Publications by authors named "Sara Gandy"

Although variation in effect sizes and predicted values among studies of similar phenomena is inevitable, such variation far exceeds what might be produced by sampling error alone. One possible explanation for variation among results is differences among researchers in the decisions they make regarding statistical analyses. A growing array of studies has explored this analytical variability in different fields and has found substantial variability among results despite analysts having the same data and research question.

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Ticks are the main arthropod vector of pathogens to humans and livestock in the British Isles. Despite their role as a vector of disease, many aspects of tick biology, ecology, and microbial association are poorly understood. To address this, we investigated the composition of the microbiome of adult and nymphal ticks.

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Article Synopsis
  • Babesiosis is a disease in humans and animals caused by parasites from the genus Babesia, transmitted by ixodid ticks, and is notably present in cattle as "redwater fever."
  • A study in England and Wales collected ticks over six years to determine the presence of Babesia spp., finding it in only 15 out of 3912 questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs, resulting in a 0.38% prevalence rate.
  • While the overall low prevalence suggests a lower risk than other tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, there may still be specific areas in England and Wales with higher exposure risks.
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() is the aetiological agent of tick-borne fever in cattle and sheep, and granulocytic anaplasmosis in human and dogs. Livestock, companion animal and human infections with have been reported globally. Across England and Wales, two isolates (called ecotypes) have been reported in ticks.

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Tick-borne disease risk is intrinsically linked to the distribution of tick vector species. To assess risk and anticipate disease emergence, an understanding of tick distribution, host associations, and seasonality is needed. This can be achieved, to some extent, using passive surveillance supported by engagement with the public, animal health, and public health experts.

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The tick Ixodes ricinus (Ixodida: Ixodidae, Linnaeus) is the main vector of several pathogens including Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (agent of Lyme borreliosis) and tick-borne encephalitis virus.

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To better understand vector-borne disease dynamics, knowledge of the ecological interactions between animal hosts, vectors, and pathogens is needed. The effects of hosts on disease hazard depends on their role in driving vector abundance and their ability to transmit pathogens. Theoretically, a host that cannot transmit a pathogen could dilute pathogen prevalence but increase disease hazard if it increases vector population size.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the prevalence and distribution of the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks at recreational sites in England and Wales over six years, from 2014 to 2019.
  • It found an overall infection prevalence of 3.6%, with higher rates in Northern England (4.7%) compared to Southern England (1.8%), and a notable association between higher prevalence and the presence of sheep.
  • The research emphasizes the public health implications of A. phagocytophilum and reveals that ecotype I of the bacteria was predominant in the sampled ticks.
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The density of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected Ixodes ricinus nymphs (DIN) was investigated during 2013-2017 across a Lyme disease-endemic landscape in southern England. The density of nymphs (DON), nymph infection prevalence (NIP), and DIN varied across five different natural habitats, with the highest DIN in woodland edge and high biodiversity woodlands. DIN was significantly lower in scrub grassland compared to the woodland edge, with low DON and no evidence of infection in ticks in non-scrub grassland.

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Background: Identifying the mechanisms driving disease risk is challenging for multi-host pathogens, such as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the tick-borne bacteria causing Lyme disease.

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Assessing the risk of tick-borne disease in areas with high visitor numbers is important from a public health perspective. Evidence suggests that tick presence, density, infection prevalence and the density of infected ticks can vary between habitats within urban green space, suggesting that the risk of Lyme borreliosis transmission can also vary. This study assessed nymph density, Borrelia prevalence and the density of infected nymphs across a range of habitat types in nine parks in London which receive millions of visitors each year.

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