Ehrlichiosis in Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Harkess ◽  
S. A. Ewing ◽  
Timothy Brumit ◽  
Charles R. Mettry
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Human Illness ◽  
Human Ehrlichiosis ◽  
Common Laboratory

Tick-borne rickettsiae of the genus Ehrlichia have recently been recognized as a cause of human illness in the United States. In the years 1986-1988, 10 cases of ehrlichiosis were diagnosed in children in Oklahoma. Fever and headache were universal; myalgias, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia were also common. Rash was observed in six patients but was a prominent finding in only one. Leukopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia were common laboratory abnormalities. Six patients were treated with tetracycline, three with chloramphenicol, and one was not treated with antibiotics; all recovered. The onset of illness in spring and early summer for most cases paralleled the time when Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis are most active, suggesting that one or both ticks may be vectors of human ehrlichiosis in Oklahoma.

scholarly journals Association of the invasive Haemaphysalis longicornis tick with vertebrate hosts, other native tick vectors, and tick-borne pathogens in New York City

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Tufts ◽  
Laura B. Goodman ◽  
Meghan C. Benedict ◽  
April D. Davis ◽  
Meredith C. VanAcker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Vector Potential ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Tick Vectors ◽  
Host Associations

AbstractHaemaphysalis longicornis, the Asian longhorned tick, is an invasive ixodid tick that has rapidly spread across the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States since first reported in 2017. The emergence of H. longicornis presents a potential threat for livestock, wildlife, and human health as the host associations and vector potential of this invasive pest in the United States are poorly understood. Previous field data from the United States has shown that H. longicornis was not associated with natural populations of small mammals or birds, but they show a preference for medium sized mammals in laboratory experiments. Therefore, medium and large sized mammals were sampled on Staten Island, New York to determine H. longicornis host associations and vector potential for a range of human and veterinary pathogens. A total of 97 hosts were sampled and five species of tick (Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, H. longicornis, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes cookei) were found feeding concurrently on these hosts. Haemaphysalis longicornis was found in the highest proportions compared to other native tick species on raccoons (55.4%), Virginia opossums (28.9%), and white-tailed deer (11.5%). Tissue, blood, and engorged larvae were tested for 17 different pathogens using a nanoscale PCR platform. Infection with five pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Rickettsia spp., Mycoplasma haemocanis, and Bartonella spp.) was detected in host samples, but no pathogens were found in any larval samples. These results suggest that although large and medium sized mammals feed large numbers of H. longicornis ticks in the environment there is presently a low potential for H. longicornis to acquire pathogens from these wildlife hosts.HighlightsH. longicornis were sampled from seven genera of large and medium-sized mammalsRaccoons, opossums, and white-tailed deer fed a large proportion of H. longicornisH. longicornis did not acquire pathogens through co-feeding with native tick vectorsHost species were infected with a range of pathogens of human and veterinary concernHost-derived H. longicornis engorged larvae were not infected with any pathogens

scholarly journals Effect of Vegetation on the Abundance of Tick Vectors in the Northeastern United States: A Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C Mathisson ◽  
Sara M Kross ◽  
Matthew I Palmer ◽  
Maria A Diuk-Wasser
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Haemaphysalis Longicornis ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Tick Abundance ◽  
Open Canopy

Abstract Tick-borne illnesses have been on the rise in the United States, with reported cases up sharply in the past two decades. In this literature review, we synthesize the available research on the relationship between vegetation and tick abundance for four tick species in the northeastern United States that are of potential medical importance to humans. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) is found to be positively associated with closed canopy forests and dense vegetation thickets, and negatively associated with open canopy environments, such as grasslands or old agricultural fields. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) (Say; Acari: Ixodidae) has little habitat overlap with I. scapularis, with abundance highest in grasses and open-canopy fields. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) (Linnaeus; Acari: Ixodidae) is a habitat generalist without consistent associations with particular types of vegetation. The habitat associations of the recently introduced Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) (Neumann; Acari: Ixodidae) in the northeastern United States, and in other regions where it has invaded, are still unknown, although based on studies in its native range, it is likely to be found in grasslands and open-canopy habitats.

