2017
Genomic insights into the ancient spread of Lyme disease across North America
Walter KS, Carpi G, Caccone A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Genomic insights into the ancient spread of Lyme disease across North America. Nature Ecology & Evolution 2017, 1: 1569-1576. PMID: 29185509, PMCID: PMC6431794, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0282-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHistory of spreadEvolutionary historyNorth AmericaLyme disease epidemicLast Glacial MaximumAncient spreadLyme disease bacteriaComplex evolutionary historyPast centuryGlacial MaximumHistoryGenomic insightsEvolutionary changeAmericaUndocumented levelB. burgdorferi s.Large collectionSensu strictoBurgdorferi s.Vector-borne diseasesSouthern CanadaLand use changeBorrelia burgdorferi sensu strictoCenturyDisease bacteria
2016
Vectors as Epidemiological Sentinels: Patterns of Within-Tick Borrelia burgdorferi Diversity
Walter KS, Carpi G, Evans BR, Caccone A, Diuk-Wasser MA. Vectors as Epidemiological Sentinels: Patterns of Within-Tick Borrelia burgdorferi Diversity. PLOS Pathogens 2016, 12: e1005759. PMID: 27414806, PMCID: PMC4944968, DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005759.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPathogen diversityPositive selectionVertebrate hostsHost pathogen diversityLyme disease bacteriaNatural transmission cycleNatural populationsPathogen evolutionGenomic variationHost diversityMajority of ticksHost processesDiverse inoculumUndocumented levelEvolutionary processesTick diversityDisease vectorsMixed strain infectionsImmune complementIndividual ticksDiversityEpidemiological sentinelsTick vectorTransmission cycleHost