Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Trop 2021 Jul 24;219:105931. Epub 2021 Apr 24.

Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil. Electronic address:

Ehrlichia spp. are important tick-borne pathogens of animals in Brazil, and Ehrlichia canis is the most prevalent species infecting dogs. Moreover, Ehrlichia minasensis has also recently been identified as a novel ehrlichial agent that infects cattle in Brazil. Read More

J Bacteriol 2021 Jun 8;203(13):e0002721. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.

Ehrlichia chaffeensis causes human monocytic ehrlichiosis by replicating within phagosomes of monocytes/macrophages. A function disruption mutation within the pathogen's ECH_0660 gene, which encodes a phage head-to-tail connector protein, resulted in the rapid clearance of the pathogen , while aiding in induction of sufficient immunity in a host to protect against wild-type infection challenge. In this study, we describe the characterization of a cluster of seven genes spanning from ECH_0659 to ECH_0665, which contained four genes encoding bacterial phage proteins, including the ECH_0660 gene. Read More

J Microbiol Methods 2021 Jul 16;186:106225. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America. Electronic address:

Ehrlichiosis, caused by Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Ehrlichia, is considered an emerging infectious disease due to the increasing number of reported cases. Symptoms are non-specific and occur within 1 to 2 weeks following the bite of an infected tick. Confirmatory laboratory diagnostic methods vary in sensitivity and specimen requirements, which can lead to delayed diagnosis. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021 07 9;12(4):101727. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases (CEVBD), Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA. Electronic address:

Anaplasma platys is a tick-transmitted rickettsial pathogen, which is known to be the etiologic agent for cyclic thrombocytopenia in its primary canine host. Infections with this pathogen are also reported in cats, cattle and people. Similarly, Ehrlichia canis is another tick-borne rickettsial pathogen responsible for canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and is also reported to cause infections in people. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2021 Apr 16;14(4). Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Internal Medicine, Providence Health and Services Oregon and Southwest Washington, Portland, Oregon, USA.

A 70-year-old man presented to the emergency department with fevers, ankle edema and nausea following a presumed insect bite on his ankle 1 month prior. On examination, he was febrile and had left leg pain with passive range of motion. Laboratory studies revealed anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute kidney injury and elevated aminotransaminases. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021 07 22;12(4):101712. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Bukgu, Daegu, 41566, South Korea; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Junggu, Daegu, 41944, South Korea. Electronic address:

Most defined Rickettsiales, which can be transmitted by ticks, are known to be important zoonotic pathogens. Some of these pathogens can cause severe diseases in humans, including anaplasmosis, rickettsioses, and ehrlichiosis. Previous studies in South Korea have investigated tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) residing in ticks found on grassy vegetation and animals. Read More

Insects 2021 Mar 5;12(3). Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.

Ticks rank high among arthropod vectors in terms of numbers of infectious agents that they transmit to humans, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Increasing temperature is suspected to affect tick biting rates and pathogen developmental rates, thereby potentially increasing risk for disease incidence. Tick distributions respond to climate change, but how their geographic ranges will shift in future decades and how those shifts may translate into changes in disease incidence remain unclear. Read More

Microorganisms 2021 Mar 23;9(3). Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada.

Tick-borne infectious diseases can affect many tissues and organs including bone, one of the most multifunctional structures in the human body. There is a scarcity of data regarding the impact of tick-borne pathogens on bone. The aim of this review was to survey existing research literature on this topic. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021 07 15;12(4):101711. Epub 2021 Mar 15.

Daejeon Metropolitan City Institute of Health and Environment, 407 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34142, Republic of Korea.

Ticks (Ixodidae, also known as hard ticks) as principal vectors of zoonotic diseases such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), Lyme borreliosis, relapsing fever, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, coxiellosis (Q fever), and tularemia pose a major public health threat. This study was conducted to identify the distribution profile of ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Daejeon and the adjacent areas in South Korea, where no such epidemiological study has been conducted. From April to October 2019, 16,765 ticks were collected from three genera and four species: Haemaphysalis longicornis (n = 14,949; 89. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2021 03 12;21(1):178. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., CT, 06510, New Haven, USA.

Background: Pancytopenia, fever, and elevated D-dimer are significant clinical findings. The differential diagnosis includes hematological malignancies, severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), tick-borne illnesses, and other etiologies.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 95-year-old woman who presented with high fever (103. Read More

Pathogens 2021 Feb 19;10(2). Epub 2021 Feb 19.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, 42250 Konya, Turkey.

