Archive for the ‘Ticks’ Category

Tick-borne Powassan Virus is Being Transmitted in Concentrated Clusters in New England, Yale Study Says

https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/tick-borne-powassan-virus-is-being-transmitted-in-concentrated-clusters-in-new-england-yale-study-says/

Tick-borne Powassan virus is being transmitted in concentrated clusters in New England, Yale study says

YALE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

April 11, 2023

By Jenny Blair, Yale School of Public Health

For New Englanders, tick-borne infections are a fact of life. Lyme disease, a bacterial infection carried by the deer tick, was first described in Connecticut in the 1970s and remains a major problem.

But deer ticks transmit other diseases to humans as well, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and an emerging virus called Powassan. Cases of Powassan virus have risen dramatically in recent years in the United States, mostly in the Northeast and Great Lakes region.

Most people infected with Powassan do not experience symptoms, but for some, it can result in brain swelling and even death. There are currently no vaccines or treatments for Powassan virus infection. Prevention is primarily dependent on education and control.

In a new study, researchers at the Yale School of Public Health provide insights into the transmission dynamics of the Powassan virus that could help focus public health efforts and limit infections. The study found that the virus appears to be highly localized in its spread, meaning that the virus is maintained in scattered local hotspots with very limited mixing between hotspot sites.

“It’s incredibly important to do surveillance to know what’s out there,” said Chantal Vogels, a research scientist in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and a co-first author of the study.

By greatly expanding on what little genomic information scientists had before our study, Vogels said, “we were able to explore patterns of transmission and spread and unravel the ecology of the virus.”

Mapping viral spread

The team studied 279 samples of Powassan virus lineage 2 found in deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis, also called black-legged ticks) collected in Connecticut, New York, and Maine between 2008 and 2019.

By deciphering and comparing the virus’s complete genetic codes, or genomes, the researchers reconstructed the history of Powassan in the region. They estimated when branches of the virus’s “family tree” diverged and pieced together how the virus evolved and where it traveled via its hosts.

It’s incredibly important to do surveillance to know what’s out there.

Chantal Vogels, research scientist, Yale School of Public Health

Sometime between 1940 and 1975, a major branch of the lineage 2 virus appeared in the Northeast. This branch of the virus, which accounts for most Powassan cases in North America, first appeared in southern New York State and Connecticut. Then, several long-distance jumps occurred, likely when infected ticks caught rides on migrating birds or other vertebrate hosts. By 1991, it had reached Maine. During its initial decades in the region, Powassan became more populous in the wild, but this probably leveled off about 2005.

The virus now appears to be moving slowly or staying put, simmering in specific hotspots, and evolving independently in each one. For instance, the scientists could find no evidence that separate clades of the virus were mingling with each other across a 20-kilometer (or approximately 12.5 miles) stretch between two Connecticut sites. The scientists note, however, that they sampled only a limited number of locations, so it’s possible they missed hotspots.

Still, this new information could help health officials to target those hotspots, where Powassan is more likely to spill over into humans, for education and eradication efforts.

“If it’s anything like [the related] tick-borne encephalitis virus, [previous researchers have] estimated that these foci are typically about the size of a football field,” said Doug Brackney, a researcher in the Department of Entomology at The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at YSPH.

A quiet menace

Researchers first identified the virus in 1958 in a five-year-old boy from Powassan, Ontario, who developed severe encephalitis and died. After that, about one case per year was diagnosed until 2006. Then cases began to climb, and since the late 2010s dozens of diagnoses have been made nearly every year.

Given that the virus’s numbers appear to have leveled off in the wild, this increase in human disease may have happened because more humans are encountering ticks, and/or because more health professionals are checking for Powassan in patients with suspicious symptoms.

Unlike Lyme disease, which takes hours to pass from an infected tick to a human, Powassan can be transmitted just 15 minutes after the tick latches on. More New England residents have likely been infected with Powassan than have shown symptoms.

“We typically only see the most severe cases of disease, and those are the people that end up in the hospital. But it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg,” Vogels said.

