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2. Cascading effects of mammal host community composition on tick vector occurrence at the urban human–wildlife interface.

Author

Bastard, Jonathan, Gregory, Nichar, Fernandez, Pilar, Mincone, Michaela, Card, Olivia, VanAcker, Meredith C., Kross, Sara, and Diuk‐Wasser, Maria A.

Subjects
RACCOON, RESOURCE availability (Ecology), IXODES scapularis, WHITE-tailed deer, FRAGMENTED landscapes, TICKS
Abstract

Habitat fragmentation and host community composition are implicated as key drivers of changing tick populations and tick‐borne pathogen dynamics, altering infection risk through coupled socioecological pathways that mediate interactions between tick vectors, vertebrate hosts, and humans. Patterns of host diversity may be particularly idiosyncratic across urbanized landscapes, due to trade‐offs between extreme fragmentation that reduces habitat suitability and access, and human activities that artificially increase resource availability for wildlife. We used camera and hair trap surveys and tick sampling to identify links between landscape composition and configuration, the mammalian host community, and the presence of three tick vector species at a human–wildlife interface in New York City, an emerging area within an endemic region for several tick‐borne diseases. We found that human infrastructures, such as the presence of fences in yards, could affect mammal host community composition by changing the "hardness" of edges between urban greenspaces and residential areas. We identified yard‐ and broader landscape‐level features associated with the presence of urban mammal species, and identified cascading effects of host community composition on tick distribution in yards, suggesting management implications for the mitigation of human exposure to tick‐borne pathogens. In particular, we identified a possible role of ubiquitous mesomammals, such as raccoons (Procyon lotor), in transporting Amblyomma americanum ticks between parks and neighboring residential yards, and confirmed the key role of white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) for introducing Ixodes scapularis ticks into yards. Our results challenge assumptions that biodiversity loss in human‐modified areas always increases the risk for tick‐borne diseases. Instead, we found many residential sites had higher mammal species richness and higher detection of low reservoir competent ("dilution") hosts for Borrelia burgdorferi, such as opossums (Didelphis virginiana), than paired forested greenspaces. Our study highlights the importance of disentangling the mechanisms mediating tick‐borne disease hazard as a critical first step toward reducing urban tick‐borne disease risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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4. Enhancement of Risk for Lyme Disease by Landscape Connectivity, New York, New York, USA

Author

VanAcker, Meredith C., Little, Eliza A.H., Molaei, Goudarz, Bajwa, Waheed I., and Diuk-Wasser, Maria A.

Subjects
Prevalence studies (Epidemiology), White-tailed deer, Medical research, Infection -- Risk factors, Lyme disease -- Risk factors, Green design, Tick-borne diseases, Health
Abstract

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is the most commonly reported arthropodborne disease in the United States and Europe (1). In the eastern United States, this disease is caused by Borrelia [...]

Published
2019
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5. Distribution, Host-Seeking Phenology, and Host and Habitat Associations of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Staten Island, New York, USA

Author

Tufts, Danielle M., VanAcker, Meredith C., Fernandez, Maria P., DeNicola, Anthony, Egizi, Andrea, and Diuk-Wasser, Maria A.

Subjects
Ticks -- Physiological aspects, Phenology -- Analysis, Thrombocytopenia, Disease transmission, Resveratrol, Pathogenic microorganisms, Wildlife, Health
Abstract

The invasive Asian longhomed tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, is rapidly becoming an agricultural and epidemiologic concern in the United States. Native to eastern Asia, this tick is a major pest of [...]

Published
2019
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7. Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

Author

Tucker, Marlee A., primary, Schipper, Aafke M., additional, Adams, Tempe S. F., additional, Attias, Nina, additional, Avgar, Tal, additional, Babic, Natarsha L., additional, Barker, Kristin J., additional, Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume, additional, Behr, Dominik M., additional, Belant, Jerrold L., additional, Beyer, Dean E., additional, Blaum, Niels, additional, Blount, J. David, additional, Bockmühl, Dirk, additional, Pires Boulhosa, Ricardo Luiz, additional, Brown, Michael B., additional, Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar, additional, Cagnacci, Francesca, additional, Calabrese, Justin M., additional, Černe, Rok, additional, Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon, additional, Chan, Aung Nyein, additional, Chase, Michael J., additional, Chaval, Yannick, additional, Chenaux-Ibrahim, Yvette, additional, Cherry, Seth G., additional, Ćirović, Duško, additional, Çoban, Emrah, additional, Cole, Eric K., additional, Conlee, Laura, additional, Courtemanch, Alyson, additional, Cozzi, Gabriele, additional, Davidson, Sarah C., additional, DeBloois, Darren, additional, Dejid, Nandintsetseg, additional, DeNicola, Vickie, additional, Desbiez, Arnaud L. J., additional, Douglas-Hamilton, Iain, additional, Drake, David, additional, Egan, Michael, additional, Eikelboom, Jasper A.J., additional, Fagan, William F., additional, Farmer, Morgan J., additional, Fennessy, Julian, additional, Finnegan, Shannon P., additional, Fleming, Christen H., additional, Fournier, Bonnie, additional, Fowler, Nicholas L., additional, Gantchoff, Mariela G., additional, Garnier, Alexandre, additional, Gehr, Benedikt, additional, Geremia, Chris, additional, Goheen, Jacob R., additional, Hauptfleisch, Morgan L., additional, Hebblewhite, Mark, additional, Heim, Morten, additional, Hertel, Anne G., additional, Heurich, Marco, additional, Hewison, A. J. Mark, additional, Hodson, James, additional, Hoffman, Nicholas, additional, Hopcraft, J. Grant C., additional, Huber, Djuro, additional, Isaac, Edmund J., additional, Janik, Karolina, additional, Ježek, Miloš, additional, Johansson, Örjan, additional, Jordan, Neil R., additional, Kaczensky, Petra, additional, Kamaru, Douglas N., additional, Kauffman, Matthew J., additional, Kautz, Todd M., additional, Kays, Roland, additional, Kelly, Allicia P., additional, Kindberg, Jonas, additional, Krofel, Miha, additional, Kusak, Josip, additional, Lamb, Clayton T., additional, LaSharr, Tayler N., additional, Leimgruber, Peter, additional, Leitner, Horst, additional, Lierz, Michael, additional, Linnell, John D.C., additional, Lkhagvaja, Purevjav, additional, Long, Ryan A., additional, López-Bao, José Vicente, additional, Loretto, Matthias-Claudio, additional, Marchand, Pascal, additional, Martin, Hans, additional, Martinez, Lindsay A., additional, McBride, Roy T., additional, McLaren, Ashley A.D., additional, Meisingset, Erling, additional, Melzheimer, Joerg, additional, Merrill, Evelyn H., additional, Middleton, Arthur D., additional, Monteith, Kevin L., additional, Moore, Seth A., additional, Van Moorter, Bram, additional, Morellet, Nicolas, additional, Morrison, Thomas, additional, Müller, Rebekka, additional, Mysterud, Atle, additional, Noonan, Michael J, additional, O’Connor, David, additional, Olson, Daniel, additional, Olson, Kirk A., additional, Ortega, Anna C., additional, Ossi, Federico, additional, Panzacchi, Manuela, additional, Patchett, Robert, additional, Patterson, Brent R., additional, de Paula, Rogerio Cunha, additional, Payne, John, additional, Peters, Wibke, additional, Petroelje, Tyler R., additional, Pitcher, Benjamin J., additional, Pokorny, Boštjan, additional, Poole, Kim, additional, Potočnik, Hubert, additional, Poulin, Marie-Pier, additional, Pringle, Robert M., additional, Prins, Herbert H.T., additional, Ranc, Nathan, additional, Reljić, Slaven, additional, Robb, Benjamin, additional, Röder, Ralf, additional, Rolandsen, Christer M., additional, Rutz, Christian, additional, Salemgareyev, Albert R., additional, Samelius, Gustaf, additional, Sayine-Crawford, Heather, additional, Schooler, Sarah, additional, Şekercioğlu, Çağan H., additional, Selva, Nuria, additional, Semenzato, Paola, additional, Sergiel, Agnieszka, additional, Sharma, Koustubh, additional, Shawler, Avery L., additional, Signer, Johannes, additional, Silovský, Václav, additional, Silva, João Paulo, additional, Simon, Richard, additional, Smiley, Rachel A., additional, Smith, Douglas W., additional, Solberg, Erling J., additional, Ellis-Soto, Diego, additional, Spiegel, Orr, additional, Stabach, Jared, additional, Stacy-Dawes, Jenna, additional, Stahler, Daniel R., additional, Stephenson, John, additional, Stewart, Cheyenne, additional, Strand, Olav, additional, Sunde, Peter, additional, Svoboda, Nathan J., additional, Swart, Jonathan, additional, Thompson, Jeffrey J., additional, Toal, Katrina L., additional, Uiseb, Kenneth, additional, VanAcker, Meredith C., additional, Velilla, Marianela, additional, Verzuh, Tana L., additional, Wachter, Bettina, additional, Wagler, Brittany L., additional, Whittington, Jesse, additional, Wikelski, Martin, additional, Wilmers, Christopher C., additional, Wittemyer, George, additional, Young, Julie K., additional, Zięba, Filip, additional, Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz, additional, Huijbregts, Mark A. J., additional, and Mueller, Thomas, additional

