Browsing by Subject "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever"
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Item Open Access Dual infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis and a spotted fever group rickettsia: a case report.(Emerging infectious diseases, 1998-04) Sexton, DJ; Corey, GR; Carpenter, C; Kong, LQ; Gandhi, T; Breitschwerdt, E; Hegarty, B; Chen, SM; Feng, HM; Yu, XJ; Olano, J; Walker, DH; Dumler, SJWell-documented cases of simultaneous human infection with more than one tick-borne pathogen are rare. To our knowledge only two dual infections have been reported: simultaneous human infection with the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and Borrelia burgdorferi and simultaneous human infection with B. burgdorferi and Babesia microti (1-2). Rocky Mountain spotted fever has long been known to be endemic in North Carolina; cases of human ehrlichial infection were recognized there soon after Ehrlichia chaffeensis was recognized as an important cause of tick-borne disease in the southeastern United States. Because both Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis are prevalent in North Carolina, occasional cases of simultaneous human infection by rickettsial and ehrlichial agents would not be surprising; however, no such cases seem to have been reported.Item Open Access Rickettsia rickettsii transmission by a lone star tick, North Carolina.(Emerg Infect Dis, 2011-05) Breitschwerdt, Edward B; Hegarty, Barbara C; Maggi, Ricardo G; Lantos, Paul M; Aslett, Denise M; Bradley, Julie MOnly indirect or circumstantial evidence has been published to support transmission of Rickettsia rickettsii by Amblyomma americanum (lone star) ticks in North America. This study provides molecular evidence that A. americanum ticks can function, although most likely infrequently, as vectors of Rocky Mountain spotted fever for humans.Item Open Access Tick-borne Disease Risk along the Appalachian Trail(2012-04-25) Shelus, VictoriaEach year, 2-3 million visitors walk a portion of the Appalachian Trail, engaged in outdoor activities where exposure to ticks is likely. While the trail passes through the states with the greatest number of cases of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, it is unknown how many people become sick after visiting the trail. This paper assesses tick-borne disease risk in the National Park Service (NPS) units located along the Appalachian Trail, and finds that the disease risk is unknown, and likely under recognized. It is recommended that tick sampling as part of a larger tick-borne disease surveillance program be implemented in the national parks. As a starting point to further study, general tick habitat suitability was modeled for the NPS units along the Appalachian Trail based on land cover, elevation and moisture. Potential tick sampling sites were selected based on areas of high tick habitat suitability and high visitor use.