Publications by authors named "Christopher Cleveland"

is a diverse genus of piroplasms that parasitize the red blood cells of a wide variety of mammals and avian species, including humans. There is a lack of knowledge on the species of carnivores and mesomammals in the eastern United States and the potential impacts of these species on the health of humans and domestic animals. We surveyed 786 wild mammals in the eastern United States by testing blood, spleen, and heart samples with PCR targeting the 18S rRNA region of apicomplexan parasites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Tick-borne pathogens from the Rickettsia genus cause serious diseases in humans and dogs, and climate and land use changes are expanding their vector ranges, potentially introducing new pathogens in unexposed areas.
  • A study in Chad found that 43.3% of ticks from domestic dogs were positive for Rickettsia spp., with six identified species including some known zoonotic pathogens like R. africae and R. felis.
  • The results highlight a significant diversity of Rickettsia in ticks, particularly in Rh. muhsamae, indicating a risk of rickettsiosis in Chad, and emphasize the need for more research on ticks and these pathogens in the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Tick-borne pathogens are understudied among domestic animals in sub-Saharan Africa but represent significant threats to the health of domestic animals and humans. Specifically, additional data are needed on tick-borne pathogens in Chad, Africa. Surveillance was conducted among domestic dogs in Chad for selected tick-borne pathogens to measure (1) the prevalence of antibodies against Anaplasma spp.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) outbreaks periodically occur in livestock in the western US and are thought to originate from outside this country. Feral swine (Sus scrofa) have been identified as an amplifying host for vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV) and have been used to better understand the epidemiology of this virus through serosurveillance. This study aimed to determine if antibodies to vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV) and VSNJV were present in feral swine in the western US and to determine if seropositive animals were associated with areas of previously detected VSV in livestock.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Trichomonas gypaetinii was found in 88% of Bald Eagles sampled, indicating it is common among this species in the USA.
  • No Golden Eagles tested positive for the parasite, suggesting a species-specific prevalence.
  • Despite the high rate of infection in Bald Eagles, none showed any related health issues or lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinostomum spp. are common parasites of piscivorous birds. Metacercaria are typically observed in the muscles or just under the skin of fish and rarely amphibians.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study analyzed HD mortality data from 1982 to 2020 across North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, revealing that reports of HD have expanded northeastward and increased in both intensity and frequency.
  • * These changing patterns suggest a potential rise in deer mortality in areas where HD was previously less common, emphasizing the need for adaptive deer management strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Raccoon roundworm, is a zoonotic parasite of raccoons () that needs a One Health approach to better inform risks to human and animal health. The few studies on in wild rodents have primarily focused on white-footed mice (). This study aimed to determine the prevalence and rodent host range of in Georgia (USA) and investigate differences in prevalence at urban/fragmented sites and rural/agriculture sites.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The genus contains numerous species of subcutaneous parasites of mammals and reptiles. In North America, there are at least three mammal-infecting species of . Reports of infections have been reported from river otters () since the early 1900s; however, little is known about the species infecting otters or their ecology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Biting midges from the genus Culicoides are important vectors for various diseases in animals and humans, but research on their distribution in rural Appalachia is scarce.
  • A survey conducted in northeastern Tennessee from April to September 2021 examined Culicoides populations at two sites: one natural and one beef cattle operation, using light traps and substrate sampling.
  • The study identified a total of 1,568 Culicoides individuals across 24 species, with the highest diversity at the natural site, and highlighted the need for further research on species composition and disease dynamics in different landscapes in Appalachia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are a reservoir for over 100 viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens that are transmissible to humans, livestock, domestic animals, and wildlife in North America. Numerous historical local surveys and results from a nation-wide survey (2006-2010) indicated that wild pigs in the United States act as reservoirs for Trichinella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii, two zoonotic pathogens of importance for human and animal health.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Domestic dogs are at risk of various vector-borne pathogens that can affect both their health and humans, making screenings in the USA important but potentially underestimating prevalence, especially in unvaccinated dogs.
  • The study aimed to compare data from shelter dogs and owned dogs to understand actual pathogen prevalence, focusing on diseases like heartworm and ehrlichiosis.
