Observations on questing activity of adult Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum

Abstract During August of 2008 and 2009, observations were made on the questing heights, behaviors, and spatial distribution of adult Gulf Coast ticks, Amblyomma maculatum, in a plot near Gautier, Jackson County, Mississippi, U.S.A. Ticks were not evenly distributed in the plot, being found mostly on torpedograss and/or wiregrass along and in a small dirt field road. Adult ticks were visually observed questing on three different plants: torpedograss, Panicum repens, wiregrass, Aristida stricta, and Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense, all but the last of which have small-diameter stems and thin, pointed leaves. Ticks were located at or near the tips of the plants (2-tail binomial probability, p = 0.0074). Observed questing heights ranged from 20-75 cm, with an average of 36 cm. Nine of 15 ticks (60%) seen questing were oriented head upward, while 6 (40%) were headdown. Limited mark-release-recapture observations were made in the study site, using ticks collected from the field road. Of 27 ticks marked and released, 15 were recaptured in three samples spanning a 24-d period. Of these, 5 had moved closer to the dirt road where they were originally captured and 2 farther away

Rickettsia parkeri Rickettsiosis, Argentina

Rickettsia parkeri, a recently identified cause of spotted fever rickettsiosis in the United States, has been found in Amblyomma triste ticks in several countries of South America, including Argentina, where it is believed to cause disease in humans. We describe the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of 2 patients in Argentina with confirmed R. parkeri infection and 7 additional patients with suspected R. parkeri rickettsiosis identified at 1 hospital during 2004–2009. The frequency and character of clinical signs and symptoms among these 9 patients closely resembled those described for patients in the United States (presence of an inoculation eschar, maculopapular rash often associated with pustules or vesicles, infrequent gastrointestinal manifestations, and relatively benign clinical course). Many R. parkeri infections in South America are likely to be misdiagnosed as other infectious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, dengue, or leptospirosis

Multistate Survey of American Dog Ticks \u3ci\u3e(Dermacentor variabilis)\u3c/i\u3e for \u3ci\u3eRickettsia\u3c/i\u3e Species

Dermacentor variabilis, a common human-biting tick found throughout the eastern half and along the west coast of the United States, is a vector of multiple bacterial pathogens. Historically, D. variabilis has been considered a primary vector of Rickettsia rickettsii, the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A total of 883 adult D. variabilis, collected between 2012 and 2017 from various locations in 12 states across the United States, were screened for rickettsial DNA. Tick extracts were evaluated using three real-time PCR assays; an R. rickettsii-specific assay, a Rickettsia bellii-specific assay, and a Rickettsia genus-specific assay. Sequencing of ompA gene amplicons generated using a seminested PCR assay was used to determine the rickettsial species present in positive samples not already identified by species-specific real-time assays. A total of 87 (9.9%) tick extracts contained R. bellii DNA and 203 (23%) contained DNA of other rickettsial species, including 47 (5.3%) with Rickettsia montanensis, 11 (1.2%) with Rickettsia amblyommatis, 2 (0.2%) with Rickettsia rhipicephali, and 3 (0.3%) with Rickettsia parkeri. Only 1 (0.1%) tick extract contained DNA of R. rickettsii. These data support multiple other contemporary studies that indicate infrequent detection of R. rickettsii in D. variabilis in North America

Quantitative Factors Proposed to Influence the Prevalence of Canine Tick-Borne Disease Agents in the United States

The Companion Animal Parasite Council hosted a meeting to identify quantifiable factors that can influence the prevalence of tick-borne disease agents among dogs in North America. This report summarizes the approach used and the factors identified for further analysis with mathematical models of canine exposure to tick-borne pathogens

The history of falls and the association of the timed up and go test to falls and near-falls in older adults with hip osteoarthritis

Abstract Background Falling accounts for a significant number of hospital and long-term care admissions in older adults. Many adults with the combination of advancing age and functional decline associated with lower extremity osteoarthritis (OA), are at an even greater risk. The purpose of this study was to describe fall and near-fall history, location, circumstances and injuries from falls in a community-dwelling population of adults over aged 65 with hip OA and to determine the ability of the timed up and go test (TUG) to classify fallers and near-fallers. Method A retrospective observational study of 106 older men and women with hip pain for six months or longer, meeting a clinical criteria for the presence of hip OA at one or both hips. An interview for fall and near-fall history and administration of the TUG were administered on one occasion. Results Forty-five percent of the sample had at least one fall in the past year, seventy-seven percent reported occasional or frequent near-falls. The majority of falls occurred during ambulation and ascending or descending steps. Forty percent experienced an injury from the fall. The TUG was not associated with history of falls, but was associated with near-falls. Higher TUG scores occurred for those who were older, less mobile, and with greater number of co-morbidities. Conclusion A high percentage of older adults with hip OA experience falls and near-falls which may be attributed to gait impairments related to hip OA. The TUG could be a useful screening instrument to predict those who have frequent near-falls, and thus might be useful in predicting risk of future falls in this population.</p

Reorganization of functional connectivity as a correlate of cognitive recovery in acquired brain injury.

