2 Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- 1 Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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Armstrong BA, Kneubehl A, Krishnavajhala A, Wilder HK, Boyle W, Wozniak E, Phillips C, Hollywood K, Murray KO, Donaldson TG, Teel PD, Waldrup K, Lopez JE. Seroprevalence for the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae among small and medium sized mammals of Texas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006877. [PMID: 30372445 PMCID: PMC6224114 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In low elevation arid regions throughout the southern United States, Borrelia turicatae is the principal agent of tick-borne relapsing fever. However, endemic foci and the vertebrate hosts involved in the ecology of B. turicatae remain undefined. Experimental infection studies suggest that small and medium sized mammals likely maintain B. turicatae in nature, while the tick vector is a long-lived reservoir. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Serum samples from wild caught rodents, raccoons, and wild and domestic canids from 23 counties in Texas were screened for prior exposure to B. turicatae. Serological assays were performed using B. turicatae protein lysates and recombinant Borrelia immunogenic protein A (rBipA), a diagnostic protein that is unique to RF spirochetes and may be a species-specific antigen. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Serological responses to B. turicatae were detected from 24 coyotes, one gray fox, two raccoons, and one rodent from six counties in Texas. These studies indicate that wild canids and raccoons were exposed to B. turicatae and are likely involved in the pathogen's ecology. Additionally, more work should focus on evaluating rodent exposure to B. turicatae and the role of these small mammals in the pathogen's maintenance in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Armstrong
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kneubehl
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Aparna Krishnavajhala
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hannah K. Wilder
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - William Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Edward Wozniak
- Texas State Guard, Medical Brigade, Uvalde, Texas, United States of America
| | - Carson Phillips
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kristen Hollywood
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, Midland, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kristy O. Murray
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Taylor G. Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ken Waldrup
- Texas Department of State Health Services, Zoonosis, El Paso, Texas, United States of America
| | - Job E. Lopez
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Castellanos AA, Medeiros MCI, Hamer GL, Morrow ME, Eubanks MD, Teel PD, Hamer SA, Light JE. Decreased small mammal and on-host tick abundance in association with invasive red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0463. [PMID: 27651533 PMCID: PMC5046925 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [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] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive species may impact pathogen transmission by altering the distributions and interactions among native vertebrate reservoir hosts and arthropod vectors. Here, we examined the direct and indirect effects of the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) on the native tick, small mammal and pathogen community in southeast Texas. Using a replicated large-scale field manipulation study, we show that small mammals were more abundant on treatment plots where S. invicta populations were experimentally reduced. Our analysis of ticks on small mammal hosts demonstrated a threefold increase in the ticks caught per unit effort on treatment relative to control plots, and elevated tick loads (a 27-fold increase) on one common rodent species. We detected only one known human pathogen (Rickettsia parkeri), present in 1.4% of larvae and 6.7% of nymph on-host Amblyomma maculatum samples but with no significant difference between treatment and control plots. Given that host and vector population dynamics are key drivers of pathogen transmission, the reduced small mammal and tick abundance associated with S. invicta may alter pathogen transmission dynamics over broader spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Castellanos
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Matthew C I Medeiros
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Michael E Morrow
- Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Eagle Lake, TX, USA
| | - Micky D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jessica E Light
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | | | - William E. Grant
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station Texas 77843 USA
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology; Texas A&M AgriLife Research; College Station Texas 77843 USA
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Kim HJ, Filatov S, Lopez JE, Pérez DE León AA, Teel PD. Blood feeding of Ornithodoros turicata larvae using an artificial membrane system. Med Vet Entomol 2017; 31:230-233. [PMID: 28150885 PMCID: PMC6542588 DOI: 10.1111/mve.12223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
An artificial membrane system was adapted to feed Ornithodoros turicata (Ixodida: Argasidae) larvae from a laboratory colony using defibrinated swine blood. Aspects related to larval feeding and moulting to the first nymphal instar were evaluated. A total of 55.6% of all larvae exposed to the artificial membrane in two experimental groups fed to repletion and 98.0% of all fed larvae moulted. Mortality rates of first instar nymphs differed significantly depending on the sorting tools used to handle engorged larvae (χ2 = 35.578, P < 0.0001): engorged larvae handled with featherweight forceps showed significantly higher mortality (odds ratio = 4.441) than those handled with a camel-hair brush. Differences in the physical properties of the forceps and camel-hair brush may affect the viability of fragile soft tick larvae even when care and the same technique are used to sort them during experimental manipulations. The current results represent those of the first study to quantify successful feeding to repletion, moulting and post-moulting mortality rates in O. turicata larvae using an artificial membrane feeding system. Applications of the artificial membrane feeding system to fill gaps in current knowledge of soft tick biology and the study of soft tick-pathogen interactions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, U.S.A
| | - S Filatov
- Laboratory of Parasitology, National Scientific Centre Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - J E Lopez
- Department of Paediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Paediatric Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A
| | - A A Pérez DE León
- U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, TX, U.S.A
| | - P D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, U.S.A
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Lyons BN, Crippen TL, Zheng L, Teel PD, Swiger SL, Tomberlin JK. Susceptibility of Alphitobius diaperinus in Texas to permethrin- and β-cyfluthrin-treated surfaces. Pest Manag Sci 2017; 73:562-567. [PMID: 27239985 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective control of the lesser mealworm beetle, Alphitobius diaperinus, relies heavily on insecticides. The susceptibility level of beetles to these insecticides can be dependent on active ingredient, population treated, formulation, surface treated and timing of observation. The susceptibility of adult beetles from six populations to β-cyfluthrin was determined up to 48 h after exposure. The susceptibility of adult beetles to the label rate of β-cyfluthrin and permethrin formulations on concrete, wood-chip-type particle board and pressure-treated wood was determined up to 48 h post-exposure. RESULTS Variation in LC50 values at 2 and 24 h was found within and between beetle populations from two regions of Texas. The permethrin formulation had lower mean mortality than the β-cyfluthrin formulation on all surfaces tested. The permethrin formulation had high levels of recovery on all surfaces tested after 2 h. Surface affected the efficacy of the insecticides tested on killing adult beetles. CONCLUSION Permethrin-based insecticide had lower knockdown and persistence on various surfaces over time than β-cyfluthrin-based insecticide. Beetle recovery in less susceptible populations may necessitate longer observation periods for efficacy evaluations. Our study also shows that surfaces chosen can affect the efficacy of the compound on killing adult beetles. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon N Lyons
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Tawni L Crippen
- Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Le Zheng
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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Pimsler ML, Owings CG, Sanford MR, OConnor BM, Teel PD, Mohr RM, Tomberlin JK. Association of Myianoetus muscarum (Acari: Histiostomatidae) With Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae) on Human Remains. J Med Entomol 2016; 53:290-295. [PMID: 26740477 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) (Diptera: Muscidae) was identified during the course of three indoor medicolegal forensic entomology investigations in the state of Texas, one in 2011 from Hayes County, TX, and two in 2015 from Harris County, TX. In all cases, mites were found in association with the sample and subsequently identified as Myianoetus muscarum (L., 1758) (Acariformes: Histiostomatidae). This report represents the first records of a mite associated with S. nudiseta in the continental United States. In particular, this association is believed to be of potential future value in forensic investigations, as it lends new insight into the community structure of colonizers on human remains in indoor environments.
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Donaldson TG, Pèrez de León AA, Li AY, Li AI, Castro-Arellano I, Wozniak E, Boyle WK, Hargrove R, Wilder HK, Kim HJ, Teel PD, Lopez JE. Assessment of the Geographic Distribution of Ornithodoros turicata (Argasidae): Climate Variation and Host Diversity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004383. [PMID: 26829327 PMCID: PMC4734830 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ornithodoros turicata is a veterinary and medically important argasid tick that is recognized as a vector of the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae and African swine fever virus. Historic collections of O. turicata have been recorded from Latin America to the southern United States. However, the geographic distribution of this vector is poorly understood in relation to environmental variables, their