Published
2023
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8. Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns

Author

Tucker, Marlee A., Schipper, Aafke M., Adams, Tempe S. F., Attias, Nina, Avgar, Tal, Babic, Natarsha L., Barker, Kristin J., Bastille-Rousseau, Guillaume, Behr, Dominik M., Belant, Jerrold L., Beyer, Dean E., Blaum, Niels, Blount, J. David, Bockmühl, Dirk, Pires Boulhosa, Ricardo Luiz, Brown, Michael B., Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar, Cagnacci, Francesca, Calabrese, Justin M., Černe, Rok, Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon, Chan, Aung Nyein, Chase, Michael J., Chaval, Yannick, Chenaux-Ibrahim, Yvette, Cherry, Seth G., Ćirović, Duško, Çoban, Emrah, Cole, Eric K., Conlee, Laura, Courtemanch, Alyson, Cozzi, Gabriele, Davidson, Sarah C., DeBloois, Darren, Dejid, Nandintsetseg, DeNicola, Vickie, Desbiez, Arnaud L. J., Douglas-Hamilton, Iain, Drake, David, Egan, Michael, Eikelboom, Jasper A.J., Fagan, William F., Farmer, Morgan J., Fennessy, Julian, Finnegan, Shannon P., Fleming, Christen H., Fournier, Bonnie, Fowler, Nicholas L., Gantchoff, Mariela G., Garnier, Alexandre, Gehr, Benedikt, Geremia, Chris, Goheen, Jacob R., Hauptfleisch, Morgan L., Hebblewhite, Mark, Heim, Morten, Hertel, Anne G., Heurich, Marco, Hewison, A. J. Mark, Hodson, James, Hoffman, Nicholas, Hopcraft, J. Grant C., Huber, Djuro, Isaac, Edmund J., Janik, Karolina, Ježek, Miloš, Johansson, Örjan, Jordan, Neil R., Kaczensky, Petra, Kamaru, Douglas N., Kauffman, Matthew J., Kautz, Todd M., Kays, Roland, Kelly, Allicia P., Kindberg, Jonas, Krofel, Miha, Kusak, Josip, Lamb, Clayton T., LaSharr, Tayler N., Leimgruber, Peter, Leitner, Horst, Lierz, Michael, Linnell, John D.C., Lkhagvaja, Purevjav, Long, Ryan A., López-Bao, José Vicente, Loretto, Matthias-Claudio, Marchand, Pascal, Martin, Hans, Martinez, Lindsay A., McBride, Roy T., McLaren, Ashley A.D., Meisingset, Erling, Melzheimer, Joerg, Merrill, Evelyn H., Middleton, Arthur D., Monteith, Kevin L., Moore, Seth A., Van Moorter, Bram, Morellet, Nicolas, Morrison, Thomas, Müller, Rebekka, Mysterud, Atle, Noonan, Michael J, O’Connor, David, Olson, Daniel, Olson, Kirk A., Ortega, Anna C., Ossi, Federico, Panzacchi, Manuela, Patchett, Robert, Patterson, Brent R., de Paula, Rogerio Cunha, Payne, John, Peters, Wibke, Petroelje, Tyler R., Pitcher, Benjamin J., Pokorny, Boštjan, Poole, Kim, Potočnik, Hubert, Poulin, Marie-Pier, Pringle, Robert M., Prins, Herbert H.T., Ranc, Nathan, Reljić, Slaven, Robb, Benjamin, Röder, Ralf, Rolandsen, Christer M., Rutz, Christian, Salemgareyev, Albert R., Samelius, Gustaf, Sayine-Crawford, Heather, Schooler, Sarah, Şekercioğlu, Çağan H., Selva, Nuria, Semenzato, Paola, Sergiel, Agnieszka, Sharma, Koustubh, Shawler, Avery L., Signer, Johannes, Silovský, Václav, Silva, João Paulo, Simon, Richard, Smiley, Rachel A., Smith, Douglas W., Solberg, Erling J., Ellis-Soto, Diego, Spiegel, Orr, Stabach, Jared, Stacy-Dawes, Jenna, Stahler, Daniel R., Stephenson, John, Stewart, Cheyenne, Strand, Olav, Sunde, Peter, Svoboda, Nathan J., Swart, Jonathan, Thompson, Jeffrey J., Toal, Katrina L., Uiseb, Kenneth, VanAcker, Meredith C., Velilla, Marianela, Verzuh, Tana L., Wachter, Bettina, Wagler, Brittany L., Whittington, Jesse, Wikelski, Martin, Wilmers, Christopher C., Wittemyer, George, Young, Julie K., Zięba, Filip, Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz, Huijbregts, Mark A. J., Mueller, Thomas, National Geographic Society, University of St Andrews. School of Biology, University of St Andrews. Centre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews. Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences, and University of St Andrews. Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution

Subjects
MCC, QL, Settore BIO/07 - ECOLOGIA, DAS, QL Zoology, AC
Abstract

Funding: This article is a contribution of the COVID-19 Bio-Logging Initiative, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF9881) and the National Geographic Society (NGS-82515R-20) (both grants to C.R.). COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020 reduced human mobility, providing an opportunity to disentangle its effects on animals from those of landscape modifications. Using GPS data, we compared movements and road avoidance of 2300 terrestrial mammals (43 species) during the lockdowns to the same period in 2019. Individual responses were variable with no change in average movements or road avoidance behavior, likely due to variable lockdown conditions. However, under strict lockdowns 10-day 95th percentile displacements increased by 73%, suggesting increased landscape permeability. Animals’ 1-hour 95th percentile displacements declined by 12% and animals were 36% closer to roads in areas of high human footprint, indicating reduced avoidance during lockdowns. Overall, lockdowns rapidly altered some spatial behaviors, highlighting variable but substantial impacts of human mobility on wildlife worldwide. Postprint

Published
2023

10. The public health implications of gentrification: tick‐borne disease risks for communities of color.

Author

Halsey, Samniqueka J, VanAcker, Meredith C, Harris, Nyeema C, Lewis, Kaleea R, Perez, Lisette, and Smith, Genee S

Subjects
TICK-borne diseases, COMMUNITIES, GENTRIFICATION, URBAN ecology, PUBLIC health
Abstract

Gentrification operates as a social driver of health that can increase tick‐borne disease (TBD) risk for communities of color through either population displacement or land‐use change. Research on the emergence of TBDs in urban environments has primarily focused on the ecological processes of urban landscapes that facilitate favorable habitats for host reservoirs and tick vectors. However, neglecting to view infectious disease risk from a socioecological framework will continue to result in policies and planning that disadvantage communities of color. Using Lyme disease as a case study, we integrated elements of environmental epidemiology, ecology, public health, and urban planning to propose pathways of gentrification as a socioecological process with public health implications. By drawing connections between urban ecology, urban planning, and environmental racism, we seek to bring awareness to disease ecologists, policy makers, and public health managers on the potential role of gentrification as a driver of tick‐borne pathogen exposure. Front Ecol Environ 2022; [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2023
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13. Socio‐ecological drivers of multiple zoonotic hazards in highly urbanized cities.

Author

Combs, Matthew A., Kache, Pallavi A., VanAcker, Meredith C., Gregory, Nichar, Plimpton, Laura D., Tufts, Danielle M., Fernandez, Maria P., and Diuk‐Wasser, Maria A.

Subjects
URBAN health, ZOONOSES, HUMAN settlements, TEMPERATE climate
Abstract

The ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of pathogen spillover from wildlife to human hosts, particularly in densely populated urban centers. Prevention of future zoonotic disease is contingent on informed surveillance for known and novel threats across diverse human–wildlife interfaces. Cities are a key venue for potential spillover events because of the presence of zoonotic pathogens transmitted by hosts and vectors living in close proximity to dense human settlements. Effectively identifying and managing zoonotic hazards requires understanding the socio‐ecological processes driving hazard distribution and pathogen prevalence in dynamic and heterogeneous urban landscapes. Despite increasing awareness of the human health impacts of zoonotic hazards, the integration of an eco‐epidemiological perspective into public health management plans remains limited. Here we discuss how landscape patterns, abiotic conditions, and biotic interactions influence zoonotic hazards across highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in temperate climates to promote their efficient and effective management by a multi‐sectoral coalition of public health stakeholders. We describe how to interpret both direct and indirect ecological processes, incorporate spatial scale, and evaluate networks of connectivity specific to different zoonotic hazards to promote biologically‐informed and targeted decision‐making. Using New York City, USA as a case study, we identify major zoonotic threats, apply knowledge of relevant ecological factors, and highlight opportunities and challenges for research and intervention. We aim to broaden the toolbox of urban public health stakeholders by providing ecologically‐informed, practical guidance for the evaluation and management of zoonotic hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2022
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15. First glimpse into the origin and spread of the Asian longhorned tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, in the United States

