scholarly journals Modelling Spatiotemporal Patterns of Lyme Disease Emergence in Québec

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (18) ◽  
pp. 9669
Author(s):  
Marc-Antoine Tutt-Guérette ◽  
Mengru Yuan ◽  
Daniel Szaroz ◽  
Britt McKinnon ◽  
Yan Kestens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Risk Of Disease

Lyme disease is a growing public health problem in Québec. Its emergence over the last decade is caused by environmental and anthropological factors that favour the survival of Ixodes scapularis, the vector of Lyme disease transmission. The objective of this study was to estimate the speed and direction of human Lyme disease emergence in Québec and to identify spatiotemporal risk patterns. A surface trend analysis was conducted to estimate the speed and direction of its emergence based upon the first detected case of Lyme disease in each municipality in Québec since 2004. A cluster analysis was also conducted to identify at-risk regions across space and time. These analyses were reproduced for the date of disease onset and date of notification for each case of Lyme disease. It was estimated that Lyme disease is spreading northward in Québec at a speed varying between 18 and 32 km/year according to the date of notification and the date of disease onset, respectively. A significantly high risk of disease was found in seven clusters identified in the south-west of Québec in the sociosanitary regions of Montérégie and Estrie. The results obtained in this study improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of Lyme disease in Québec, which can be used for proactive, targeted interventions by public and clinical health authorities.

scholarly journals Modelling Spatiotemporal Patterns of Lyme Disease Emergence in Québec

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-Antoine Tutt-Gurétte ◽  
Mengru Yuan ◽  
Daniel Szarosz ◽  
Britt McKinnon ◽  
Yan Kestens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Targeted Interventions

Lyme disease is a growing public health problem in Québec. Its emergence over the last decade is caused by environmental and anthropological factors that favour the survival of Ixodes scapularis, the vector of Lyme disease transmission. The objective of this study was to estimate the speed and direction of Lyme disease emergence in Québec and to identify spatiotemporal risk patterns. A surface trend analysis was conducted to estimate the speed and direction of its emergence based upon the first detected case of Lyme disease in each municipality in Québec since 2004. A cluster analysis was also conducted to identify at-risk regions across space and time. These analyses were reproduced for the date of disease onset and date of notification for each case of Lyme disease. It was estimated that Lyme disease is spreading northward in Québec at a speed varying between 18 and 32 km/year according to the date of notification and the date of disease onset, respectively. A high rate of disease risk was found in seven clusters identified in the south-west of Québec in the sociosanitary regions of Montérégie and Estrie. The results obtained in this study improve our understanding of the spatiotemporal patterns of Lyme disease in Québec, which can be used for proactive, targeted interventions by public and clinical health authorities.

scholarly journals Effect of Rising Temperature on Lyme Disease: Ixodes scapularis Population Dynamics and Borrelia burgdorferi Transmission and Prevalence

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Wallace ◽  
Vardayani Ratti ◽  
Anita Kodali ◽  
Jonathan M. Winter ◽  
Matthew P. Ayres ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Risk Measures ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Increased Risk

Warmer temperatures are expected to increase the incidence of Lyme disease through enhanced tick maturation rates and a longer season of transmission. In addition, there could be an increased risk of disease export because of infected mobile hosts, usually birds. A temperature-driven seasonal model of Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) transmission among four host types is constructed as a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The model is developed and parametrized based on a collection of lab and field studies. The model is shown to produce biologically reasonable results for both the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) and the hosts when compared to a different set of studies. The model is used to predict the response of Lyme disease risk to a mean annual temperature increase, based on current temperature cycles in Hanover, NH. Many of the risk measures suggested by the literature are shown to change with increased mean annual temperature. The most straightforward measure of disease risk is the abundance of infected questing ticks, averaged over a year. Compared to this measure, which is difficult and resource-intensive to track in the field, all other risk measures considered underestimate the rise of risk with rise in mean annual temperature. The measure coming closest was “degree days above zero.” Disease prevalence in ticks and hosts showed less increase with rising temperature. Single field measurements at the height of transmission season did not show much change at all with rising temperature.

scholarly journals Lyme Disease Emergence after Invasion of the Blacklegged Tick,Ixodes scapularis, Ontario, Canada, 2010–2016

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 328-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manisha A. Kulkarni ◽  
Isha Narula ◽  
Andreea M. Slatculescu ◽  
Curtis Russell
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Blacklegged Tick

scholarly journals More than ticking boxes: Training Lyme disease education ambassadors to meet outreach and surveillance challenges in Québec, Canada

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258466
Author(s):  
Karl Forest-Bérard ◽  
Marion Ripoche ◽  
Alejandra Irace-Cima ◽  
Karine Thivierge ◽  
Ariane Adam-Poupart
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Outdoor Workers ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Training Of Trainers