Parasitic diseases caused by ticks constitute a barrier on global animal production, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. As a country with a temperate and subtropical climate, Turkey has topography, climate, and pasture resources, and these resources are suitable for animal breeding and parasite-host-vector relationships throughout the country. This geography restricts the regulations on animal movements in the southeastern and eastern Anatolia because of the close contact with the neighboring states. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 May 2;120(5):1799-1809. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Laboratory of Tropical Veterinary Medicine and Vector Biology, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, Hainan, China.

Present-day diagnostic tools and technologies for canine diseases and other vector-borne parasitic diseases hardly meet the requirements of an efficient and rapid diagnostic tool, which can be suitable for use at the point-of-care in resource-limited settings. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique has been always a method of choice in the development and validation of quick, precise, and sensitive diagnostic assays for pathogen detection and to reorganize point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics. In this study, we have demonstrated an efficient detection system for parasitic vector-borne pathogens like Ehrlichia canis and Hepatozoon canis by linking the LAMP assay to a smartphone via a simple, inexpensive, and a portable "LAMP box," All the components of the LAMP box were connected to each other wirelessly. Read More

Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2021 Apr 30;14:107-116. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Guangzhou Zoo, Guangzhou, 510070, China.

Due to habitat destruction and illegal hunting and trade, the number of pangolins has been sharply reduced. To protect pangolins from extinction, relevant departments are combined and active action have been taken. A total of 21 confiscated Malayan pangolins were rescued in 2019, but died continuously for unknown reasons. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021 05 19;12(3):101658. Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsial Infections, Veterinary Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT), Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá, MT, 78090-900, Brazil. Electronic address:

Bacteria of the genus Ehrlichia are transmitted by ticks and also are an important cause of infection in wild and domestic mammals. Infection with Ehrlichia spp. has been reported in horses, especially in the USA, Nicaragua and Brazil. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2021 05 20;12(3):101649. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, United States. Electronic address:

In the United States, exposure to human-biting ixodid ticks can occur while spending time on residential properties or in neighborhood green spaces as well as during recreational or occupational activities on public lands. Human-biting tick species collectively transmit >15 species of pathogenic microorganisms and the national burden of tick-borne diseases is increasing. The prospect of a new Lyme disease vaccine for use in humans provides hope for substantial reduction in the >450,000 estimated annual cases of Lyme disease but this breakthrough would not reduce cases of other tick-borne diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, spotted fever group rickettsiosis, and Powassan encephalitis. Read More

Trop Anim Health Prod 2021 Jan 29;53(1):147. Epub 2021 Jan 29.

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.

We present findings from an outbreak of a heartwater-like disease in camels that killed at least 2000 adult animals in Kenya in 2016. Clinical signs included excitability, head pressing, aimless wandering, recumbency, and fast breathing followed by death after about 4 days. The observed morbidity in one herd was 40% with an average mortality of 7. Read More

J Med Entomol 2021 May;58(3):1352-1362

Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA, ARS, BARC-West, Beltsville, MD.

Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are increasing in the eastern United States and there is a lack of research on integrated strategies to control tick vectors. Here we present results of a study on tick-borne pathogens detected from tick vectors and rodent reservoirs from an ongoing 5-yr tick suppression study in the Lyme disease-endemic state of Maryland, where human-biting tick species, including Ixodes scapularis Say (Acari: Ixodidae) (the primary vector of Lyme disease spirochetes), are abundant. During the 2017 tick season, we collected 207 questing ticks and 602 ticks recovered from 327 mice (Peromyscus spp. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Feb 8;120(2):725-729. Epub 2021 Jan 8.

Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CC 22, CP 2300, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.

In this work, we analyze data that support an epidemiological link between cases of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) by Ehrlichia canis and the presence of Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto as vector in an endemic area for this tick in Argentina. In a blood sample of a 1-year-old toy poodle with CME compatible clinical signs, which showed CME typical morulae in monocytes in Giemsa-stained blood smear, DNA of E. canis was detected by PCR. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2021 Jan 6;14(1):10. Epub 2021 Jan 6.

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Westbrook, ME, USA.

Background: Dogs in the US are commonly infected with vector-borne pathogens, including heartworm and tick-borne disease agents. The geographic distribution of both arthropod vectors and the pathogens they transmit continues to expand.

Methods: To describe the current geographic distribution and prevalence of antigen of Dirofilaria immitis and antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia spp. Read More

BMC Genomics 2021 Jan 6;22(1):11. Epub 2021 Jan 6.

Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, 1925 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.

Background: The genus Ehrlichia consists of tick-borne obligatory intracellular bacteria that can cause deadly diseases of medical and agricultural importance. Ehrlichia sp. HF, isolated from Ixodes ovatus ticks in Japan [also referred to as I. Read More

Am J Vet Res 2021 Jan;82(1):71-80

Objective: To compare the performance of 5 synthetic peptide-based ELISAs with that of 3 commercially available immunofluorescent assays (IFAs) for serologic diagnosis of anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis in dogs.

