Characterization of a novel relapsing fever spirochete in the midgut, coxal fluid, and salivary glands of the bat tick Carios kelleyi.

Bat ticks, Carios kelleyi, from Iowa were examined for the presence of relapsing fever group borreliae. A novel spirochete was characterized by DNA sequence analysis of polymerase chain reaction amplicons for the 16S rRNA, flaB, and glpQ genes in either triturated tick pools or single ticks. All loci and the concatenated DNA sequence of 3,289 bases identified the Carios bacterium as a relapsing fever spirochete most closely related to, but distinct from, Borrelia turicatae.

Testing human sera for antibodies against avian influenza viruses: horse RBC hemagglutination inhibition vs. microneutralization assays.

Background: The hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay is a frequently used method to screen human sera for antibodies against influenza A viruses. Because HI has relatively poor sensitivity in detecting antibodies against avian influenza A strains, a more complicated microneutralization (MN) assay is often preferred. Recent research suggests that the sensitivity of the HI assay can be improved by switching from the traditionally used turkey, guinea pig, human, or chicken RBCs to horse RBCs.

Novel relapsing fever spirochete in bat tick.

Novel Relapsing Fever Spirochete in Bat Tick

Prevalence of Ehrlichia, Borrelia, and Rickettsial agents in Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from nine states.

Ambyomma americanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) is an aggressive tick that feeds on humans during all postembryonic life stages. In many regions of the United States, it is the tick most commonly found attached to humans.

Serosurveillance for Anaplasma phagocytophilum antibodies in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Iowa, USA.

Cases of human granulocytic anaplasmosis have increased in number and are being identified in new geographic areas since its discovery in 1994. White-tailed deer (WTD) become infected with the causative agent, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and serve as natural sentinels for this organism. In order to determine if A.

Avian influenza among waterfowl hunters and wildlife professionals.

We report serologic evidence of avian influenza infection in 1 duck hunter and 2 wildlife professionals with extensive histories of wild waterfowl and game bird exposure. Two laboratory methods showed evidence of past infection with influenza A/H11N9, a less common virus strain in wild ducks, in these 3 persons.

West Nile virus serosurveillance in Iowa white-tailed deer (1999-2003).

Sera from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were collected in Iowa during the winter months (1999-2003), 2 years before and after West Nile virus (WNV) was first reported in Iowa (2001), and were analyzed for antibodies to WNV. Samples from 1999 to 2001 were antibody negative by blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT(90)). Prevalence derived from bELISA (2002, 12.

Detection of Rickettsia, Borrelia, and Bartonella in Carios kelleyi (Acari: Argasidae).

Carios kelleyi (Colley & Kohls 1941), a tick associated with bats and bat habitats, has been reported to feed on humans, but there is little published data regarding the presence of vector-borne pathogens in these ticks. C. kelleyi nymphs and adults were collected from residential and community buildings in Jackson County, Iowa, and tested by polymerase chain reaction for Rickettsia, Borrelia, Bartonella, Coxiella, and Anaplasma.