Lyme disease (LD) is an emerging public health threat in Canada, associated with the northward range expansion of the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis). To address this, public health authorities have been carrying out surveillance activities and awareness campaigns targeting vulnerable populations such as outdoor workers. Implementing these measures is time-consuming and resource-intensive, prompting the assessment of alternatives. Our goal was to evaluate the feasibility and implementation of a training-of-trainers-inspired approach in raising awareness about LD risk and prevention among workers and general population, as well as to evaluate its potential to contribute to provincial LD surveillance efforts. We trained a group of workers from publicly-accessible outdoor parks of the province of Québec to become “LD education ambassadors”. Ambassadors were trained to raise tick and LD awareness, share information on preventive measures in their respective communities, and lead tick sampling activities using a standardised protocol similar to that used by Public Health authorities. Ambassador-led outreach activities, public reach, sampling activities and collected ticks were documented, as well as ambassadors’ satisfaction with the training using forms and semi-structured interviews. In total, 18 ambassadors from 12 organizations were trained. Between June and September 2019, they led 28 independent outreach activities, reaching over 1 860 individuals (from occupational and general public settings) in seven public health units. Ambassadors led 28 tick samplings, together collecting 11 I. scapularis ticks. This study suggests that an adapted training-of-trainers is a feasible approach to raising tick and LD risk awareness among Québec outdoor workers and public. Trained ambassadors have the potential of reaching a large portion of the population visiting or working in outdoor parks while also providing much-needed outreach regarding risk and prevention. Pushing this concept further to include other types of workers and jurisdictions may contribute to national LD surveillance efforts.

scholarly journals 182 DISINFECTION OF DRY (VAPOR) SHIPPERS ('DEWARS') FROM MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION ASSOCIATED WITH CRYOPRESERVED GERMPLASM

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
A. Bielanski
Keyword(s):  
Ethylene Oxide ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Foaming Properties ◽  
Sodium Hypochlorite Solution ◽  
Hydrophobic Membrane ◽  
Irreversible Damage ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus 1 ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Risk Of Disease

Cryopreservation, storage, and transport of cryopreserved germplasm without the risk of disease transmission is of great concern to animal and human health authorities. Here we report on the efficacy of microbial decontamination of liquid nitrogen (LN) dry (vapor) shippers used for short-term storage and transportation of germplasm and other biological specimens. Dry shippers containing either a hydrophobic or a nonhydrophobic LN absorbent were experimentally contaminated with high titers of cultures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus, bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Biocidals with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and gas vapors of formalin and ethylene oxide were used for disinfection of the shippers. All biocide solutions were diluted with milli-Q water to the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer and poured directly into the chamber of the dry shippers. The dry shipper was filled with the disinfectant for 30 min, drained, washed three times with sterile water, and drained before testing the residue for microbial contaminant. Among the biocidals used, treatment with sodium hypochlorite solution (30% of household bleach), a quaternary ammonium-based disinfectant (100% Expel), and peracetic acid (30%) were the most effective and useful for dry shippers with a hydrophobic LN absorbent. None of the bacterial or viral microorganisms were detected in samples of semen and embryos stored in dry shippers following their disinfection with these biocides. Other disinfectants (Virkon, Roccal, 1-Stroke, Expel Odor) were not effective due to their foaming properties. Some other disinfectants (Viralex and 70% ethanol) caused irreversible damage to the permeability of the LN-absorbent hydrophobic membrane. Gas sterilization by ethylene oxide was effective for both types of dry shipper. The author thanks Mr. A. Hanniman for his technical support and Ms. B. Phipps-Todd for processing samples for the scanning electron microscopy.

scholarly journals Comparative hologenomics of two Ixodes scapularis tick populations in New Jersey

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12313
Author(s):  
Dana C. Price ◽  
Julia R. Brennan ◽  
Nicole E. Wagner ◽  
Andrea M. Egizi
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Babesia Microti ◽  
Microbial Species ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Filarial Nematodes ◽  
Metagenome Sequencing

Tick-borne diseases, such as those transmitted by the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis, are a significant and growing public health problem in the US. There is mounting evidence that co-occurring non-pathogenic microbes can also impact tick-borne disease transmission. Shotgun metagenome sequencing enables sampling of the complete tick hologenome—the collective genomes of the tick and all of the microbial species contained therein, whether pathogenic, commensal or symbiotic. This approach simultaneously uncovers taxonomic composition and allows the detection of intraspecific genetic variation, making it a useful tool to compare spatial differences across tick populations. We evaluated this approach by comparing hologenome data from two tick samples (N = 6 ticks per location) collected at a relatively fine spatial scale, approximately 23 km apart, within a single US county. Several intriguing variants in the data between the two sites were detected, including polymorphisms in both in the tick’s own mitochondrial DNA and that of a rickettsial endosymbiont. The two samples were broadly similar in terms of the microbial species present, including multiple known tick-borne pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia microti, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum), filarial nematodes, and Wolbachia and Babesia species. We assembled the complete genome of the rickettsial endosymbiont (most likely Rickettsia buchneri) from both populations. Our results provide further evidence for the use of shotgun metagenome sequencing as a tool to compare tick hologenomes and differentiate tick populations across localized spatial scales.

