Geographic distribution and modeling of ticks in the Republic of Korea and the application of tick models towards understanding the distribution of associated pathogenic agents.

Encounters with ticks harboring pathogenic agents have demonstrated increasing public health implications. Tick surveillance in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is essential for determining tick distributions and the potential regions where tick-borne pathogens may be found. Extensive tick collections (tick drags and tick flagging) were previously performed by Force Health Protection & Preventive Medicine (FHP&PM), Medical Activity-Korea (MEDDAC-K)/65 Medical Brigade (MED BDE) personnel, in collaboration with the Public Health Activity-Korea in the ROK.

Exploring the Niche of Rickettsia montanensis (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Infection of the American Dog Tick (Acari: Ixodidae), Using Multiple Species Distribution Model Approaches.

The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae), is a vector for several human disease-causing pathogens such as tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the understudied spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) infection caused by Rickettsia montanensis. It is important for public health planning and intervention to understand the distribution of this tick and pathogen encounter risk. Risk is often described in terms of vector distribution, but greatest risk may be concentrated where more vectors are positive for a given pathogen.

Worldwide Presence and Features of Flea-Borne .

, the most well-characterized rickettsia of the -like organisms (RFLO), is relatively unknown within the vector-borne diseases research community. The agent was initially identified in peri-domestic fleas from Asembo, Kenya in an area in which was associated with fever patients. Local fleas collected from domestic animals and within homes were predominately infected with with < 10% infected with .

Survey for Rickettsiae Within Fleas of Great Gerbils, Almaty Oblast, Kazakhstan.

Little is known of the endemicity of flea-borne rickettsiae in Kazakhstan. Thus, a survey for rickettsiae within great gerbil fleas was conducted in Almaty oblast. High prevalence of Rickettsia asembonensis was detected among Xenopsylla gerbilli, demonstrating that flea-borne rickettsiae are endemic to southeastern Kazakhstan.

Prevalence, Distribution, and Development of an Ecological Niche Model of Dermacentor variabilis Ticks Positive for Rickettsia montanensis.

Rickettsia montanensis has long been considered a nonpathogenic member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae. However, the infection potential of R. montanensis is being revisited in light of its recent association with a case of human infection in the United States and the possibility that additional cases may have been misdiagnosed as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Strategies for detecting rickettsiae and diagnosing rickettsial diseases.

Rickettsial diseases and scrub typhus constitute a group of the oldest known vector-borne diseases. The cosmopolitan distribution of the vectors that transmit rickettsiae and orientiae leads to a worldwide prevalence of these diseases. Despite their significant historical status, detection and diagnosis of these diseases are still evolving today.

Perinatal loss of Ts65Dn Down syndrome mice.

Ts65Dn mice inherit a marker chromosome, T(17(16))65Dn, producing segmental trisomy for orthologs of about half of the genes on human chromosome 21. These mice display a number of phenotypes that are directly comparable to those in humans with trisomy 21 and are the most widely used animal model of Down syndrome (DS). However, the husbandry of Ts65Dn mice is complicated.