  • Results showed that shelter-housed dogs generally had a higher prevalence of infections compared to owned dogs, indicating that reliance on data from owned populations may lead to underestimation of health risks in unvaccinated shelter populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hepatozoon spp. are apicomplexan parasites known to cause musculoskeletal disease in a variety of animals. Two species are known to infect wild and domestic canids in the US: Hepatozoon canis and H.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Parasites can play key roles in ecosystems, especially when they infect common hosts that play important ecological roles. Daphnia are critical grazers in many lentic freshwater ecosystems and typically reach peak densities in early spring. Daphnia have also become prominent model host organisms for the field of disease ecology, although most well-studied parasites infect them in summer or fall.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Vector-borne infections pose serious risks to dogs and can indicate health threats to humans and other animals, highlighting the importance of monitoring these pathogens in domestic dogs, especially those in shelters across the Eastern U.S.
  • A study involving 3,750 shelter dogs showed varying rates of infection with different pathogens, including Dirofilaria immitis at 11.2% and Borrelia burgdorferi at 8.9%, with significant regional variations noted across the Southeast and Northeast of the country.
  • The study identified that co-infections occurred in 4.8% of the dogs, suggesting that factors like location and breed significantly impact the risk of infection, particularly for D. immitis.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chemical immobilization is widely used by wildlife and veterinary professionals for the safe handling of animals. A combination of nalbuphine (40 mg/mL), azaperone (10 mg/mL), and medetomidine (10 mg/mL), known as NAM, is a low-volume combination with field immobilization practicality and fewer regulations restricting its use in the US than some other drug combinations. We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of NAM as an immobilizing agent for raccoons (Procyon lotor).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Echinococcus species are zoonotic tapeworms that can impact the health of wildlife, domestic animals, livestock, and humans. Two species of interest in North America are Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis (Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato). The primary wildlife definitive hosts for E.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vector-borne parasites may be transmitted by multiple vector species, resulting in an increased risk of transmission, potentially at larger spatial scales compared to any single vector species. Additionally, the different abilities of patchily distributed vector species to acquire and transmit parasites will lead to varying degrees of transmission risk. Investigation of how vector community composition and parasite transmission change over space due to variation in environmental conditions may help to explain current patterns in diseases but also informs our understanding of how patterns will change under climate and land-use change.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To assess infection with or exposure to endo- and ectoparasites in Alaska brown bears (Ursus arctos), blood and fecal samples were collected during 2013-17 from five locations: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve; Katmai National Park; Lake Clark National Park and Preserve; Yakutat Forelands; and Kodiak Island. Standard fecal centrifugal flotation was used to screen for gastrointestinal parasites, molecular techniques were used to test blood for the presence of Bartonella and Babesia spp., and an ELISA was used to detect antibodies reactive to Sarcoptes scabiei, a species of mite recently associated with mange in American black bears (Ursus americanus).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dracunculus medinensis (Guinea worm) is a parasitic nematode that can cause the debilitating disease dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in humans. The global Guinea Worm Eradication Program has led intervention and eradication efforts since the 1980s, and Guinea worm infections in people have decreased >99.99%.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Neglected tropical diseases can compromise domestic animal health, with certain parasites like Brugia and Guinea worm being transmitted through these animals.
  • In a surveillance study in Chad, researchers found Brugia sp. infections in 10.7% of sampled dogs, showing genetic similarities to both B. malayi and B. pahangi.
  • The study revealed higher infection rates in southern Chad and during the dry season, indicating environmental influences on transmission, but found no correlation between Brugia and Dirofilaria immitis infections among the tested dogs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dracunculus medinensis, known as Guinea worm, is a parasitic infection targeting both humans and domestic dogs, prompting the need for new treatment methods due to rising infections in dogs.
  • Two clinical trials tested the effectiveness of flubendazole (FBZ) injections on GW infections: one on ferrets and another on dogs in Chad, revealing different results between the two.
  • Ferrets showed promising results with reduced worm viability, while the dog trial did not demonstrate significant effects, indicating that treatment timing and intervals might need to be adjusted for better outcomes in future research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dracunculus medinensis, also known as the African Guinea worm, is the causative agent of dracunculiasis and the focus of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program (GWEP). Transmission of D. medinensis to humans occurs primarily by drinking water containing cyclopoid copepods infected with third-stage D.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ranaviruses are DNA viruses (Family ; Subfamily ) and ranaviral disease is considered an emerging infectious disease of ectothermic vertebrates. Ranavirus infection can have varying pathological effects on infected amphibians, reptiles, and fish, most notably causing significant mortality events and population declines. Despite having a broad global range with reports from six continents, only a single incidental finding in from mainland Africa (Cameroon) is known and lacks molecular confirmation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF