Publications by authors named "Ju-Liang Song"
Introduction: Ticks are the most important obligate blood-feeding vectors of human pathogens. With the advance of high-throughput sequencing, more and more bacterial community and virome in tick has been reported, which seems to pose a great threat to people.
Methods: A total of 14 skin specimens collected from tick-bite patients with mild to severe symptoms were analyzed through meta-transcriptomic sequencings.
The long-lasting co-evolution of ticks with pathogens results in mutual adaptation. Blood-feeding is one of the critical physiological behaviors that have been associated with the tick microbiome; however, most knowledge was gained through the study of laboratory-reared ticks. Here we detached ticks at different stages of blood-feeding from human patients and performed high-throughput transcriptomic analysis on them to identify their virome and genes differentially expressed between flat and fully fed ticks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSpotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) can cause mild to fatal illness. The early interaction between the host and rickettsia in skin is largely unknown, and the pathogenesis of severe rickettsiosis remains an important topic. A surveillance of SFGR infection by PCR of blood and skin biopsy specimens followed by sequencing and immunohistochemical (IHC) detection was performed on patients with a recent tick bite between 2013 and 2016.
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- Jingmen tick virus (JMTV) has been linked to tick bites and severe cases in humans, including connections to a deadly disease called Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever.
- Researchers discovered JMTV strains in patients and infected ticks, demonstrating the virus can replicate in human skin tissue and accumulate in tick salivary glands.
- The study indicates JMTV poses significant public health risks due to its potential to cause severe illness and its efficient transmission by ticks, warranting further research and attention.
Article Synopsis
- Human babesiosis is a rising health concern in China, with a study focusing on identifying Babesia infections in ticks, sheep, and humans in the northeastern region using PCR and genetic sequencing.
- Researchers found a Babesia crassa-like agent in specific tick species and confirmed 31 cases of infection in humans, where common symptoms included headache, nausea, and fever, primarily in previously healthy individuals.
- The findings point to the potential for severe outcomes in immunocompromised patients and the risk of blood supply transmission, highlighting the need for more research on these infections.
Borrelia miyamotoi Infections in Humans and Ticks, Northeastern China.
Emerg Infect Dis
February 2018
We conducted an investigation of Borrelia miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in northeastern China. Of 984 patients reporting recent tick bites, 14 (1.4%) were found to be infected with B.
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