scholarly journals Evolutionary Aspects of Emerging Lyme Disease in Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 (21) ◽  
pp. 7350-7359 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Ogden ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
P. A. Leighton ◽  
L. R. Lindsay ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Evolutionary Aspects

ABSTRACTIn North America, Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by the spirochete bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, which is maintained by wildlife. Tick vectors and bacteria are currently spreading into Canada and causing increasing numbers of cases of LD in humans and raising a pressing need for public health responses. There is no vaccine, and LD prevention depends on knowing who is at risk and informing them how to protect themselves from infection. Recently, it was found in the United States that some strains ofB. burgdorferisensu strictocause severe disease, whereas others cause mild, self-limiting disease. While many strains occurring in the United States also occur in Canada, strains in some parts of Canada are different from those in the United States. We therefore recognize a need to identify which strains specific to Canada can cause severe disease and to characterize their geographic distribution to determine which Canadians are particularly at risk. In this review, we summarize the history of emergence of LD in North America, our current knowledge ofB. burgdorferisensu strictodiversity, its intriguing origins in the ecology and evolution of the bacterium, and its importance for the epidemiology and clinical and laboratory diagnosis of LD. We propose methods for investigating associations betweenB. burgdorferisensu strictodiversity, ecology, and pathogenicity and for developing predictive tools to guide public health interventions. We also highlight the emergence ofB. burgdorferisensu strictoin Canada as a unique opportunity for exploring the evolutionary aspects of tick-borne pathogen emergence.

scholarly journals Investigation of Genotypes of Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis Ticks Collected during Surveillance in Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (10) ◽  
pp. 3244-3254 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. H. Ogden ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
D. M. Aanensen ◽  
M. A. Drebot ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
North America ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Borrelia Miyamotoi ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTThe genetic diversity ofBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, the agent of Lyme disease in North America, has consequences for the performance of serological diagnostic tests and disease severity. To investigateB. burgdorferidiversity in Canada, where Lyme disease is emerging, bacterial DNA in 309 infected adultIxodes scapularisticks collected in surveillance was characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and analysis of outer surface protein C gene (ospC) alleles. Six ticks carriedBorrelia miyamotoi, and one tick carried the novel speciesBorrelia kurtenbachii. 142 ticks carriedB. burgdorferisequence types (STs) previously described from the United States. Fifty-eight ticks carriedB. burgdorferiof 1 of 19 novel or undescribed STs, which were single-, double-, or triple-locus variants of STs first described in the United States. Clonal complexes with founder STs from the United States were identified. SeventeenospCalleles were identified in 309B. burgdorferi-infected ticks. Positive and negative associations in the occurrence of different alleles in the same tick supported a hypothesis of multiple-niche polymorphism forB. burgdorferiin North America. Geographic analysis of STs andospCalleles were consistent with south-to-north dispersion of infected ticks from U.S. sources on migratory birds. These observations suggest that the genetic diversity ofB. burgdorferiin eastern and central Canada corresponds to that in the United States, but there was evidence for founder events skewing the diversity in emerging tick populations. Further studies are needed to investigate the significance of these observations for the performance of diagnostic tests and clinical presentation of Lyme disease in Canada.

scholarly journals Plague and Pregnancy: Why Special Considerations Are Needed

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S27-S29
Author(s):  
Dana Meaney-Delman ◽  
Nadia L Oussayef ◽  
Margaret A Honein ◽  
Christina A Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Yersinia Pestis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Pathogenic Organism ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Life Threatening

Abstract Pregnant women are an important at-risk population to consider during public health emergencies. These women, like nonpregnant adults, may be faced with the risk of acquiring life-threatening infections during outbreaks or bioterrorism (BT) events and, in some cases, can experience increased severity of infection and higher morbidity compared with nonpregnant adults. Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, is a highly pathogenic organism. There are 4 million births annually in the United States, and thus the unique needs of pregnant women and their infants should be considered in pre-event planning for a plague outbreak or BT event.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of Houston Virus, a Newly Discovered Mosquito-Specific Virus Isolated from Culex quinquefasciatus in Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nohemi Cigarroa-Toledo ◽  
Carlos M. Baak-Baak ◽  
Rosa C. Cetina-Trejo ◽  
Carlos Cordova-Fletes ◽  
Mario A. Martinez-Nuñez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Culex Quinquefasciatus ◽  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Virus

We fully sequenced the genome of Houston virus, a recently discovered mosquito-associated virus belonging to the newly established family Mesoniviridae. The isolate was recovered from Culex quinquefasciatus in southern Mexico, which shows that the geographic range of Houston virus is not restricted to the United States in North America.

scholarly journals Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi OspA, OspC, OspF, and C6 Antigens as Markers for Early and Late Infection in Dogs

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Wagner ◽  
Heather Freer ◽  
Alicia Rollins ◽  
David Garcia-Tapia ◽  
Hollis N. Erb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Surface Proteins ◽  
Early Infection ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Antibody Levels

ABSTRACTLyme disease in the United States is caused byBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, which is transmitted to mammals by infected ticks.Borreliaspirochetes differentially express immunogenic outer surface proteins (Osp). Our aim was to evaluate antibody responses to Osp antigens to aid the diagnosis of early infection and the management of Lyme disease. We analyzed antibody responses during the first 3 months after the experimental infection of dogs using a novel multiplex assay. Results were compared to those obtained with two commercial assays detecting C6 antigen. Multiplex analysis identified antibodies to OspC and C6 as early as 3 weeks postinfection (p.i.) and those to OspF by 5 weeks p.i. Antibodies to C6 and OspF increased throughout the study, while antibodies to OspC peaked between 7 and 11 weeks p.i. and declined thereafter. A short-term antibody response to OspA was observed in 3/8 experimentally infected dogs on day 21 p.i. Quant C6 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results matched multiplex results during the first 7 weeks p.i.; however, antibody levels subsequently declined by up to 29%. Immune responses then were analyzed in sera from 125 client-owned dogs and revealed high agreement between antibodies to OspF and C6 as robust markers for infection. Results from canine patient sera supported that OspC is an early infection marker and antibodies to OspC decline over time. The onset and decline of antibody responses toB. burgdorferiOsp antigens and C6 reflect their differential expression during infection. They provide valuable tools to determine the stage of infection, treatment outcomes, and vaccination status in dogs.

scholarly journals Trichothecene Genotype of Fusarium graminearum Isolates from Soybean (Glycine max) Seedling and Root Diseases in the United States

Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 1012-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. L. Ellis ◽  
G. P. Munkvold
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Fusarium Graminearum ◽  
Root Rot ◽  
Elongation Factor ◽  
Host Shift ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Head Blight ◽  
The Third

Fusarium graminearum is an economically important pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight of wheat, barley, and oat, and Gibberella ear and stalk rot of maize. More recently, F. graminearum was reported as a soybean seedling and root pathogen in North America (1,5), causing seed decay, damping-off, and brown to reddish-brown root rot symptoms. Type B trichothecene mycotoxins are commonly produced by F. graminearum, which can be categorized into three trichothecene genotypes; those that produce 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), or nivalenol (NIV). The 15-ADON genotype is dominant in populations from small grains and maize in North America (4), but the 3-ADON genotype has recently been found (4). F. graminearum was known as a pathogen of wheat and maize in North America for over a century before it was reported as a soybean pathogen. Therefore, we hypothesized that recent reports on soybean could be associated with the appearance of the 3-ADON genotype. The objective of this research was to determine the trichothecene genotype of F. graminearum isolates from soybean in the United States. Thirty-eight isolates from soybean were evaluated. Twenty-seven isolates came from a 3-year survey for Fusarium root rot from 2007 to 2009 in Iowa. Other isolates (Ahmad Fakhoury, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) were collected from soybean seedlings during a multi-state survey in 2012, and included three isolates from Illinois, three from Indiana, and five from Nebraska. Species identification and lineage of F. graminearum were confirmed by sequencing the translation elongation factor gene (EF1-α) using EF-1H and EF-2T primers. A maximum likelihood analysis of the EF1-α, including voucher strains from nine lineages of F. graminearum (2), placed all 38 isolates into lineage 7, F. graminearum sensu stricto (representative GenBank accessions KJ415349 to KJ415352). To determine the trichothecene genotype of each isolate we used three multiplex PCR assays. The first two assays targeted a portion of trichothecene biosynthesis genes Tri3 and Tri12 (4), while the third assay targeted portions of the Tri3, Tri5, and Tri7 genes (3). The PCR for the first two assays was conducted as described by Ward et al. (4) using four sets of primers: 3CON, 3NA, 3D15A, and 3D3A; and 12CON, 12NF, 12-15F, and 12-3F for the Tri3 and Tri12 genes, respectively. The PCR for the third assay was conducted as described by Quarta et al. (3) using the following primers: Tri3F971, Tri3F1325, Tri3R1679, Tri7F340, Tri7R965, 3551H, and 4056H. The amplification products were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. All 38 isolates produced amplicons consistent with the 15-ADON genotype; ~610 and 670 bp for the Tri3 and Tri12 genes, respectively (4), and two amplicons of ~708 and 525 bp for the Tri3/Tri5 genes (3). Our results indicated that the dominant trichothecene genotype among isolates of F. graminearum from soybean is 15-ADON, and the introduction of 3-ADON isolates does not explain the recent host shift of F. graminearum to soybean in North America. To our knowledge, this is the first assessment of trichothecene genotypes in F. graminearum populations from soybean from the United States. References: (1) K. E. Broders et al. Plant Dis. 91:1155, 2007. (2) K. O'Donnell et al. Fungal Gen. Biol. 41:600, 2004. (3) A. Quarta et al. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 259:7, 2006. (4) T. D. Ward et al. Fungal Gen. Biol. 45:473, 2008. (5) A. G. Zue et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 29:35, 2007.