Cognitive processes require a functional interaction between specialized multiple, local and remote brain regions. Although these interactions can be strongly altered by an acquired brain injury, brain plasticity allows network reorganization to be principally responsible for recovery. The present work evaluates the impact of brain injury on functional connectivity patterns. Networks were calculated from resting-state magnetoencephalographic recordings from 15 brain injured patients and 14 healthy controls by means of wavelet coherence in standard frequency bands. We compared the parameters defining the network, such as number and strength of interactions as well as their topology, in controls and patients for two conditions: following a traumatic brain injury and after a rehabilitation treatment. A loss of delta- and theta-based connectivity and conversely an increase in alpha- and beta-band-based connectivity were found. Furthermore, connectivity parameters approached controls in all frequency bands, especially in slow-wave bands. A correlation between network reorganization and cognitive recovery was found: the reduction of delta-band-based connections and the increment of those based on alpha band correlated with Verbal Fluency scores, as well as Perceptual Organization and Working Memory Indexes, respectively. Additionally, changes in connectivity values based on theta and beta bands correlated with the Patient Competency Rating Scale. The current study provides new evidence of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity processes after brain injury, and suggests that these changes are related with observed changes at the behavioural leve

Molecular Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Isolates in Portuguese Hospitals: Results From European Survey on Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE)

Free PMC Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6277554/In Portugal, the epidemiological stage for the spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) increased from sporadic isolates or single hospital clones (2010-2013), to hospital outbreaks, later. Here we report data from a 6-month study performed under the European Survey on Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE). During the study period, 67 isolates (61 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 6 Escherichia coli) non-susceptible to carbapenems were identified in participant hospital laboratories. We detected 37 blaKPC-type (including one new variant: blaKPC-21), 1 blaGES-5, and 1 blaGES-6 plus blaKPC-3, alone or in combination with other bla genes. Bioinformatics analysis of the KPC-21-producing E. coli identified the new variant blaKPC-21 in a 12,748 bp length plasmid. The blaKPC-21 gene was harbored on a non-Tn4401 element, presenting upstream a partial ISKpn6 (ΔISKpn6/ΔtraN) with the related left IR (IRL) and downstream a truncated Tn3 transposon. PFGE and MLST analysis showed an important diversity, as isolates belonged to distinct PFGE and STs profiles. In this study, we highlighted the presence of the high-risk clone E. coli sequence-type (ST) 131 clade C/H30. This worldwide disseminated E. coli lineage was already detected in Portugal among other antibiotic resistance reservoirs. This study highlights the intra- and inter-hospital spread and possible intercontinental circulation of CPE isolates.VM was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) fellowship (Grant SFRH/BPD/ 77486/2011), financed by the European Social Funds (COMPETE-FEDER) and national funds of the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science (POPH-QREN). The authors thank FCT for Project grant UID/MULTI/00211/2013.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How is Europe positioned for a re-emergence of Schmallenberg virus?

The Schmallenberg virus (SBV) caused a large scale epidemic in Europe from 2011–2013 infecting ruminants and causing fetal deformities after infection of pregnant animals. The main impacts of the virus were financial losses due to animal, meat and semen trade restrictions. Even though effective vaccines were produced, their uptake was never high. This along with the subsequent decline in new SBV infections and natural replacement of previously exposed livestock has resulted in a drop in the number of protected animals. Recent surveillance has found a large population of naïve animals currently present in Europe and the virus circulating at a low level. These changes in animal status in combination with favourable conditions for the insect vectors may open the door to the re-emergence of the virus and another large-scale outbreak in Europe. This review details the potential and preparedness for SBV re-emergence in Europe, discusses possible co-ordinated sentinel monitoring programmes both for ruminant seroconversion and the presence of virus in the insect vectors and provides an overview of the economic impact associated with diagnosis, control and the effect of non-vaccination