“I think it’s really important to be early with this work,” she added, “to prevent a situation where everyone has heard of this virus, and it creates a huge burden on public health.”

The study appears online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

***

The study’s four co-first authors are Vogels; Brackney; Alan P. Dupuis II of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany; and Rebecca M. Robich of the MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR).

The five co-senior authors are Robert P. Smith of MHIR; Philip M. Armstrong of The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES); Alexander T. Ciota of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and SUNY Albany; Simon Dellicour of KU Leuven and Université Libre de Bruxelles, both in Belgium; and Nathan D. Grubaugh of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University.

Other co-authors are Joseph R. Fauver of the Yale School of Public Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center; Anderson F. Brito of the Yale School of Public Health and Instituto Todos pela Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil; Scott C. Williams and John F. Anderson, both of CAES; Charles B. Lubelczyk of MHIR; Rachel E. Lange and Laura D. Kramer, both of NYSDOH and SUNY Albany; Melissa A. Prusinski of NYSDOH; Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann and Laura B. Goodman, both of Cornell University; and Guy Baele of Belgium’s KU Leuven.

The research was funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the NIH. Baele received funding from Internal Funds KU Leuven and the Research Foundation – Flanders. Dellicour received funding from the Research Foundation – Flanders, the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, and European Union Horizon 2020.

_______________

**Comment**

Wisconsin is a hotspot for Powassan as well.  It also is not rare.  Again, this is an issue of it being “rarely reported.”  Big diff.

Coppe Lab, a CLIA certified lab, right here Waukesha has been studying Powassan for quite some time. Their pdf below states that numbers look low because only severe cases are reported. Despite this, there’s been a 375% increase in the last 5 years. 

They state the clinical picture of Powassan looks like many other tick-borne illnesses and is…

PROBABLY OVERLOOKED YET DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTES TO DISEASE LONG TERM.

About two-thirds are subclinical cases but around 30% of symptomatic adults contract a severe form called meningoencephalitis. One-third of those have incomplete recovery with neuropsychiatric symptoms that become chronic. The overall fatality rate is about 1% and severity of illness increases with the age of the patient.

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research, Ticks, Transmission, Viruses

Tick Bites Begin to Spike in April, May: Here’s How to Keep Yourself, Your Pets Safe

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/tick-bites-begin-to-spike-in-april-may-heres-how-to-keep-yourself-your-pets-safe/

Tick bites begin to spike in April, May: Here’s how to keep yourself, your pets safe

by: , 

Posted: 

(WGHP) — Warmer weather means there will be plenty of fun things to do outside but also tiny dangers to look out for.

Ticks can be found throughout North Carolina and carry serious diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Now that April is here, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that bites will begin to spike and hit a peak in May.

But don’t worry. There are a variety of things you can do to keep yourself and your pets safe from these pesky bloodsuckers, starting with knowing what types of ticks live in North Carolina.

The four types of ticks to be aware of in North Carolina are:  (See link for article)

________________

SUMMARY:

  • Black legged tick, aka the deer tick (Lyme disease)
  • The lone star tick (STARI, ehrlichiosis, Alpha-gal allergy)
  • The American dog tick (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)
  • The brown dog tick

Check out your own state’s resources for local ticks and the diseases they carry, but one word of caution: just because something hasn’t been reported, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist or can happen. A tick, is a tick, is a tick and ALL are suspect as they bite and exchange bodily fluids with whomever and whatever they bite.  Ticks are constantly moving and being found in places they shouldn’t be, carrying things they shouldn’t have.