scholarly journals Microbiome Composition and Borrelia Detection in Ixodes scapularis Ticks at the Northwestern Edge of Their Range

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Janet L. H. Sperling ◽  
Daniel Fitzgerald ◽  
Felix A. H. Sperling ◽  
Katharine E. Magor
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Associated Bacteria ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Bacterial Microbiome ◽  
Ixodes Ticks

Lyme disease-causing Borrelia burgdorferi has been reported in 10–19% of Ixodes ticks from Alberta, Canada, where the tick vector Ixodes scapularis is at the northwestern edge of its range. However, the presence of Borrelia has not been verified independently, and the bacterial microbiome of these ticks has not been described. We performed 16S rRNA bacterial surveys on female I. scapularis from Alberta that were previously qPCR-tested in a Lyme disease surveillance program. Both 16S and qPCR methods were concordant for the presence of Borrelia. The 16S studies also provided a profile of associated bacteria that showed the microbiome of I. scapularis in Alberta was similar to other areas of North America. Ticks that were qPCR-positive for Borrelia had significantly greater bacterial diversity than Borrelia-negative ticks, on the basis of generalized linear model testing. This study adds value to ongoing tick surveillance and is a foundation for deeper understanding of tick microbial ecology and disease transmission in a region where I. scapularis range expansion, induced by climate and land use changes, is likely to have increasing public health implications.

scholarly journals Landscape features predict the current and forecast the future geographic spread of Lyme disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1941) ◽  
pp. 20202278
Author(s):  
Allison M. Gardner ◽  
Natalie C. Pawlikowski ◽  
Sarah A. Hamer ◽  
Graham J. Hickling ◽  
James R. Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Predictive Capability ◽  
Spatial Factors ◽  
Tick Vector ◽  
Geographic Spread ◽  
Vector Borne

Lyme disease, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in North America, is increasing in incidence and geographic distribution as the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis , spreads to new regions. We re-construct the spatial-temporal invasion of the tick and human disease in the Midwestern US, a major focus of Lyme disease transmission, from 1967 to 2018, to analyse the influence of spatial factors on the geographic spread. A regression model indicates that three spatial factors—proximity to a previously invaded county, forest cover and adjacency to a river—collectively predict tick occurrence. Validation of the predictive capability of this model correctly predicts counties invaded or uninvaded with 90.6% and 98.5% accuracy, respectively. Reported incidence increases in counties after the first report of the tick; based on this modelled relationship, we identify 31 counties where we suspect I. scapularis already occurs yet remains undetected. Finally, we apply the model to forecast tick establishment by 2021 and predict 42 additional counties where I. scapularis will probably be detected based upon historical drivers of geographic spread. Our findings leverage resources dedicated to tick and human disease reporting and provide the opportunity to take proactive steps (e.g. educational efforts) to prevent and limit transmission in areas of future geographic spread.

scholarly journals Ixodes scapularisdoes not harbor a stable midgut microbiome

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin D. Ross ◽  
Beth Hayes ◽  
Matthew C. Radey ◽  
Xia Lee ◽  
Tanya Josek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
Microbial Populations ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Primary Vector ◽  
Pathogen Colonization

AbstractHard ticks of the order Ixodidae serve as vectors for numerous human pathogens, including the causative agent of Lyme DiseaseBorrelia burgdorferi. Tick-associated microbes can influence pathogen colonization, offering the potential to inhibit disease transmission through engineering of the tick microbiota. Here, we investigate whetherB. burgdorferiencounters abundant bacteria within the midgut of wild adultIxodes scapularis, its primary vector. Through the use of controlled sequencing methods and confocal microscopy, we find that the majority of field-collected adultI. scapularisharbor limited internal microbial communities that are dominated by endosymbionts. A minority ofI. scapularisticks harbor abundant midgut bacteria and lackB. burgdorferi. We find that the lack of a stable resident midgut microbiota is not restricted toI. scapularissince extension of our studies toI. pacificus, Amblyomma maculatum, andDermacentorspp showed similar patterns. Finally, bioinformatic examination of theB. burgdorferigenome revealed the absence of genes encoding known interbacterial interaction pathways, a feature unique to theBorreliagenus within the phylumSpirochaetes. Our results suggest that reduced selective pressure from limited microbial populations within ticks may have facilitated the evolutionary loss of genes encoding interbacterial competition pathways fromBorrelia.

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