scholarly journals Protective Effectiveness of Long-Lasting Permethrin Impregnated Clothing Against Tick Bites in an Endemic Lyme Disease Setting: A Randomized Control Trial Among Outdoor Workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 1532-1538
Author(s):  
Cedar Mitchell ◽  
Megan Dyer ◽  
Feng-Chang Lin ◽  
Natalie Bowman ◽  
Thomas Mather ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Tick Bites ◽  
Outdoor Workers ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Protective Effectiveness

Abstract Tick-borne diseases are a growing threat to public health in the United States, especially among outdoor workers who experience high occupational exposure to ticks. Long-lasting permethrin-impregnated clothing has demonstrated high initial protection against bites from blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae), in laboratory settings, and sustained protection against bites from the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae), in field tests. However, long-lasting permethrin impregnation of clothing has not been field tested among outdoor workers who are frequently exposed to blacklegged ticks. We conducted a 2-yr randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial among 82 outdoor workers in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts. Participants in the treatment arm wore factory-impregnated permethrin clothing, and the control group wore sham-treated clothing. Outdoor working hours, tick encounters, and bites were recorded weekly to assess protective effectiveness of long-lasting permethrin-impregnated garments. Factory-impregnated clothing significantly reduced tick bites by 65% in the first study year and by 50% in the second year for a 2-yr protective effect of 58%. No significant difference in other tick bite prevention method utilization occurred between treatment and control groups, and no treatment-related adverse outcomes were reported. Factory permethrin impregnation of clothing is safe and effective for the prevention of tick bites among outdoor workers whose primary exposure is to blacklegged ticks in the northeastern United States.

scholarly journals Dermacentor variabilis is the Predominant Dermacentor spp. (Acari: Ixodidae) Feeding on Dogs and Cats Throughout the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn T Duncan ◽  
Meriam N Saleh ◽  
Kellee D Sundstrom ◽  
Susan E Little
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Its2 Region ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Dermacentor Albipictus

Abstract Throughout North America, Dermacentor spp. ticks are often found feeding on animals and humans, and are known to transmit pathogens, including the Rocky Mountain spotted fever agent. To better define the identity and distribution of Dermacentor spp. removed from dogs and cats in the United States, ticks submitted from 1,457 dogs (n = 2,924 ticks) and 137 cats (n = 209 ticks) from veterinary practices in 44/50 states from February 2018-January 2020 were identified morphologically (n = 3,133); the identity of ticks from regions where Dermacentor andersoni (Stiles) have been reported, and a subset of ticks from other regions, were confirmed molecularly through amplification and sequencing of the ITS2 region and a 16S rRNA gene fragment. Of the ticks submitted, 99.3% (3,112/3,133) were Dermacentor variabilis (Say), 0.4% (12/3,133) were D. andersoni, and 0.3% (9/3,133) were Dermacentor albipictus (Packard). While translocation of pets prior to tick removal cannot be discounted, the majority (106/122; 87%) of Dermacentor spp. ticks removed from dogs and cats in six Rocky Mountain states (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado) were D. variabilis, suggesting this species may be more widespread in the western United States than is currently recognized, or that D. andersoni, if still common in the region, preferentially feeds on hosts other than dogs and cats. Together, these data support the interpretation that D. variabilis is the predominant Dermacentor species found on pets throughout the United States, a finding that may reflect recent shifts in tick distribution.

Herbert Hoover's “Treaty” with Soviet Russia: August 20, 1921

Slavic Review ◽  
1969 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Weissman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
United States Government ◽  
Private Agency ◽  
Medical Supplies ◽  
States Government ◽  
The Government ◽  
Soviet Russia

In March 1921 Lenin predicted, “If there is a harvest, everybody will hunger a little and the government will be saved. Otherwise, since we cannot take anything from people who do not have the means to satisfy their own hunger, the government will perish.“ By early summer, Russia was in the grip of one of the worst famines in its history. Lenin's gloomy forecast, however, was never put to the test. At almost the last moment, substantial help in the form of food, clothing, and medical supplies arrived from a most unexpected source —U.S. Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover.Hoover undertook the relief of Soviet Russia not as an official representative of the United States government but as the head of a private agency —the American Relief Administration (A.R.A.).

Surveillance of Human Ehrlichiosis in the United States: 1988

1990 ◽  
Vol 590 (1 Rickettsiolog) ◽  
pp. 306-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
THOMAS R. ENG ◽  
DANIEL B. FISHBEIN ◽  
J. E. DAWSON ◽  
C. R. GREENE ◽  
M. REDUS
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Ehrlichiosis

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HUMAN EHRLICHIOSIS AND ANAPLASMOSIS IN THE UNITED STATES, 2001–2002

2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 400-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
LINDA J. DEMMA ◽  
JENNIFER H. MCQUISTON ◽  
JOHN W. KREBS ◽  
DAVID L. SWERDLOW ◽  
ROBERT C. HOLMAN
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Ehrlichiosis

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Viruses in Amblyomma americanum , Dermacentor variabilis , and Ixodes scapularis Ticks

mSphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafal Tokarz ◽  
Stephen Sameroff ◽  
Teresa Tagliafierro ◽  
Komal Jain ◽  
Simon H. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dermacentor Variabilis ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Animal Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sequencing Platforms

ABSTRACT Ticks carry a wide range of known human and animal pathogens and are postulated to carry others with the potential to cause disease. Here we report a discovery effort wherein unbiased high-throughput sequencing was used to characterize the virome of 2,021 ticks, including Ixodes scapularis ( n = 1,138), Amblyomma americanum ( n = 720), and Dermacentor variabilis ( n = 163), collected in New York, Connecticut, and Virginia in 2015 and 2016. We identified 33 viruses, including 24 putative novel viral species. The most frequently detected viruses were phylogenetically related to members of the Bunyaviridae and Rhabdoviridae families, as well as the recently proposed Chuviridae . Our work expands our understanding of tick viromes and underscores the high viral diversity that is present in ticks. IMPORTANCE The incidence of tick-borne disease is increasing, driven by rapid geographical expansion of ticks and the discovery of new tick-associated pathogens. The examination of the tick microbiome is essential in order to understand the relationship between microbes and their tick hosts and to facilitate the identification of new tick-borne pathogens. Genomic analyses using unbiased high-throughput sequencing platforms have proven valuable for investigations of tick bacterial diversity, but the examination of tick viromes has historically not been well explored. By performing a comprehensive virome analysis of the three primary tick species associated with human disease in the United States, we gained substantial insight into tick virome diversity and can begin to assess a potential role of these viruses in the tick life cycle.

scholarly journals Multi-Locus Sequence Typing of Ehrlichia chaffeensis Reveals Extensive Genotypic Variation across the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 1297-1304
Author(s):  
Maria L. Zambrano ◽  
Christopher D. Paddock ◽  
Sandor E. Karpathy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genotypic Variation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Ehrlichia Chaffeensis ◽  
South Central ◽  
Typing System ◽  
Intergenic Regions ◽  
Multiple Strains

ABSTRACTEhrlichia chaffeensis causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and its principal vector is the Amblyomma americanum tick. The most frequently identified cases of ehrlichiosis come from the southeastern and south central states of the United States. In this study, a molecular typing system was developed that allows for the genetic differentiation of E. chaffeensis isolates. This multi-locus typing system included sequencing and analyzing intergenic regions ECH0033–ECH0035 and ECH0217–ECH0218, plus, variable genes variable length PCR target, 28-kDa, 120-kDa, and hemE. We examined a total of 31 unique isolates from humans and white-tailed deer, and eight DNA samples extracted from infected A. americanum collected from multiple states. This is the largest evaluation of E. chaffeensis isolates and their genotypes. Our findings show that when sequences of all six loci were concatenated and compared, the 39 samples could be separated into 23 genotypes and further grouped into six phylogenetic clades. The data in this study show no clear pattern between the geographic alignment with the genetic differentiation between the strains. As a result, this poses a challenge to understanding the spread of E. chaffeensis in the United States. Interestingly, our findings indicate that multiple strains from distant geographic origins share the same mutations, which suggests that the strains are being moved from one site to another by their hosts or vectors. In addition, we are seeing a northward shift in the lone star tick distribution in the United States. Last, some data also suggest minimal genetic mutations have occurred over time among strains that are within geographical proximity.

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