2023
A ticking time bomb hidden in plain sight
Narasimhan S, Fish D, Pedra J, Pal U, Fikrig E. A ticking time bomb hidden in plain sight. Science Translational Medicine 2023, 15: eadi7829. PMID: 37851823, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adi7829.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus Statements
2018
Borrelia miyamotoi: An Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogen
Wormser GP, Shapiro ED, Fish D. Borrelia miyamotoi: An Emerging Tick-Borne Pathogen. The American Journal Of Medicine 2018, 132: 136-137. PMID: 30144406, DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2018.08.012.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2017
Lyme disease ecology in a changing world: consensus, uncertainty and critical gaps for improving control
Kilpatrick AM, Dobson ADM, Levi T, Salkeld DJ, Swei A, Ginsberg HS, Kjemtrup A, Padgett KA, Jensen PM, Fish D, Ogden NH, Diuk-Wasser MA. Lyme disease ecology in a changing world: consensus, uncertainty and critical gaps for improving control. Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences 2017, 372: 20160117. PMID: 28438910, PMCID: PMC5413869, DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0117.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNorth AmericaLyme disease ecologyDeer abundanceDifferent habitatsVector-borne zoonotic diseaseTemperate regionsDisease ecologyLyme disease preventionHost speciesDisease riskTick abundanceKnowledge gapsTemporal variationReservoir competenceCommon tick-borne diseaseEcologySubstantial uncertaintyAbundanceHost communitiesTick-borne diseaseTick populationsCritical gapAmericaAreas of consensusDisease preventionTicks elicit variable fibrinogenolytic activities upon feeding on hosts with different immune backgrounds
Vora A, Taank V, Dutta SM, Anderson JF, Fish D, Sonenshine DE, Catravas JD, Sultana H, Neelakanta G. Ticks elicit variable fibrinogenolytic activities upon feeding on hosts with different immune backgrounds. Scientific Reports 2017, 7: 44593. PMID: 28300174, PMCID: PMC5353578, DOI: 10.1038/srep44593.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDifferent immune backgroundsImmune backgroundImmunodeficient animalsImmunocompetent animalsAge-matched miceAntibody-blocking assaysIxodes scapularis ticksFibrinogenolytic activityD-dimerAnti-hemostatic factorsImmune defenseTick feedingScapularis ticksReduced levelsBlood feedingEngorgement weightLC-MS/MSFibrinogenolysisNovel roleAnimalsPCR analysisTicksFeedingClosely-related Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) strains exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections
Rynkiewicz EC, Brown J, Tufts DM, Huang CI, Kampen H, Bent SJ, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Closely-related Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) strains exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections. Parasites & Vectors 2017, 10: 64. PMID: 28166814, PMCID: PMC5292797, DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1964-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAsymmetric competitive interactionsPatterns of coexistenceBiotic contextCommon disease vectorPathogen communitiesVector-borne pathogensBorrelia burgdorferiLong-term persistencePathogen speciesAsymmetric competitionPathogen dynamicsInfection phenotypesSimilar fitnessTransmission phenotypeDisease vectorsTemperate regionsCompetitive interactionsTransmission advantagePathogen strainsPathogen persistenceBlack-legged tickCompetitive strainsPeromyscus leucopusWhite-footed miceHost
2015
Response to Esteve-Gassent et al.: flaB sequences obtained from Texas PCR products are identical to the positive control strain Borrelia burgdorferi B31
Norris SJ, Barbour AG, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Response to Esteve-Gassent et al.: flaB sequences obtained from Texas PCR products are identical to the positive control strain Borrelia burgdorferi B31. Parasites & Vectors 2015, 8: 310. PMID: 26050617, PMCID: PMC4489397, DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0899-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAssociation between body size and reservoir competence of mammals bearing Borrelia burgdorferi at an endemic site in the northeastern United States
Barbour AG, Bunikis J, Fish D, Hanincová K. Association between body size and reservoir competence of mammals bearing Borrelia burgdorferi at an endemic site in the northeastern United States. Parasites & Vectors 2015, 8: 299. PMID: 26024881, PMCID: PMC4459683, DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0903-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBody sizeLarge-sized mammalsMedium-sized mammalsDifferent mammalian speciesEastern North AmericaSpecies-specific PCRLyme disease agentSmall mammalsMammalian speciesWhite-footed mouseCommon raccoonSized mammalsMammalsBorrelia burgdorferiPine volesBody massGrey squirrelsVirginia opossumReservoir competenceEastern chipmunksIxodes scapularis ticksDisease agentsStriped skunksSpeciesNymphal Ixodes scapularis ticksBorrelia miyamotoi infection in nature and in humans
