HOST TRACKING OR RESOURCE TRACKING? THE CASE OF PERIGLISCHRUS WING MITES (ACARINA: SPINTURNICIDAE) OF LEAF-NOSED BATS (CHIROPTERA: PHYLLOSTOMIDAE) FROM MICHOACAN, MEXICO

We examined the issue of host tracking versus resource tracking in spinturnicid wing mites of the genus Periglischrus, which are associated with bats of the family Phyllostomidae. Several lines of evidence suggest that these mites are host tracking, that is they do not respond to environmental factors beyond the body of their host. With one exception only, each host species was infested by only one mite species. In some cases, a mite species infested more than one bat species, but these hosts were always closely related, composing a monophyletic group within our sample. Finally, GIS analyses were used to evaluate the effects of annual precipitation, vegetation, climate, and soils on mite distributions within their host distributions in Michoacán. Those associations having an adequate sample size resulted in non-significance, indicating that the mite distributions did not vary with respect to environmental factors. Additional data and analyses are needed to test each of these findings, as well as to evaluate other environmental factors not tested in this study which may be of importance to mite distribution.Las hipótesis de seguimiento del huesped (host tracking) versus seguimiento de recursos (resource tracking) fueron analizadas en ácaros spinturnícidos del genero Periglischrus, parásitos asociados a los murciélagos de la familia Phyllostomidae. Diferentes líneas de evidencia sugieren que estos ácaros siguen a los huespedes, es decir, que no responden a factores ambientales más alla del cuerpo de los mismos. Con una sola excepción, cada especie huesped fue infectada por una sola especie de ácaro. En algunos casos, una especie de ácaro infectó más de una especie de murciélago, pero siempre estos huespedes fueron especies estrechamente relacionadas, componiendo un grupo monofilético dentro de nuestra muestra. Por último, se usaron análisis por sistema de información geográfica (GIS) para evaluar los efectos de precipitación anual, vegetación, clima y suelos en la distribución de los ácaros dentro de la distribución de sus huespedes en Michoacán. Aquellas asociaciones con un tamaño de muestra adecuado resultaron no significativas, indicando que las distribuciones de los ácaros no varían con respecto a factores ambientales. Datos y análisis adicionales son necesarios para poner a prueba estos resultados, así como para evaluar otros factores ambientales no analizados en este estudio y que pudieran ser de importancia en la determinación de la distribución de los ácaros

RABIES SURVEILLANCE AMONG BATS IN TENNESSEE, USA, 1996–2010

Rabies virus (RABV) infects multiple bat species in the Americas, and enzootic foci perpetuate in bats principally via intraspecific transmission. In recent years, bats have been implicated in over 90% of human rabies cases in the US. In Tennessee, two human cases of rabies have occurred since 1960: one case in 1994 associated with a tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) RABV variant and another in 2002 associated with the tricolored/silver-haired bat (P. subflavus/ Lasionycteris noctivagans) RABV variant. From 1996 to 2010, 2,039 bats were submitted for rabies testing in Tennessee. Among 1,943 bats in satisfactory condition for testing and with a reported diagnostic result, 96% (1,870 of 1,943) were identified to species and 10% (196 of 1,943) were rabid. Big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), tricolored, and eastern red (Lasiurus borealis) bats comprised 77% of testable bat submissions and 84% of rabid bats. For species with five or more submissions during 1996–2010, the highest proportion of rabid bats occurred in hoary (Lasiurus cinereus; 46%), unspecified Myotis spp. (22%), and eastern red (17%) bats. The best model to predict rabid bats included month of submission, exposure history of submission, species, and sex of bat

RABIES SURVEILLANCE AMONG BATS IN TENNESSEE, USA, 1996–2010

Rabies virus (RABV) infects multiple bat species in the Americas, and enzootic foci perpetuate in bats principally via intraspecific transmission. In recent years, bats have been implicated in over 90% of human rabies cases in the US. In Tennessee, two human cases of rabies have occurred since 1960: one case in 1994 associated with a tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) RABV variant and another in 2002 associated with the tricolored/silver-haired bat (P. subflavus/ Lasionycteris noctivagans) RABV variant. From 1996 to 2010, 2,039 bats were submitted for rabies testing in Tennessee. Among 1,943 bats in satisfactory condition for testing and with a reported diagnostic result, 96% (1,870 of 1,943) were identified to species and 10% (196 of 1,943) were rabid. Big brown (Eptesicus fuscus), tricolored, and eastern red (Lasiurus borealis) bats comprised 77% of testable bat submissions and 84% of rabid bats. For species with five or more submissions during 1996–2010, the highest proportion of rabid bats occurred in hoary (Lasiurus cinereus; 46%), unspecified Myotis spp. (22%), and eastern red (17%) bats. The best model to predict rabid bats included month of submission, exposure history of submission, species, and sex of bat

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Transmission from Human to Canine

A 71-year-old woman from Tennessee, USA with a 3-week history of a productive, nonbloody cough was evaluated. Chest radiograph showed infiltrates and atelectasis in the upper lobe of the right lung. A tuberculosis (TB) skin test resulted in a 14-mm area of induration. Sputum stained positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) and was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by DNA probe and culture. Treatment was initiated with isoniazid, rifampicin, and pyrazinamide. After 14 days of daily, directly observed therapy, the patient complained of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Treatment adjustments were made, and therapy was completed 11 months later with complete recovery. Six months after the patient\u27s TB diagnosis, she took her three and a half-year-old male Yorkshire Terrier to a veterinary clinic with cough, weight loss, and vomiting of several months\u27 duration. Initial sputum sample was negative on AFB staining. Eight days after discharge from a referral veterinary teaching hospital with a presumptive diagnosis of TB, the dog was euthanized due to urethral obstruction. Liver and tracheobronchial lymph node specimens collected at necropsy were positive for M. tuberculosis complex by polymerase chain reaction. The M. tuberculosis isolates from the dog and its owner had an indistinguishable 10-band pattern by IS6110-based restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping