A 117 year retrospective analysis of Pennsylvania tick community dynamics

Mapping Intimacies ◽

10.1101/433664 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Damie Pak ◽

Steven B. Jacobs ◽

Joyce M. Sakamoto

Keyword(s):

Retrospective Analysis ◽

Community Composition ◽

Tick Species ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Dermacentor Variabilis ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Disease Case ◽

Tick Borne Disease

AbstractBackgroundTick-borne diseases have been increasing at the local, national, and global levels. Researchers studying ticks and tick-borne disease need a thorough knowledge of the pathogens, vectors, and epidemiology of disease spread. Three surveillance approaches are commonly used to provide insight into tick-borne disease risk: human disease case surveillance, active tick surveillance, and passive tick surveillance. Long-term passive surveillance can provide up-to-date data on the spatial variability and temporal dynamics of ectoparasite communities and shed light into the ecology of rarer tick species. We present a retrospective analysis on compiled data of ticks from Pennsylvania over the last 117 years.MethodsWe compiled data from ticks collected during tick surveillance research, and from citizen-based submissions to the Penn State University Department of Entomology (PSUEnt). Specimens were deposited at the PSUEnt arthropod collections that eventually became The Frost Entomological Museum. While most of the specimens were submitted by the public, a subset of the data were collected through active methods (flagging or dragging, or removal of ticks from wildlife). We analyzed all data from 1900-2017 for tick community composition, host associations, and spatio-temporal dynamics.ResultsIn total there were 4,491 submission lots consisting of 7,132 tick specimens. Twenty-four different species were identified, with the large proportion of submissions represented by five tick species. We observed a shift in tick community composition in which the dominant species of tick (Ixodes cookei) was overtaken in abundance byDermacentor variabilisin the early 1990s, and then replaced in abundance byI. scapularis. We analyzed host data and identified overlaps in host range amongst tick species, suggesting potential hubs of pathogen transfer between different tick vectors and their reservoir hosts.ConclusionsWe highlight the importance of long-term passive tick surveillance in investigating the ecology of both common and rare tick species. Information on the geographic distribution, host-association, and seasonality of the tick community can help researchers and health-officials to identify high-risk areas.

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Interacting effects of wildlife loss and climate on ticks and tick-borne disease

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2017.0475 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 284 (1862) ◽

pp. 20170475 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Georgia Titcomb ◽

Brian F. Allan ◽

Tyler Ainsworth ◽

Lauren Henson ◽

Tyler Hedlund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Zoonotic Disease ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Disease Dynamics ◽

Large Herbivore ◽

Tick Abundance ◽

Pathogen Prevalence ◽

Tick Borne Disease

Both large-wildlife loss and climatic changes can independently influence the prevalence and distribution of zoonotic disease. Given growing evidence that wildlife loss often has stronger community-level effects in low-productivity areas, we hypothesized that these perturbations would have interactive effects on disease risk. We experimentally tested this hypothesis by measuring tick abundance and the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens ( Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp . ) within long-term, size-selective, large-herbivore exclosures replicated across a precipitation gradient in East Africa. Total wildlife exclusion increased total tick abundance by 130% (mesic sites) to 225% (dry, low-productivity sites), demonstrating a significant interaction of defaunation and aridity on tick abundance. When differing degrees of exclusion were tested for a subset of months, total tick abundance increased from 170% (only mega-herbivores excluded) to 360% (all large wildlife excluded). Wildlife exclusion differentially affected the abundance of the three dominant tick species, and this effect varied strongly over time, likely due to differences among species in their host associations, seasonality, and other ecological characteristics. Pathogen prevalence did not differ across wildlife exclusion treatments, rainfall levels, or tick species, suggesting that exposure risk will respond to defaunation and climate change in proportion to total tick abundance. These findings demonstrate interacting effects of defaunation and aridity that increase disease risk, and they highlight the need to incorporate ecological context when predicting effects of wildlife loss on zoonotic disease dynamics.

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4-H youth advance biosecurity at home and in their communities

California Agriculture ◽

10.3733/ca.2021a0007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 75 (1) ◽

pp. 33-39

Author(s):

Martin H. Smith ◽

Woutrina A. Smith ◽

Cheryl L. Meehan

Keyword(s):

Disease Risk ◽

Active Role ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Animal Science ◽

Risk Education ◽

Community Science ◽

Biosecurity Practices ◽

Citizen Science Project

Youth participants in 4-H animal science projects are involved extensively with raising and exhibiting agricultural animals, often on backyard farms (Smith and Meehan 2012). Since backyard farms can serve as sources and vectors of pathogens (FAO 1999; WHO 2011), it is critical that 4-H youth take an active role in preventing the introduction and spread of economically important animal diseases. Fifteen 4-H youth from two counties in California participated in the 4-H Bio-Security Proficiencies Program, a long-term community and citizen science project focused on animal and zoonotic disease risk education and mitigation. Then, in the role of community science experts, they acted upon the risk assessments and mitigation plans they had developed to improve biosecurity practices and reduce the likelihood of disease spread on their home premises and at their local county fair. They also extended their knowledge to the broader livestock exhibition community through outreach videos.

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Effects of Climate on the Variation in Abundance of Three Tick Species in Illinois

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjab189 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

E A Bacon ◽

H Kopsco ◽

P Gronemeyer ◽

N Mateus-Pinilla ◽

R L Smith

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Ixodes Scapularis ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Dermacentor Variabilis ◽

Amblyomma Americanum ◽

Differential Impact ◽

Tick Abundance ◽

Network Analyses ◽

Average Temperature ◽

Tick Borne Disease

Abstract The range of ticks in North America has been steadily increasing likely, in part, due to climate change. Along with it, there has been a rise in cases of tick-borne disease. Among those medically important tick species of particular concern are Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), and Amblyomma americanum Linneaus (Acari: Ixodidae). The aim of this study was to determine if climate factors explain existing differences in abundance of the three aforementioned tick species between two climatically different regions of Illinois (Central and Southern), and if climate variables impact each species differently. We used both zero-inflated regression approaches and Bayesian network analyses to assess relationships among environmental variables and tick abundance. Results suggested that the maximum average temperature and total precipitation are associated with differential impact on species abundance and that this difference varied by region. Results also reinforced a differential level of resistance to desiccation among these tick species. Our findings help to further define risk periods of tick exposure for the general public, and reinforce the importance of responding to each tick species differently.

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Long-Term Study of Borrelia and Babesia Species Distribution in Ixodes Ricinus and Dermacentor Recticulatus Ticks Removed From Humans in Poland, 2016-2019

10.21203/rs.3.rs-150028/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Renata Welc-Falęciak ◽

Małgorzata Bednarska ◽

Adrianna Hamera ◽

Emilia Religa ◽

Milena Poryszewka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Risk ◽

Babesia Species ◽

Term Study ◽

Important Indicator ◽

Long Term Study ◽

Questing Ticks ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

Larger Sample ◽

Better Than

Abstract Monitoring changes in the prevalence of different Borrelia genospecies/ species in ticks might be an important indicator of risk assessment and of differences in pathogenicity in humans. Furthermore, the evaluation of pathogens in feeding ticks represents the risk of human exposure better than studies on questing ticks. The objective of our study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of Borrelia and Babesia species in ticks removed from humans, in a larger sample collected for several months during four years of studies. We confirmed high Borrelia prevalence, including B. miyamotoi, in ticks removed from humans as well as the shift in Borrelia genospecies/ species frequency of occurrence during the four-year study. Despite the fact that Babesia prevalence was relatively low, the majority of tested isolates are considered to be pathogenic for humans. The results of our study have also shown that Borrelia and Babesia coinfections in ticks are more common in Borrelia-infected ticks. Even if the overall risk of developing Lyme borreliosis after a tick bite in Europe is rather low, the knowledge of prevalence and distribution of Borrelia and Babesia species in ticks might be an important indicator of both tick-borne disease risk and pathogenicity assessment.