Sample: A convenience set of 109 serum samples obtained before and at various times after inoculation for 23 dogs that were experimentally infected with , or and 1 uninfected control dog in previous studies.

Procedures: All serum samples were assessed with 5 synthetic peptide-based ELISAs designed to detect antibodies against , and and 3 whole organism-based IFAs designed to detect antibodies against , and The species-specific seroreactivity, cross-reactivity with the other tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were calculated for each assay and compared among assays. Read More

J Arthropod Borne Dis 2020 Jun 30;14(2):126-133. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis are the most important tick-borne diseases. This study was conducted in three cities of Kerman Province in Iran to investigate the circulation of the bacteria in ticks collected from sheep.

Methods: Ticks were collected from animals using Srkj forceps and transferred to the Entomology lab in cold chain. Read More

Ann Agric Environ Med 2020 Dec 17;27(4):702-705. Epub 2020 Jul 17.

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, Lublin, Poland.

Wild ungulates may serve as reservoirs for particular tick-borne pathogens (TBP) of importance for public and animal health. The aim of the study was to investigate, for the first time, the occurrence of (AP) in a large population of roe deer in eastern Poland. Spleen samples from 424 roe deer () were collected during the 2018-2019 hunting season. Read More

Klin Lab Diagn 2020 Sep;65(10):659-664

Somov Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

In the territory of the Primorsky region, the nosoareas of causative agents of tick-borne infections often coincide and lead to mixed infection of ticks, which causes the mixed pathology in humans . We investigated ixodid ticks taken from people during the epidemic season of 2019 for the spectrum of pathogens of transmissible infections to determine the degree of their mono- and mixed infection. 651 specimens of ixodid ticks investigated. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2020 11 2;3(11):e2025577. Epub 2020 Nov 2.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Importance: Ehrlichiosis cases in the US have increased more than 8-fold since 2000. Up to 57% of patients with ehrlichiosis require hospitalization and 11% develop a life-threatening complication; however, risk factors for serious disease are not well documented.

Objective: To examine risk factors associated with severe ehrlichiosis. Read More

Health Secur 2021 Jan-Feb;19(1):108-115. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

Oghenekaro Omodior, PhD, is an Assistant Professor, School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.

The purpose of this study was to identify age group, gender, rural-urban differences, and spatiotemporal clusters of tickborne disease diagnoses in Indiana. We analyzed retrospective surveillance data for Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus/rickettsial diseases, and tularemia diagnosed in Indiana from 2009 to 2016. We used chi-square cross tabulation to test gender, age group, and county classification (rural, rural-mixed, urban) differences in tickborne disease. Read More

Vet Sci 2020 Oct 29;7(4). Epub 2020 Oct 29.

Laboratory of Virology and Rickettsial Infections, Veterinary Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Av. Fernando Correa da Costa 2367, Cuiabá 78090-900, Brazil.

Tandem repeat proteins (TRPs) are major immunoreactive proteins of , which have been used in the serological diagnosis of different genotypes of the microorganism. TRP19 is preserved among different isolates expressed on both reticulate and dense-core cells and observed in the extracellular matrix or associated with the morula membrane. TRP36 is differentially expressed only on the surface of the dense-core form of the bacterium and exhibits more divergence among isolates. Read More

Ann Parasitol 2020 ;66(3):385-390

Supoj Veterinary Hospital, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.

Ehrlichia canis is the common blood pathogen infected dogs in Thailand that significantly affect dog health and caused canine monocytic ehrlichiosis which leads to anaemia, high morbidity also mortality rates. This study was performed to analyse associated risk factors and evaluate the significance of haematological responses of dogs infected with E. canis in Phitsanulok province, the northern part of Thailand. Read More

Vaccine 2020 11 24;38(49):7780-7788. Epub 2020 Oct 24.

Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Research, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa; The Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, South Africa.

Heartwater is an economically important tick-borne disease of ruminants in Africa. The current commercial vaccine uses live Ehrlichia ruminantium from blood of infected sheep, requires antibiotic treatment during infection, needs to be administered intravenously and does not protect against all South African isolates. An attenuated tissue culture vaccine not requiring antibiotic treatment and effective against different field strains in small groups of goats and sheep was reported previously. Read More

Vet Sci 2020 Oct 15;7(4). Epub 2020 Oct 15.

Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Shimoadachi-cho 46, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis caused by is one of the leading tick-borne diseases of dogs, particularly in tropical countries. A highly sensitive and specific diagnostic method is essential for early detection to facilitate treatment. This study was conducted to develop loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, a highly sensitive yet simple molecular technique, targeting the citrate synthase () gene of . Read More