hosts, and consequently the pathogens they transmit. Methodology Localities of O. turicata were generated by performing literature searches, evaluating records from the United States National Tick Collection and the Symbiota Collections of Arthropods Network, and by conducting field studies. Maximum entropy species distribution modeling (Maxent) was used to predict the current distribution of O. turicata. Vertebrate host diversity and GIS analyses of their distributions were used to ascertain the area of shared occupancy of both the hosts and vector. Conclusions and Significance Our results predicted previously unrecognized regions of the United States with habitat that may maintain O. turicata and could guide future surveillance efforts for a tick capable of transmitting high–consequence pathogens to human and animal populations. Argasid ticks are understudied vectors of significant human and veterinary pathogens. The life-cycle and feeding behavior of the tick poses challenges when attempting to understand the vector’s distribution. These ticks reside in dens, nests, and cave cavities, and are indiscriminant nocturnal feeders. They also engorge within minutes of attachment, and identifying the ticks on a vertebrate host is infrequent. To guide future surveillance studies, we predicted regions of probable occurrences for Ornithodoros turicata, a species capable of transmitting relapsing fever spirochetes and African swine fever virus. Historical databases and published literature were evaluated, and we collected ticks from regions of the United States. Environmental factors linked with known localities of O. turicata were used in a mathematical modeling program, which predicted regions in the United States and north Mexico likely to sustain the ticks. Additionally, vertebrate host ranges were associated with the predictive models, which may indicate how the tick vectors are dispersed. Collectively, these studies identified previously unrecognized regions that could sustain the ticks, and we envision that our work will help guide surveillance and additional research efforts to understand the ecology of pathogens transmitted by argasid ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor G Donaldson
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Adalberto A Pèrez de León
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory and Veterinary Pest Genomics Center, Kerrville, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Andrew I Li
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Insects Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland
| | - Ivan Castro-Arellano
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Edward Wozniak
- Texas State Guard, Medical Brigade, Uvalde, Texas, United States of America
| | - William K Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Reid Hargrove
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Hannah K Wilder
- Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hee J Kim
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Job E Lopez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi, United States of America.,Department of Pediatrics, National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Wang HH, Grant WE, Teel PD, Hamer SA. Simulation of climate-tick-host-landscape interactions: Effects of shifts in the seasonality of host population fluctuations on tick densities. J Vector Ecol 2015; 40:247-255. [PMID: 26611958 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tick vector systems are comprised of complex climate-tick-host-landscape interactions that are difficult to identify and estimate from empirical observations alone. We developed a spatially-explicit, individual-based model, parameterized to represent ecological conditions typical of the south-central United States, to examine effects of shifts in the seasonal occurrence of fluctuations of host densities on tick densities. Simulated shifts in the seasonal occurrence of periods of high and low host densities affected both the magnitude of unfed tick densities and the seasonality of tick development. When shifting the seasonal densities of all size classes of hosts (small, medium, and large) synchronously, densities of nymphs were affected more by smaller shifts away from the baseline host seasonality than were densities of larval and adult life stages. When shifting the seasonal densities of only a single size-class of hosts while holding other size classes at their baseline levels, densities of larval, nymph, and adult life stages responded differently. Shifting seasonal densities of any single host-class earlier resulted in a greater increase in adult tick density than when seasonal densities of all host classes were shifted earlier simultaneously. The mean densities of tick life stages associated with shifts in host densities resulted from system-level interactions of host availability with tick phenology. For example, shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks earlier resulted in an approximately 30% increase in the relative degree of temporal co-occurrence of actively host-seeking ticks and hosts compared to baseline, whereas shifting the seasonality of all hosts ten weeks later resulted in an approximately 70% decrease compared to baseline. Differences among scenarios in the overall presence of active host-seeking ticks in the system were due primarily to the degree of co-occurrence of periods of high densities of unfed ticks and periods of high densities of hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A..
| | - W E Grant
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A
| | - P D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A
| | - S A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, U.S.A
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Hamer SA, Weghorst AC, Auckland LD, Roark EB, Strey OF, Teel PD, Hamer GL. Comparison of DNA and Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope-based Techniques for Identification of Prior Vertebrate Hosts of Ticks. J Med Entomol 2015; 52:1043-1049. [PMID: 26336205 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Identification of the vertebrate hosts upon which hematophagous arthropods feed provides key information for understanding the ecology and transmission of vector-borne diseases. Bloodmeal analysis of ticks presents unique challenges relative to other vectors, given the long interval between bloodmeal acquisition and host-seeking, during which DNA degradation occurs. This study evaluates DNA-based and stable isotope-based bloodmeal analysis methodologies for the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (Linneaus, 1758), in an experimental study with chicken as the known host. We subjected ticks of different ages and environmental rearing conditions to three DNA-based approaches and a stable isotopic analysis, which relies on the natural variation of nitrogen ((15)N/(14)N) and carbon ((13)C/(12)C) isotopes. While all three DNA-based approaches were successful in identifying the bloodmeal host of the engorged nymphs, only the probe-based RT-PCR was able to detect host DNA in aged ticks, the success of which was low and inconsistent across age and rearing treatments. In contrast, the stable isotope analysis showed utility in determining the host across all ages of ticks when isotopic values of ticks were compared with a panel of candidate vertebrate species. There was a positive shift in both δ(13)C and δ(15)N in adult A. americanum until 34 wk postnymphal bloodmeal. Through analyzing the isotopic signatures of eight potential vertebrate host species, we determined that the magnitude of this isotopic shift that occurred with tick age was minor compared with the heterogeneity in the δ(15)N and δ(13)C signatures among species. These results suggest that stable isotopes are a useful tool for understanding tick-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
| | | | - Lisa D Auckland
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - E Brendan Roark
- Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
| | - Otto F Strey
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Pete D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX
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Zheng H, Li AY, Teel PD, Pérez de León AA, Seshu J, Liu J. Biological and physiological characterization of in vitro blood feeding in nymph and adult stages of Ornithodoros turicata (Acari: Argasidae). J Insect Physiol 2015; 75:73-79. [PMID: 25783956 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Biological and physiological aspects of blood feeding in nymph and adult Ornithodoros turicata were investigated using an in vitro technique combined with electrophysiological recordings and respirometry. The duration of blood feeding through a Parafilm® membrane was similar (19.2-22.6 min) in both developmental stages. The mean (±SD) size of blood meal ingested by nymphs, females, and males was 44.2±17.9, 150.6±48.7, and 74.2±36.9 mg, respectively, representing a 2.5-, 2.8- and 3.0-fold increase from their respective unfed weights. Electrophysiological recordings of the pharyngeal pump during blood feeding revealed that ticks ingested blood at a rate of 6.1-6.4 suctions per second. Mean blood volume ingested per suction was 0.013 μl in females and 0.007 μl in both males and nymphs. Blood meal size (mg) correlated with unfed body weight (mg) (r(2)=0.50, p<0.05) and with blood volume ingested per suction (r(2)=0.71, p<0.05). Unfed ticks exhibited a circadian ventilation rhythm with discontinuous gas exchange pattern during the daytime and continuous pattern during nighttime. Mean standard metabolic rates (SMR, V̇(CO2)) in unfed nymphs, females and males of 1.4, 3.0 and 0.9 μl h(-1) increased to 2.0, 5.7 and 2.4 μl h(-1), respectively, after a blood meal. SMR correlated positively with blood meal size (r(2)=0.89, p<0.05). Mean coxal fluid weight excreted after a blood meal in nymphs, females, and males was 8.7, 20.0, and 7.7 mg, respectively, which represents 27.0%, 23.4% and 26.7% of their blood meal size. This study revealed biological and physiological characteristics of soft tick blood feeding and metabolism important to tick survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Zheng
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA; Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China
| | - Andrew Y Li
- USDA-ARS Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA.
| | - Pete D Teel
- Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Janakiram Seshu
- South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Jingze Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050016, China
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Pérez de León AA, Teel PD, Li A, Ponnusamy L, Roe RM. Advancing Integrated Tick Management to Mitigate Burden of Tick-Borne Diseases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1564/v25_dec_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Sanders DM, Schuster AL, McCardle PW, Strey OF, Blankenship TL, Teel PD. Ixodid ticks associated with feral swine in Texas. J Vector Ecol 2013; 38:361-373. [PMID: 24581367 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2013.12052.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Ixodid ticks were collected from feral swine in eight Texas ecoregions from 2008-2011. Sixty-two percent of 806 feral swine were infested with one or more of the following species: Amblyomma americanum, A. cajennense, A. maculatum, Dermacentor albipictus, D. halli, D. variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis. Juvenile and adult feral swine of both sexes were found to serve as host to ixodid ticks. Longitudinal surveys of feral swine at four geographic locations show persistent year-round tick infestations of all gender-age classes for tick species common to their respective geographic locations and ecoregions. Amblyomma americanum, A. cajennense, A. maculatum and D. variabilis were collected from 66% of feral swine harvested through an abatement program in seven ecoregions from March to October in 2009. These results indicate westward geographic expansion of D. variabilis. Summary results show feral swine are competent hosts for ixodid species responsible for the transmission of pathogens and diminished well-being in livestock, wildlife, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Sanders
- U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory/USAFSAM, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 454337408, U.S.A
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Menchaca AC, Visi DK, Strey OF, Teel PD, Kalinowski K, Allen MS, Williamson PC. Preliminary assessment of microbiome changes following blood-feeding and survivorship in the Amblyomma americanum nymph-to-adult transition using semiconductor sequencing. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67129. [PMID: 23826210 PMCID: PMC3691118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiology of ticks supports a diverse community of non-pathogenic and pathogenic organisms. This study aims to initially characterize the microbial community present within colony-reared Amblyomma americanum using PCR of the variable region 5 of the 16S rRNA gene followed by semiconductor sequencing and classification of sequence data using the Ribosomal Database Project and MG-RAST analysis tools. Comparison of amplicon library datasets revealed changes in the microbiomes in newly engorged nymphs, newly-molted adults, and aged adults, as well as ticks exposed to different environmental conditions. These preliminary data support the concept that microbe survivorship and diversity are partially dependent upon environmental variables and the sequence of blood feeding, molting, and aging. The maintenance and/or emergence of pathogens in ticks may be dependent in part on temporal changes in the microbial community of the tick microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo C. Menchaca
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - David K. Visi
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
| | - Otto F. Strey
- Department of Entomology, Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Pete D. Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
| | - Kevin Kalinowski
- Center for Learning and Development, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
| | - Michael S. Allen
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
- * E-mail:
| | - Phillip C. Williamson
- Department of Forensic and Investigative Genetics, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
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Tolleson DR, Prince SD, Banik KK, Welsh TH, Carstens GE, Strey OF, Teel PD, Willard ST, Longnecker MT. Plane of nutrition x tick burden interaction in cattle: effect on fecal composition. J Anim Sci 2013; 91:3658-65. [PMID: 23658354 DOI: 10.2527/jas.2013-6375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Effective tick management on grazing animals is facilitated by accurate noninvasive detection methods. Fecal analysis provides information about animal health and nutrition. Diet affects fecal composition; stress may do likewise. The constituents in feces that may be affected by tick burdens and in turn affect near-infrared spectra have not been reported. Our objective was to examine the interaction between plane of nutrition and tick burden on fecal composition in cattle. Angus cross steers (n = 28; 194 ± 3.0 kg) were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (n = 7 per group) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: moderate (14.0 ± 1.0% CP and 60 ± 1.5% TDN) vs. low (9.0 ± 1.0% CP and 58 ± 1.5% TDN) plane of nutrition and control (no tick) vs. tick treatment [infestation of 300 pair of adult Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) per treated animal]. Fecal samples were collected at approximately 0700 h on d -7, 0, 7, 10, 14, 17, and 21 relative to tick infestation. Fecal constituents measured were DM, OM, pH, Lactobacillus spp., Escherchia coli, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, isovalerate, IgA, and cortisol. Experimental day affected (P < 0.05) all constituents measured. Plane of nutrition affected (P < 0.05) DM, OM, VFA, and IgA. Tick treatment numerically (P = 0.13) reduced cortisol. A multivariate stepwise selection model containing cortisol and E. coli values on d 10 and d 14 accounted for 33% of the variation in daily adult female tick feeding counts across both planes of nutrition (P < 0.07). Within the moderate plane of nutrition, a model containing only cortisol on d 10 and d 14 described 59% of the variation in the number of feeding ticks (P < 0.02). Similarly, a model including cortisol, propionate, isovalerate, and DM at d 10 and d 14 d described 95% of the variation in total feeding ticks in the low plane of nutrition. Of the constituents measured, fecal cortisol offers the best possibility of noninvasively assessing stress by way of a single assay but the presence of ticks would still need to be confirmed visually. Although several constituents measured in this study should exist in sufficient quantity to directly affect near-infrared spectra, none stood out as a clear descriptor of prior observed differences in fecal spectra between tick-treated versus non-tick-treated animals. There were, however, groups of fecal constituents related to daily adult female tick feeding numbers (as a visual estimation of tick stress).
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Tolleson
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, Camp Verde 86322, USA.