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Substrate Pre-loading Influences Initial Colonization of GAC Biofilter Biofilms

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.596156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Wen Qin ◽

Frederik Hammes

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Community Composition ◽

Continuous Flow ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Microbial Community Composition ◽

Pollutant Removal ◽

Column Experiments ◽

High Coverage ◽

Term Operation

Microbial community composition and stability affect pollutant removal for biological/granular activated carbon (BAC/GAC) processes. Here, we pre-loaded the organic carbon substrates sucrose, lactose, and Lysogeny Broth (LB) medium onto new GAC prior to use and then tested whether this substrate pre-loading promoted development of biofilms with high coverage that remained stable for prolonged operational periods. Temporal dynamics of the biomass and microbial community on the GAC were monitored via flow cytometry (FCM) and sequencing, respectively, in both batch and continuous-flow experiments. In comparison with the non-loaded GAC (control), the initial biofilm biomass on substrate-loaded GAC was 3–114 times higher, but the initial richness was considerably lower (only accounting for 13–28% of the control). The initial community compositions were significantly different between batch and continuous-flow column experiments, even when loaded with the same substrates. In the continuous-flow column experiments, both biomass and microbial community composition became remarkably similar to the control filters after 64 days of operation. From these findings, we conclude that substrate-loaded GAC could enhance initial colonization, affecting both biomass and microbial community composition. However, the biomass and composition did not remain stable during long-term operation due to continuous dispersal and competition from influent bacteria.

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Temporal dynamics of bird community composition: an analysis of baseline conditions from long-term data

Oecologia ◽

10.1007/s00442-014-2979-6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 175 (4) ◽

pp. 1301-1313 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Christian Kampichler ◽

David G. Angeler ◽

Richard T. Holmes ◽

Aivar Leito ◽

Sören Svensson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Bird Community ◽

Baseline Conditions ◽

Term Data

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Temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal fungal communities and co-associations with grassland plant communities following experimental manipulation of rainfall

10.32942/osf.io/t82ug ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Coline Deveautour ◽

Sally Power ◽

Kirk Barnett ◽

Raul Ochoa-Hueso ◽

Suzanne Donn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Plant Community ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Fungal Community ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Fungal Communities ◽

Plant Responses ◽

Rainfall Regimes

Climate models project overall a reduction in rainfall amounts and shifts in the timing of rainfall events in mid-latitudes and sub-tropical dry regions, which threatens the productivity and diversity of grasslands. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help plants to cope with expected changes but may also be impacted by changing rainfall, either via the direct effects of low soil moisture on survival and function or indirectly via changes in the plant community. In an Australian mesic grassland (former pasture) system, we characterised plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities every six months for nearly four years to two altered rainfall regimes: i) ambient, ii) rainfall reduced by 50% relative to ambient over the entire year and iii) total summer rainfall exclusion. Using Illumina sequencing, we assessed the response of AM fungal communities sampled from contrasting rainfall treatments and evaluated whether variation in AM fungal communities was associated with variation in plant community richness and composition. We found that rainfall reduction influenced the fungal communities, with the nature of the response depending on the type of manipulation, but that consistent results were only observed after more than two years of rainfall manipulation. We observed significant co-associations between plant and AM fungal communities on multiple dates. Predictive co-correspondence analyses indicated more support for the hypothesis that fungal community composition influenced plant community composition than vice versa. However, we found no evidence that altered rainfall regimes were leading to distinct co-associations between plants and AM fungi. Overall, our results provide evidence that grassland plant communities are intricately tied to variation in AM fungal communities. However, in this system, plant responses to climate change may not be directly related to impacts of altered rainfall regimes on AM fungal communities. Our study shows that AM fungal communities respond to changes in rainfall but that this effect was not immediate. The AM fungal community may influence the composition of the plant community. However, our results suggest that plant responses to altered rainfall regimes at our site may not be resulting via changes in the AM fungal communities.

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