Quick NAFTA deal is unlikely

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
The United States ◽  
Canadian Dollar ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Us Dollar

Subject NAFTA update. Significance Negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the United States will reconvene this month to address major disagreements on critical NAFTA provisions. The meeting will give negotiators their first opportunity to take stock of their governments' respective positions in the aftermath of Mexico's elections, the recent imposition of key US import tariffs and the retaliatory measures taken by US trading partners. While the grounds for agreement exist, the chances of a rapid conclusion are remote. Impacts Trade uncertainty will hit prospects for industrial growth, earnings, cash flow and investment across North America. The Canadian dollar and the peso are likely to remain weak against the US dollar throughout 2018. The threat of new US auto tariffs may hasten agreement on NAFTA auto provisions, giving Trump an early negotiating victory.

scholarly journals First Report of Puccinia coronata var. coronata sensu stricto Infecting Alder Buckthorn in the United States

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-86
Author(s):  
Shawn C. Kenaley ◽  
Geoffrey Ecker ◽  
Gary C. Bergstrom
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Host Range ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Rust Fungus ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Puccinia Coronata ◽  
First Report

Field symptoms, host distribution, pathogen morphology, and phylogenetic analyses clearly demonstrated that the rust fungus infecting alder buckthorn in Connecticut is Puccinia coronata var. coronata sensu stricto. To our knowledge, this is the first report and confirmation of P. coronata var. coronata s.s. in the United States. Additional collections from purported aecial and telial hosts of P. coronata var. coronata s.s. are necessary to determine its host range, geographic distribution, and incidence within the United States and elsewhere in North America.

scholarly journals Chagas Disease in the United States: a Public Health Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caryn Bern ◽  
Louisa A. Messenger ◽  
Jeffrey D. Whitman ◽  
James H. Maguire
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Chagas Disease ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Gastrointestinal Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diagnostic Test Performance ◽  
Improve Access

SUMMARY Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, usually transmitted by triatomine vectors. An estimated 20 to 30% of infected individuals develop potentially lethal cardiac or gastrointestinal disease. Sylvatic transmission cycles exist in the southern United States, involving 11 triatomine vector species and infected mammals such as rodents, opossums, and dogs. Nevertheless, imported chronic T. cruzi infections in migrants from Latin America vastly outnumber locally acquired human cases. Benznidazole is now FDA approved, and clinical and public health efforts are under way by researchers and health departments in a number of states. Making progress will require efforts to improve awareness among providers and patients, data on diagnostic test performance and expanded availability of confirmatory testing, and evidence-based strategies to improve access to appropriate management of Chagas disease in the United States.

scholarly journals Vaping Restrictions: Is Priority to the Young Justified?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Magalhaes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Ethical Dilemma ◽  
The United States ◽  
Youth Smoking ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities

Abstract The vast majority of smokers become dependent on nicotine in youth. Preventing dependence has therefore been crucial to the recent decline in youth smoking. The advent of vaping creates an opportunity for harm reduction to existing smokers (mostly adults) but simultaneously also undermines prevention efforts by becoming a new vehicle for young people to become dependent on nicotine, creating an ethical dilemma. Restrictions to access to some vaping products enacted in response to the increase in vaping among youth observed in the United States since 2018 have arguably prioritized prevention of new cases of dependence—protecting the young—over harm reduction to already dependent adults. Can this prioritization of the young be justified? This article surveys the main bioethical arguments for prioritizing giving health benefits to the young and finds that none can justify prioritizing dependence prevention over harm reduction: any reasons for prioritizing the current cohort of young people at risk from vaping will equally apply to current adult smokers, who are overwhelmingly likely to have become nicotine-dependent in their own youth. Public health authorities’ current tendency to prioritize the young, therefore, does not seem to be ethically justified. Implications This article argues that commonsense reasons for prioritizing the young do not apply to the ethical dilemma surrounding restricting access to vaping products.

scholarly journals The Past, Present, and (Possible) Future of Serologic Testing for Lyme Disease

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1191-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elitza S. Theel
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Metabolic Profiling ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Performance Characteristics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Testing Algorithm

Lyme disease prevails as the most commonly transmitted tick-borne infection in the United States, and serologic evaluation for antibodies toBorrelia burgdorferiremains the recommended modality for diagnosis. This review presents a brief historical perspective on the evolution of serologic assays for Lyme disease and provides a summary of the performance characteristics for the currently recommended two-tiered testing algorithm (TTTA). Additionally, a recently proposed alternative to the traditional TTTA is discussed, and novel methodologies, including immuno-PCR and metabolic profiling for Lyme disease, are outlined.

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