Krause PJ, Fish D, Narasimhan S, Barbour AG. Borrelia miyamotoi infection in nature and in humans. Clinical Microbiology And Infection 2015, 21: 631-639. PMID: 25700888, PMCID: PMC4470780, DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.02.006.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsConceptsB. miyamotoi infectionMiyamotoi infectionClinical manifestationsB. miyamotoiLyme diseaseBorrelia miyamotoi infectionAcute febrile illnessCommon clinical manifestationsBlood smear examinationPublic health importanceHuman granulocytic anaplasmosisFever group spirochetesFebrile illnessAntibiotic therapyDisease groupEtiologic diagnosisSevere diseaseSmear examinationIxodes persulcatus ticksHealth importanceInfectionHuman casesGranulocytic anaplasmosisBorrelia miyamotoiDisease
2014
Borrelia burgdorferi Promotes the Establishment of Babesia microti in the Northeastern United States
Dunn JM, Krause PJ, Davis S, Vannier EG, Fitzpatrick MC, Rollend L, Belperron AA, States SL, Stacey A, Bockenstedt LK, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Borrelia burgdorferi Promotes the Establishment of Babesia microti in the Northeastern United States. PLOS ONE 2014, 9: e115494. PMID: 25545393, PMCID: PMC4278703, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115494.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB. microtiB. burgdorferiBabesia microtiLyme diseaseRespective causative agentsSpread of babesiosisI. scapularis larvaeInfected micePrimary reservoir hostHigh prevalenceLeucopus miceMiceHuman babesiosisBorrelia burgdorferiLaboratory dataLarval burdenCausative agentMicrotiBurgdorferiCoinfectionReservoir hostsDiseaseR0 modelBasic reproduction numberEnzootic cycleLong-term in vitro cultivation of Borrelia miyamotoi
Margos G, Stockmeier S, Hizo-Teufel C, Hepner S, Fish D, Dautel H, Sing A, Dzaferovic E, Rieger M, Jungnick S, Binder K, Straubinger RK, Fingerle V. Long-term in vitro cultivation of Borrelia miyamotoi. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2014, 6: 181-184. PMID: 25561082, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.12.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAnalysis of the intergenic sequences provided by Feria-Arroyo et al. does not support the claim of high Borrelia burgdorferi tick infection rates in Texas and northeastern Mexico
Norris SJ, Barbour AG, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Analysis of the intergenic sequences provided by Feria-Arroyo et al. does not support the claim of high Borrelia burgdorferi tick infection rates in Texas and northeastern Mexico. Parasites & Vectors 2014, 7: 467. PMID: 25428816, PMCID: PMC4203928, DOI: 10.1186/s13071-014-0467-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBlood transfusion transmission of the tick‐borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi in mice
Krause PJ, Hendrickson JE, Steeves TK, Fish D. Blood transfusion transmission of the tick‐borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi in mice. Transfusion 2014, 55: 593-597. PMID: 25251880, DOI: 10.1111/trf.12879.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTransfusion transmissionRed blood cellsBorrelia miyamotoiBlood transfusion transmissionMurine transfusion modelFever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoiSpirochete clearanceRecipient bloodC57BL/6 miceMouse recipientsTransfusion modelMouse modelTransfusionMurine bloodHuman infectionsWet mountLyme diseaseStudy designBlood cellsMiceMiyamotoiSpirochetemiaFever spirochetesBloodBodied ticksMonitoring Human Babesiosis Emergence through Vector Surveillance New England, USA - Volume 20, Number 2—February 2014 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
Diuk-Wasser MA, Liu Y, Steeves TK, Folsom-O'Keefe C, Dardick KR, Lepore T, Bent SJ, Usmani-Brown S, Telford SR, Fish D, Krause PJ. Monitoring Human Babesiosis Emergence through Vector Surveillance New England, USA - Volume 20, Number 2—February 2014 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases 2014, 20: 225-231. PMID: 24447577, PMCID: PMC3901474, DOI: 10.3201/eid2002.130644.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHuman babesiosisInfectious Diseases journal - CDCProtozoan Babesia microtiDisease-endemic areasTick-borne diseaseBabesiosis-endemic areasSame tick vectorInfection rateInfection ratioTick infection ratesLyme diseaseBabesia microtiHuman casesDiseaseDisease expansionBabesiosisReservoir hostsTick vectorHuman diseasesSurveillanceClose associationGut Microbiota of the Tick Vector Ixodes scapularis Modulate Colonization of the Lyme Disease Spirochete
Narasimhan S, Rajeevan N, Liu L, Zhao YO, Heisig J, Pan J, Eppler-Epstein R, DePonte K, Fish D, Fikrig E. Gut Microbiota of the Tick Vector Ixodes scapularis Modulate Colonization of the Lyme Disease Spirochete. Cell Host & Microbe 2014, 15: 58-71. PMID: 24439898, PMCID: PMC3905459, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2013.12.001.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPeritrophic matrixTranscription factor signal transducerPathogen colonizationLyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferiActivator of transcriptionGut microbiotaArthropod gutsSignal transducerLyme disease spirocheteFunctional linkArthropod vectorsMajor vectorKey glycoproteinsHuman pathogensSpirochete Borrelia burgdorferiGut epitheliumIxodes scapularis ticksColonizationGut epithelial barrierMicrobiotaExpressionGut lumenScapularis ticksBorrelia burgdorferiEpithelial barrier
