Lyme Disease, Hantavirus Discoveries Are Announced in New Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Journal.Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K LARCHMONT, N.Y.--(BW HealthWire)--April 25, 2001 A new infectious agent infectious agent Pathogen, see there carried by deer ticks may hold the answer to problems in diagnosing Lyme disease Lyme disease, a nonfatal bacterial infection that causes symptoms ranging from fever and headache to a painful swelling of the joints. The first American case of Lyme's characteristic rash was documented in 1970 and the disease was first identified in a cluster at . This is one of the significant findings of a series of original research papers in the premier issue of Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases Zoonotic diseases Diseases caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted between (or are shared by) animals and humans. This can include transmission through the bite of an insect, such as a mosquito. Mentioned in: West Nile Virus (www.liebertpub.com/vbz), a new journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., in print and online. Editor of the journal is Durland Fish, Ph.D., of the Yale University School of Medicine's Department of Epidemiology & Public Health. This first issue of the new multidisciplinary journal also contains papers describing a novel approach to controlling Lyme disease by vaccinating woodland mice and a study that points to chiggers chiggers Harvest mites, red mites Dermatology Larvae of the family Trombiculidae, genus Eutrombicula–southern US, Trombicula–Europe which causes skin infestation Habitat Berry patches, tall grass, weeds, woods. Cf Chiggers. as possible hantavirus hantavirus, any of a genus (Hantavirus) of single-stranded RNA viruses that are carried by rodents and transmitted to humans when they inhale vapors from contaminated rodent urine, saliva, or feces. There are many strains of hantavirus. carriers. The full text of the journal may be viewed free online at www.liebertpub/vbz. New Infectious Agent Carried by Deer Ticks Is Discovered In "A Relapsing Fever Group Spirochete spirochete Any of an order (Spirochaetales) of spiral-shaped bacteria. Some are serious pathogens for humans, causing such diseases as syphilis, yaws, and relapsing fever. Spirochetes are gram-negative (see gram stain) and motile. Transmitted by Ixodes scapularis Ticks," Glen Scoles, Ph.D., and colleagues at Yale describe a new infectious agent transmitted by deer ticks that also transmit Lyme disease. Up to 20 percent of ticks previously thought to be carrying the Lyme disease bacterium, which infects 16,000 people a year, have now been identified as carrying this new organism instead. The new agent, heretofore unknown in North America, is related to the Lyme disease bacterium, but no diagnostic tests are yet available to determine if it infects humans. It has been found in tick samples in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. "This is a new observation of an agent we didn't know about before," said Dr. Fish. "We have been able to infect mice in the laboratory with it, and since other deer-tick-borne agents that infect mice also infect people, it's likely that this one does too. Now we need more research to find out whether it does and what symptoms to look for. Its existence may explain some of the problems we have had in diagnosing Lyme disease in the past." Mouse Vaccination May Help Control Lyme Disease "OspA Immunization immunization: see immunity; vaccination. Decreases Transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi from Infected Peromyscus leucopus Mice to Larval larval 1. pertaining to larvae. 2. larvate. larval migrans see cutaneous and visceral larva migrans. Ixodes scapularis Ticks" is another Lyme disease study by Jean Tsao, Ph.D., of the University of Chicago and scientists from the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). Irvine and Yale. The researchers effectively vaccinated woodland mice to prevent infection of the ticks that carry Lyme disease. This novel approach to disease control is currently being tested in the field in Connecticut to determine whether vaccination of mice will reduce human risk for Lyme disease. "Initial studies have proved that mouse vaccination reduces the risk of Lyme disease for humans," commented Dr. Fish. "Now these scientists are experimenting with a better delivery system for mass immunization of mouse populations." New Study Implicates Chiggers in Hantavirus Transmission A Texas study on hantavirus by Marilyn Houck, Ph.D., and colleagues at Texas Tech University, "Hantavirus Transmission: Potential Role of Ectoparasites," suggests that mites (chiggers) could be involved in the natural maintenance cycle of the virus. A dramatic hantavirus epidemic among Navajo Indians in the early 1990s resulted in many fatalities. "This virus has been generally thought to be maintained and transmitted to humans by rodents alone," said Dr. Fish. "Mites or insects were not previously considered vectors, but this study suggests that other modes of hantavirus transmission may be possible." Researchers Encourage Field Studies, Question Efficacy of West Nile Spraying "Issues in Public Health Entomology entomology, study of insects, an arthropod class that comprises about 900,000 known species, representing about three fourths of all the classified animal species. " by Andrew Spielman, Sc.D., and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard School of Public Health is (colloquially, HSPH) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, next to Harvard Medical School and Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a review that criticizes the imbalance of research funding favoring laboratory-based genetic and physiological studies over field studies that would have a more immediate impact on disease transmission. The authors also question the effectiveness of mosquito spraying in preventing West Nile virus West Nile virus, microorganism and the infection resulting from it, which typically produces no symptoms or a flulike condition. The virus is a flavivirus and is related to a number of viruses that cause encephalitis. , a controversial topic in the Northeast since the introduction of this exotic mosquito-borne virus to New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. two years ago. "Better monitoring of mosquito populations is critical in order to determine whether or not spraying effectively reduces the risk to human health," commented Dr. Fish. Other original research papers in the premier issue focus on tick-borne infections including spotted fever rickettsiae and on other new Lyme disease field and laboratory experiments. The journal concludes with an investigator interview on dengue dengue or breakbone fever or dandy fever Infectious, disabling mosquito-borne fever. Other symptoms include extreme joint pain and stiffness, intense pain behind the eyes, a return of fever after brief pause, and a characteristic rash. and West Nile virus with Duane Gubler, Sc.D., director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Noun 1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention - a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services; located in Atlanta; investigates and diagnoses and tries to control or prevent diseases (especially new and unusual diseases) CDC . "This first issue of Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases contains important contributions from some of the most influential leaders in the field of infectious diseases," said Dr. Fish. "Th journal bridges existing communication gaps between field, laboratory, and clinical investigators and covers the fields of ecology, entomology, epidemiology, immunology, infectious diseases, microbiology, parasitology Parasitology The scientific study of parasites and of parasitism. Parasitism is a subdivision of symbiosis and is defined as an intimate association between an organism (parasite) and another, larger species of organism (host) upon which the parasite is , public health, tropical medicine, and wildlife biology." "There is an enormous need for this multidisciplinary journal," said publisher Mary Ann Liebert. "It is the only journal that brings together authoritative research and opinion from the experts in this unique group of infectious diseases. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases will make a tremendous contribution both to the literature and to the field." Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases publishes original research papers dealing with an increasingly widespread group of infectious diseases that pose serious threats to public health in the U.S. and worldwide, including bartonellosis, dengue, Ebola, ehrlichiosis, hantavirus, Lyme disease, malaria, and West Nile virus. The journal examines geography, seasonality, and other risk factors that influence the diagnosis, management, and prevention of these diseases. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in new and promising areas of science and biomedical research. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 60 publications, books, and newsletters is available at www.liebertpub.com. |
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