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Pérez de León AA, Teel PD, Auclair AN, Messenger MT, Guerrero FD, Schuster G, Miller RJ. Integrated Strategy for Sustainable Cattle Fever Tick Eradication in USA is Required to Mitigate the Impact of Global Change. Front Physiol 2012; 3:195. [PMID: 22712018 PMCID: PMC3374960 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2012.00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 05/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and R. (B.) microplus, commonly known as cattle and southern cattle tick, respectively, impede the development and sustainability of livestock industries throughout tropical and other world regions. They affect animal productivity and wellbeing directly through their obligate blood-feeding habit and indirectly by serving as vectors of the infectious agents causing bovine babesiosis and anaplasmosis. The monumental scientific discovery of certain arthropod species as vectors of infectious agents is associated with the history of research on bovine babesiosis and R. annulatus. Together, R. microplus and R. annulatus are referred to as cattle fever ticks (CFT). Bovine babesiosis became a regulated foreign animal disease in the United States of America (U.S.) through efforts of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP) established in 1906. The U.S. was declared free of CFT in 1943, with the exception of a permanent quarantine zone in south Texas along the border with Mexico. This achievement contributed greatly to the development and productivity of animal agriculture in the U.S. The permanent quarantine zone buffers CFT incursions from Mexico where both ticks and babesiosis are endemic. Until recently, the elimination of CFT outbreaks relied solely on the use of coumaphos, an organophosphate acaricide, in dipping vats or as a spray to treat livestock, or the vacation of pastures. However, ecological, societal, and economical changes are shifting the paradigm of systematically treating livestock to eradicate CFT. Keeping the U.S. CFT-free is a critical animal health issue affecting the economic stability of livestock and wildlife enterprises. Here, we describe vulnerabilities associated with global change forces challenging the CFTEP. The concept of integrated CFT eradication is discussed in reference to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adalberto A Pérez de León
- Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service Kerrville, TX, USA
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Oliveira KA, Pinter A, Medina-Sanchez A, Boppana VD, Wikel SK, Saito TB, Shelite T, Blanton L, Popov V, Teel PD, Walker DH, Galvao MAM, Mafra C, Bouyer DH. Amblyomma imitator ticks as vectors of Rickettsia rickettsii, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2010; 16:1282-4. [PMID: 20678325 PMCID: PMC3298291 DOI: 10.3201/eid1608.100231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time PCR of Amblyomma imitator tick egg masses obtained in Nuevo Leon State, Mexico, identified a Rickettsia species. Sequence analyses of 17-kD common antigen and outer membrane protein A and B gene fragments showed to it to be R. rickettsii, which suggested a potential new vector for this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla A Oliveira
- University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA
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Teel PD, Ketchum HR, Mock DE, Wright RE, Strey OF. The Gulf Coast tick: a review of the life history, ecology, distribution, and emergence as an arthropod of medical and veterinary importance. J Med Entomol 2010; 47:707-722. [PMID: 20939363 DOI: 10.1603/me10029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acari: Ixodidae), is a unique univoltine ectoparasite of seven vertebrate host classes in the Western Hemisphere that is increasingly recognized as a pest of livestock and wildlife, a vector of pathogens to humans and canines, and a putative vector of Ehrlichia ruminantium, the causal agent of heartwater, a fatal foreign animal disease of ruminants resident in the Caribbean. This review assembles current and historical literature encompassing the biology, ecology, and zoogeography of this tick and provides new assessments of changes in cyclical population distribution, habitat associations, host utilization, seasonal phenology, and life history. These assessments are pertinent to the emergence of A. maculatum as a vector of veterinary and medical importance, and its pest management on livestock and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- P D Teel
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Pérez de León AA, Strickman DA, Knowles DP, Fish D, Thacker E, de la Fuente J, Krause PJ, Wikel SK, Miller RS, Wagner GG, Almazán C, Hillman R, Messenger MT, Ugstad PO, Duhaime RA, Teel PD, Ortega-Santos A, Hewitt DG, Bowers EJ, Bent SJ, Cochran MH, McElwain TF, Scoles GA, Suarez CE, Davey R, Howell Freeman JM, Lohmeyer K, Li AY, Guerrero FD, Kammlah DM, Phillips P, Pound JM. One Health approach to identify research needs in bovine and human babesioses: workshop report. Parasit Vectors 2010; 3:36. [PMID: 20377902 PMCID: PMC2859369 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-3-36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/08/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia are emerging health threats to humans and animals in the United States. A collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment, otherwise known as the One Health concept, was taken during a research workshop held in April 2009 to identify gaps in scientific knowledge regarding babesioses. The impetus for this analysis was the increased risk for outbreaks of bovine babesiosis, also known as Texas cattle fever, associated with the re-infestation of the U.S. by cattle fever ticks. RESULTS The involvement of wildlife in the ecology of cattle fever ticks jeopardizes the ability of state and federal agencies to keep the national herd free of Texas cattle fever. Similarly, there has been a progressive increase in the number of cases of human babesiosis over the past 25 years due to an increase in the white-tailed deer population. Human babesiosis due to cattle-associated Babesia divergens and Babesia divergens-like organisms have begun to appear in residents of the United States. Research needs for human and bovine babesioses were identified and are presented herein. CONCLUSIONS The translation of this research is expected to provide veterinary and public health systems with the tools to mitigate the impact of bovine and human babesioses. However, economic, political, and social commitments are urgently required, including increased national funding for animal and human Babesia research, to prevent the re-establishment of cattle fever ticks and the increasing problem of human babesiosis in the United States.