2013
Quantitative PCR for Detection of Babesia microti in Ixodes scapularis Ticks and in Human Blood
Rollend L, Bent SJ, Krause PJ, Usmani-Brown S, Steeves TK, States SL, Lepore T, Ryan R, Dias F, Mamoun C, Fish D, Diuk-Wasser MA. Quantitative PCR for Detection of Babesia microti in Ixodes scapularis Ticks and in Human Blood. Vector-Borne And Zoonotic Diseases 2013, 13: 784-790. PMID: 24107203, PMCID: PMC3822370, DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0935.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsB. microti DNAIxodes scapularis ticksHuman babesiosisScapularis ticksBabesia microtiQuantitative PCRViral-like illnessB. microti infectionAcute infectionBlood transfusionDisparate incidenceMicroti infectionProlonged illnessBlood supplyI. scapularis ticksBlood samplesEpidemiological surveillanceInfected peopleBorrelia miyamotoiB. microtiBorrelia burgdorferiHuman blood samplesI. scapularis nymphsAnaplasma phagocytophilumSpecific quantitative PCR
2012
Transovarial transmission of Borrelia spirochetes by Ixodes scapularis: A summary of the literature and recent observations
Rollend L, Fish D, Childs JE. Transovarial transmission of Borrelia spirochetes by Ixodes scapularis: A summary of the literature and recent observations. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2012, 4: 46-51. PMID: 23238242, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2012.06.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGeographic Variation in the Relationship between Human Lyme Disease Incidence and Density of Infected Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis Nymphs in the Eastern United States
Pepin KM, Eisen RJ, Mead PS, Piesman J, Fish D, Hoen AG, Barbour AG, Hamer S, Diuk-Wasser MA. Geographic Variation in the Relationship between Human Lyme Disease Incidence and Density of Infected Host-Seeking Ixodes scapularis Nymphs in the Eastern United States. American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene 2012, 86: 1062-1071. PMID: 22665620, PMCID: PMC3366524, DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0630.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchHuman Risk of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme Disease Agent, in Eastern United States
Diuk-Wasser MA, Hoen AG, Cislo P, Brinkerhoff R, Hamer SA, Rowland M, Cortinas R, Vourc'h G, Melton F, Hickling GJ, Tsao JI, Bunikis J, Barbour AG, Kitron U, Piesman J, Fish D. Human Risk of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme Disease Agent, in Eastern United States. American Journal Of Tropical Medicine And Hygiene 2012, 86: 320-327. PMID: 22302869, PMCID: PMC3269287, DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0395.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLyme diseaseHuman riskSpread of infectionHuman infection riskBorrelia burgdorferi sensu strictoRisk factorsBurgdorferi sensu strictoInfection riskTick-borne pathogensLyme disease agentPrevention effortsInfectionBorrelia burgdorferiConfidence intervalsB. burgdorferiInfected nymphsRiskDiseaseRisk focusBurgdorferiUnited StatesDisease agentsHost-seeking nymphsI. scapularis populationsDiagnosis
2010
Multilocus sequence analysis of Borrelia bissettii strains from North America reveals a new Borrelia species, Borrelia kurtenbachii
Margos G, Hojgaard A, Lane R, Cornet M, Fingerle V, Rudenko N, Ogden N, Aanensen D, Fish D, Piesman J. Multilocus sequence analysis of Borrelia bissettii strains from North America reveals a new Borrelia species, Borrelia kurtenbachii. Ticks And Tick-borne Diseases 2010, 1: 151-158. PMID: 21157575, PMCID: PMC3000690, DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2010.09.002.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMultilocus sequence analysisSequence analysisGenetic distance analysisNew Borrelia speciesBorrelia speciesDifferent transmission cyclesBorrelia bissettiiB. bissettiiLinear chromosomesPhylogenetic relationshipsEcological differencesConcatenated sequencesPhylogenetic analysisHousekeeping genesVector associationNorth AmericaInternal fragmentDistance analysisBorrelia genospeciesB. carolinensisReservoir hostsTransmission cycleI. spinipalpisIxodes pacificusRelated clustersAnaplasma phagocytophilum induces Ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold
Neelakanta G, Sultana H, Fish D, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. Anaplasma phagocytophilum induces Ixodes scapularis ticks to express an antifreeze glycoprotein gene that enhances their survival in the cold. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2010, 120: 3179-3190. PMID: 20739755, PMCID: PMC2929727, DOI: 10.1172/jci42868.Peer-Reviewed Original Research