If you are in Wisconsin, go to:  https://wisconsin-ticks.russell.wisc.edu/

The website points out the following and I’ve added more:

  • Black legged tick (Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis) – for some reason they forgot Powassan or Deer tick virus, Borreia miyamotoi, Bartonella, Babesia, Mycoplasma, Tularemia, Ehrlichia muris eauclairenis, hemocytic rickettsia-like organisms, tick paralysis from fully engorged female
  • lone star tick or seed tick (Ehlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, Alpha-gal allergy – they have found Lyme in it but no reported cases.  They also suspect rickettsia) for some reason they forgot STARI, tularemia, Anaplasma, Rickettsia amblyommatis, tick paralysis)
  • American dog tick or wood tick (RMSF, tularemia – they have found Lyme in it but no reported cases) for some reason they forgot Anaplasma and tick paralysis.
  • brown dog tick (RMSF) can also transmit Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis vogeli, Babesia gibsoni-like to dogs which makes them suspect for humans as well.  Source

Source:  Ticks, associated tick-borne pathogens copy

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Activism, Prevention, Ticks, Transmission

How to Protect Yourself From TBEV, Which Isn’t “New”

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/england-ticks-symptoms-splash-europe-

How to protect yourself from the new rare tick-borne disease

Tick-borne encephalitis virus has arrived in the UK. Lisa Salmon finds out more.
Lisa Salmon

April 5, 2023
(Alamy/PA)
(Alamy/PA)

A virus carried by ticks has been found in the UK, and health experts are warning that people need to protect themselves from being bitten.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says the species of tick which carry tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is widespread in the UK.

They stress that although the risk to the public is low, it’s important for people to protect themselves against being bitten by the tiny bugs, which can also transmit the much more common Lyme disease.

“The risk of tick borne encephalitis virus in England is very low, but as ticks can carry other infections, it is as important as ever to be ‘tick aware’,” says Dr Claire Gordon from the UKHSA. “Take steps to reduce your chances of being bitten when outdoors in areas where ticks thrive, such as moorlands and woodlands, and remember to check for ticks and remove them promptly.”

(See link for article)

_________________

SUMMARY:

Category:

Activism, Prevention, Ticks, Transmission, Viruses

Borrelia Miyamotoi Can Be Transmitted From Mother Ticks To Offspring

https://danielcameronmd.com/borrelia-miyamotoi-can-be-transmitted-from-mother-ticks-to-offspring/

BORRELIA MIYAMOTOI CAN BE TRANSMITTED FROM MOTHER TICKS TO OFFSPRING

borrelia-miyamotoi-ticks

Lyme disease and Borrelia miyamotoi can be transmitted from a tick to a host and vice versa (horizontal transmission). B. miyamotoi can also be transmitted from the mother to their offspring (vertical transmission).

By 

In their article “Borrelia miyamotoi: A Comprehensive Review. Pathogens,” Cleveland and colleagues discuss Borrelia miyamotoi as an emerging tick-borne pathogen and and how it can be transmitted from a mother tick to their offspring.

Cleveland et al. reviewed the proposed vertical transmission of B. miyamotoi.¹

  • An adult female tick infected with B. miyamotoi lays eggs.
  • The larva hatch from these eggs infected with B. miyamotoi.
  • The larva, nymph and adult ticks remain infected.

Ticks can acquire B. miyamotoi after feeding on an infected tick – called horizontal transmission.

Cleveland et al. reviewed the proposed horizontal transmission of B. miyamoti.¹

  • The larva, nymph and adult ticks acquire B. miyamoti from feeding on an infected host.
  • The larva, nymph and adult ticks remain infected.

“B. miyamotoi can be transmitted from infected ticks to naïve mice during the first 24 hours of feeding,” the authors wrote.

B. miyamotoi can be transmitted to mice initially through the salivary glands and subsequently transmitted through the midgut.

Concerns surrounding Borrelia miyamotoi

Shapiro and Wormser summarized the challenges associated with B. miyamotoi in the Journal of the American Medical Association.²

  • “This bacterium can be transmitted within the first 24 hours of tick attachment.”
  • “The probability of transmission increases with every day an infected tick is allowed to remain attached.”
  • While some patients with Lyme disease may exhibit a rash, “patients infected with B. miyamotoi in the United States typically do not have a rash.” But they may present with “a fever in conjunction with headache (96%), myalgia (84%), arthralgia (76%), and malaise/fatigue (82%).”
  • There are no diagnostic tests for B. miyamotoi infection that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
  • The fever may be relapsing.
  • “Laboratory abnormalities include leukopenia (51%) and thrombocytopenia (60%), which are rarely seen in Lyme disease.” [Editor’s note: These are also seen in Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis.]
  • “Severely immunocompromised patients may develop chronic meningitis.”

