The emergence and maintenance of vector-borne diseases in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan

Human populations throughout much of the world are experiencing unprecedented changes in their relationship to the environment and their interactions with the animals with which so many humans are intimately dependent upon. These changes result not only from human induced changes in the climate, but also from population demographic changes due to wars, social unrest, behavioral changes resulting from cultural mixing, and large changes in land-use practices. Each of these social shifts can affect the maintenance and emergence of arthropod vectors disease or the pathogenic organisms themselves. A good example is the country of Pakistan, with a large rural population and developing urban economy, it also maintains a wide diversity of entomological disease vectors, including biting flies, mosquitoes, and ticks. Pathogens endemic to the region include the agents of piroplasmosis, rickettsiosis, spirocheteosis, and viral hemorrhagic fevers and encephalitis. The northwestern region of the country, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK), formerly the North-West Frontier Provence (NWFP), and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are mountainous regions with a high degree of habitat diversity that has recently undergone a massive increase in human population density due to an immigrating refugee population from neighboring war-torn Afghanistan. Vector-borne diseases in people and livestock are common in KPK and FATA regions due to the limited use of vector control measures and access to livestock vaccines. The vast majority of people in this region live in abject poverty with >70% of the population living directly from production gained in animal husbandry. In many instances whole families live directly alongside their animal counterparts. In addition, there is little to no awareness of the threat posed by ticks and transmission of either zoonotic or veterinary pathogens. Recent emergence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in rural populations, outbre

Preying dangerously: black widow spider venom resistance in sympatric lizards

Lizards and spiders are natural adversaries, yet little is known of adaptations that lizards might possess for dealing with the venomous defences of spider prey. In the Western USA, two lizard species (Elgaria multicarinata and Sceloporus occidentalis) are sympatric with and predate western black widow spiders (Latrodectus hesperus). The consequences of black widow spider venom (BWSV) can be severe, and are well understood for mammals but unknown for reptiles. We evaluated potential resistance to BWSV in the lizards that consume black widows, and a potentially susceptible species (Uta stansburiana) known as prey of widows. We investigated BWSV effects on whole-animal performance (sprint) and muscle tissue at two venom doses compared with control injections. Sprint speed was not significantly decreased in E. multicarinata or S. occidentalis in any treatment, while U. stansburiana suffered significant performance reductions in response to BWSV. Furthermore, E. multicarinata showed minimal tissue damage and immune response, while S. occidentalis and U. stansburiana exhibited increased muscle damage and immune system infiltration in response to BWSV. Our data suggest predator–prey relationships between lizards and spiders are complex, possibly leading to physiological and molecular adaptations that allow some lizards to tolerate or overcome the dangerous defences of their arachnid prey

Protection of Cattle against Epizootic Bovine Abortion (EBA) Using a Live Pajaroellobacter abortibovis Vaccine.

Epizootic bovine abortion (EBA) is an arthropod-borne bacterial disease that causes significant economic loss for cattle producers in the western United States. The etiologic agent, Pajaroellobacter abortibovis, is an intracellular pathogen that has yet to be cultivated in vitro, thereby requiring novel methodologies for vaccine development. A vaccine candidate, using live P. abortibovis-infected cells (P.a-LIC) harvested from mouse spleens, was tested in beef cattle. Over the course of two safety studies and four efficacy trials, safety risks were evaluated, and dosage and potencies refined. No incidence of anaphylaxis, recognized health issues or significant impact upon conception rates were noted. Vaccination did result in subclinical skin reactions. Early fetal losses were noted in two trials and were significant when the vaccine was administered within 21 days prior to conception. Administration of the EBA agent (EBAA) vaccine as a single dose, at a potency of 500 P.a-LIC, 56 days prior to breeding, provided 100% protection with no early fetal losses. Seroconversion occurred in all animals following EBAA vaccination and corresponded well with protection of the fetus from epizootic bovine abortion

Climate, Ticks and Disease

This book brings together expert opinions from scientists to consider the evidence for climate change and its impacts on ticks and tick-borne infections. It considers what is meant by 'climate change', how effective climate models are in relation to ecosystems, and provides predictions for changes in climate at global, regional and local scales relevant for ticks and tick-borne infections. It examines changes to tick distribution and the evidence that climate change is responsible. The effect of climate on the physiology and behaviour of ticks is stressed, including potentially critical impacts on the tick microbiome. Given that the notoriety of ticks derives from pathogens they transmit, the book considers whether changes in climate affect vector capacity. Ticks transmit a remarkable range of micro- and macro-parasites many of which are pathogens of humans and domesticated animals. The intimacy between a tick-borne agent and a tick vector means that any impacts of climate on a tick vector will impact tick-borne pathogens. Most obviously, such impacts will be apparent as changes in disease incidence and prevalence. The evidence that climate change is affecting diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens is considered, along with the potential to make robust predictions of future events. This book contains: Expert opinions and predictions. Global coverage of trends in ticks and disease. In-depth examination of climate change and tick distribution links.This book is suitable for researchers and students studying zoology, biological sciences, medical entomology, animal health, veterinary medicine, epidemiology, parasitology, and climate change impacts; and for those concerned with public health planning or livestock management where ticks and tick-borne pathogens pose a threat