Author

Egizi, Andrea, primary, Bulaga‐Seraphin, Leslie, additional, Alt, Erika, additional, Bajwa, Waheed I., additional, Bernick, Joshua, additional, Bickerton, Matthew, additional, Campbell, Scott R., additional, Connally, Neeta, additional, Doi, Kandai, additional, Falco, Richard C., additional, Gaines, David N., additional, Greay, Telleasha L., additional, Harper, Vanessa L., additional, Heath, Allen C.G., additional, Jiang, Ju, additional, Klein, Terry A., additional, Maestas, Lauren, additional, Mather, Thomas N., additional, Occi, James L., additional, Oskam, Charlotte L., additional, Pendleton, Jennifer, additional, Teator, Marissa, additional, Thompson, Alec T., additional, Tufts, Danielle M., additional, Umemiya‐Shirafuji, Rika, additional, VanAcker, Meredith C., additional, Yabsley, Michael J., additional, and Fonseca, Dina M., additional

Published
2020
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17. The Expectations and Challenges of Wildlife Disease Research in the Era of Genomics: Forecasting with a Horizon Scan-like Exercise

Author

Fitak, Robert R, primary, Antonides, Jennifer D, primary, Baitchman, Eric J, primary, Bonaccorso, Elisa, primary, Braun, Josephine, primary, Kubiski, Steven, primary, Chiu, Elliott, primary, Fagre, Anna C, primary, Gagne, Roderick B, primary, Lee, Justin S, primary, Malmberg, Jennifer L, primary, Stenglein, Mark D, primary, Dusek, Robert J, primary, Forgacs, David, primary, Fountain-Jones, Nicholas M, primary, Gilbertson, Marie L J, primary, Worsley-Tonks, Katherine E L, primary, Funk, W Chris, primary, Trumbo, Daryl R, primary, Ghersi, Bruno M, primary, Grimaldi, Wray, primary, Heisel, Sara E, primary, Jardine, Claire M, primary, Kamath, Pauline L, primary, Karmacharya, Dibesh, primary, Kozakiewicz, Christopher P, primary, Kraberger, Simona, primary, Loisel, Dagan A, primary, McDonald, Cait, primary, Miller, Steven, primary, O’Rourke, Devon, primary, Ott-Conn, Caitlin N, primary, Páez-Vacas, Mónica, primary, Peel, Alison J, primary, Turner, Wendy C, primary, VanAcker, Meredith C, primary, VandeWoude, Sue, primary, and Pecon-Slattery, Jill, primary

Published
2019
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18. Impact of Land Use Changes and Habitat Fragmentation on the Eco-epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases

Author

Diuk-Wasser, Maria A, VanAcker, Meredith C, and Fernandez, Maria P

Abstract

The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent decades and accounts for the majority of vector-borne disease cases in temperate areas of Europe, North America, and Asia. This emergence has been attributed to multiple and interactive drivers including changes in climate, land use, abundance of key hosts, and people’s behaviors affecting the probability of human exposure to infected ticks. In this forum paper, we focus on how land use changes have shaped the eco-epidemiology of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens, in particular the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferisensu stricto in the eastern United States. We use this as a model system, addressing other tick-borne disease systems as needed to illustrate patterns or processes. We first examine how land use interacts with abiotic conditions (microclimate) and biotic factors (e.g., host community composition) to influence the enzootic hazard, measured as the density of host-seeking I. scapularisnymphs infected with B. burgdorferis.s. We then review the evidence of how specific landscape configuration, in particular forest fragmentation, influences the enzootic hazard and disease risk across spatial scales and urbanization levels. We emphasize the need for a dynamic understanding of landscapes based on tick and pathogen host movement and habitat use in relation to human resource provisioning. We propose a coupled natural-human systems framework for tick-borne diseases that accounts for the multiple interactions, nonlinearities and feedbacks in the system and conclude with a call for standardization of methodology and terminology to help integrate studies conducted at multiple scales.

Published
2021
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19. A metagenomic examination of the pathobiome of the invasive tick species, Haemaphysalis longicornis,collected from a New York City borough, USA

Author

Tufts, Danielle M., Sameroff, Stephen, Tagliafierro, Teresa, Jain, Komal, Oleynik, Alexandra, VanAcker, Meredith C., Diuk-Wasser, Maria A., Lipkin, W. Ian, and Tokarz, Rafal

Abstract

•No pathogens were recovered from any life stage, questing or host-derived ticks.•Virus enrichment and shotgun bacterial metagenomics approaches were utilized and analyzed.•H. longicornisis potentially not a vector of tick-borne pathogens in NYC.

Published
2020
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