Fortunately, doxycycline and amoxicillin have been shown to effectively treat B. miyamotoi infection in patients, including those who are immunocompromised.

Editor’s notes: Fevers are infrequent and often do not relapse. The laboratory abnormalities seen in B. miyamotoi are also seen in Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis. Long-term outcome studies are needed.

References:
  1. Cleveland DW, Anderson CC, Brissette CA. Borrelia miyamotoi: A Comprehensive Review. Pathogens. Feb 7 2023;12(2)doi:10.3390/pathogens12020267
  2. Shapiro ED, Wormser GP. Lyme Disease in 2018: What Is New (and What Is Not). JAMA. Aug 21 2018;320(7):635-636. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.10974

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Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), research, Testing, Ticks, Transmission

Fatal Case of Heartland Virus

https://danielcameronmd.com/fatal-case-of-heartland-virus/

FATAL CASE OF HEARTLAND VIRUS

fatal-heartland-virus

The Heartland virus (HRTV) is an emerging tick-borne illness which can be acquired through the bite of an infected Lone Star tick. The virus was first reported in 2009 in Missouri. Since then, it has spread to other states including Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New York, and North Carolina, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

By 

Now, investigators have identified the Heartland virus in the Maryland and Virginia region – an area where the virus is not widely recognized.

In their article “Fatal Case of Heartland Virus Disease Acquired in the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States,”¹ Liu and colleagues describe the fatal case of a man in his 60’s who acquired the Heartland virus in either Maryland or Virginia.

The man was admitted to the hospital in November 2021 with a fever, diarrhea, dyspnea, myalgias, and malaise which had been ongoing for 5 days. He had a history of a splenectomy, hypertension, remote trauma, coronary artery disease, and hypertension.

The patient did not recall a tick bite and did not have an erythema migrans rash.

“The range of [Heartland virus] could be expanding in the United States.”

“An arboviral disease was the leading diagnostic consideration, but limited availability of commercial diagnostic testing for tickborne diseases delayed diagnosis,” wrote Liu et al.

The man was treated clinically for a tick-borne infection with doxycycline.

“Two days later, on day 7 after symptom onset, the patient returned to the emergency department with confusion, an unsteady gait, and new fecal and urinary incontinence,” according to the authors.

He subsequently developed encephalopathy, low sodium, abnormal liver function tests, and fatigue.

“He had acute respiratory failure, renal failure, and a cardiac arrest. He was transitioned to comfort care and died on day 13 after symptom onset,” wrote Liu et al.

An autopsy revealed that the heart, spleen, kidney, and liver samples were positive for Heartland virus.

The Virginia Department of Health conducted a drag of the man’s property and found 193 Lone Star ticks. However, none of the ticks contained HRTV.

Tick-borne diseases identified by the CDC, as of 2/26/23.²

  • Anaplasmosis
  • Babesiosis
  • Borrelia mayonii
  • Borrelia miyamotoi
  • Bourbon virus
  • Colorado tick fever
  • Ehrlichiosis
  • Heartland virus
  • Lyme disease
  • Powassan disease
  • Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
  • STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness)
  • Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF)
  • Tularemia
  • 364D rickettsiosis (Rickettsia phillipi, proposed)
Related Articles:

10 cases of Heartland virus reviewed

References:
  1. Liu S, Kannan S, Meeks M, et al. Fatal Case of Heartland Virus Disease Acquired in the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. Feb 23 2023;29(5)doi:10.3201/eid2905.221488
  2. Diseases Transmitted by Ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/index.html Last accessed 2/26/23.

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research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment, Viruses