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Neupert S, Russell WK, Predel R, Russell DH, Strey OF, Teel PD, Nachman RJ. The neuropeptidomics of Ixodes scapularis synganglion. J Proteomics 2009; 72:1040-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2009.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2009] [Revised: 06/09/2009] [Accepted: 06/10/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Ketchum HR, Teel PD, Coates CJ, Strey OF, Longnecker MT. Genetic variation in 12S and 16S mitochondrial rDNA genes of four geographically isolated populations of Gulf Coast ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). J Med Entomol 2009; 46:482-489. [PMID: 19496417 DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis was examined in a 303-bp region of the 16S and 12S mitochondrial rDNA genes to study haplotype frequencies among populations of Gulf Coast ticks collected from Refugio Co., TX, Payne Co., OK, and two sites in Osage Co., KS. Seven haplotypes were identified from the 16S rDNA gene fragment, whereas only two haplotypes were detected from the 12S fragment. Only the results from the 16S rDNA fragment are discussed. Haplotype diversity was greatest in Kansas (site 1), where three of the four haplotypes detected were unique to this site. All Gulf Coast tick populations shared the fourth haplotype. Two haplotypes were determined for Texas and Oklahoma populations, one of which appeared only in Texas, whereas the other was shared. Nei's haplotype diversity (h) indicated that the Texas population was relatively homogeneous (15%), whereas the remaining populations were heterogeneous (42-59%), although the Bonferroni confidence interval found no significant differences (P < 0.05). Nucleotide sequencing of the seven haplotypes and subsequent phylogenetic analysis using neighbor joining showed a monophyletic relationship among these haplotypes. One haplotype, shared by both Oklahoma and Kansas (site 2), was basal to the remaining haplotypes and formed a distinct clade. Two haplotypes, both from Kansas (site 1), formed a unique clade, whereas the remaining four haplotypes were unresolved polytomies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H R Ketchum
- Texas A&M University, Department of Entomology, 412 Heep Center, TAMU 2475, College Station, TX 77843-2475, USA.
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Tolleson DR, Teel PD, Stuth JW, Strey OF, Welsh TH, Carstens GE. Fecal NIRS: detection of tick infestations in cattle and horses. Vet Parasitol 2006; 144:146-52. [PMID: 17097809 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2005] [Revised: 09/05/2006] [Accepted: 09/11/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Anti-tick treatments are often applied concurrent to routine livestock management practices with little regard to actual infestation levels. Prescription treatments against ticks on grazing cattle would be facilitated by non-invasive detection methods. One such method is fecal near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Four studies utilizing cattle (Bos spp.) and one with horses (Equus caballus) fed varying diets and infested with either Amblyomma americanum, A. maculatum, A. cajennense or Dermacentor albipictus were conducted to determine the ability of fecal NIRS to identify samples from animals with (High stress) and without (Low stress) a tick burden. Discriminant analysis of each individual trial resulted in R(2)>0.80. Similar analyses utilizing all combinations of four studies, predicting group membership in the remaining study, yielded R(2)>0.80, but correct determinations for Low and High tick stress samples of only 53.4 and 60.1%, respectively. All five trials were combined and a random 10 or 25% of the samples were removed from the calibration. As in the previous calibrations, a high degree of discrimination was achieved (R(2)>0.89). The validation samples were correctly identified at 91.7% for Low stress and 96.3% for High stress, respectively. Difficulties in detecting differences in fecal samples due to confounding effects of trial were overcome by combining calibration sets. Overall, differences in fecal NIR spectra apparently due to tick stress were accurately detected across diet, host species, and tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Tolleson
- Department of Rangeland Ecology & Management, Mail Stop 2126 Animal Industries Bldg., Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-2126, USA.
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