Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The annual meeting was held over Zoom on Thursday, October 20, 2022 from 12-5pm EST.  Dr. Gardner organized and facilitated the meeting with input from prior chairs Dr. Leisnham and Dr. Reiskind.  We decided to hold the meeting remotely with the approval of our NIFA advisor due to ongoing concerns about travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the first half of the meeting, seven new members of the Multistate project since our last annual meeting gave presentations introducing their labs and their research themes that are aligned with the project.  The presenters were as follows:

Dr. Adela Oliva Chavez, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University

Dr. Megan Meuti, Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University

Dr. Yoosook Lee, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, University of Florida

Dr. Andrea Gloria-Soria, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Dr. Erika Machtinger, Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Kristopher Silver, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University

Dr. Gillian Eastwood, Department of Entomology, Virginia Tech University

During the remainder of the meeting, we held two 45-minute breakout room sessions and a full group discussion of the future of the Multistate project.  The first breakout room session focused on the three themes of the project to facilitate networking on these topics.  Each of three rooms centered on 1) developing and strengthening effective surveillance and monitoring of disease vectors, 2) determining the ecology and geographic distribution of invasive and native disease vectors under changing environmental conditions, or 3) developing novel control and management interventions.  The second breakout room session focused on discussion of what we want to gain from the Multistate project in the future.  Topics discussed included sharing of data, specimens, and other resources for research projects (e.g., focused on population genetics of vector species or changing distributions of vector species) and potentially developing a review paper among the Multistate project team to cultivate the identity of this long-running Multistate project.  We also discussed the merits of different locations for the next annual meeting.  Participants regularly attend some combination of the Entomological Society of America annual meeting, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene annual meeting, and the Society for Vector Ecology annual meeting.  We discussed leading a hybrid meeting next year that would preserve the convenience and high attendance of virtual meetings while allowing for the social and networking benefits of an in-person meeting.  Finally, we agreed on the plan to renew the Multistate project after the September 2024 end date.

Dr. Phil Armstrong’s lab (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) continued to conduct research on the vector biology, control, and ecology of US domestic arboviruses such as Powassan virus, West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis virus.  This includes recent work on the vector competence of human biting ticks for Powassan virus.  They show that three species- Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum, and Dermacentor variabilis were equally competent vectors of Powassan virus highlighting their potential role in the ecology and epidemiology of Powassan virus.  In another study, they partnered with mosquito control contractors to evaluate the impact of catch basin larvicide applications to reduce entomological metrics of West Nile virus risk.  Larvicide applications reduced pupal abundance and the prevalence of host-seeking adults but with no detectable impact on entomological risk metrics for WNV. Further research is needed to better determine the level of control needed to reduce WNV transmission risk.  They recently published a review paper on EEE virus to examine the major drivers of disease outbreaks in the northeastern United States. They are currently evaluating the phylogeography and movement of EEE virus to better understand the environmental and virological factors associated with the largest EEE outbreak in modern history during 2019.

Dr. Doug Brackney’s lab (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) has been performing an active tick surveillance program in 40 paired sampling sites (5 in each of CT’s 8 counties). The sample counts presented here reflect total specimens collected during 2021 (data from 2022 is still being collected). Testing of 479 female and 500 nymphal I. scapularis ticks collected through 30 November 2021 found adult blacklegged ticks were infected with B. burgdorferi (52.9%), B. microti (16.9%), A. phagocytophilum (13.1%), B. miyamotoi (1.6%), and Powassan virus (0.82%). For nymphal blacklegged ticks, the results statewide were B. burgdorferi (21.6%), B. microti (8.4%), A. phagocytophilum (5.8%), B. miyamotoi (2.0%), and Powassan virus (0.0%).

Dr. Stephen Dobson’s lab (University of Kentucky) worked in collaboration with agents of the KY Department of Health to establish a networked system for field data collection, lab identification, molecular testing of pools, analysis, and data reporting. This system was successfully used for both tick and mosquito collections throughout the state. The software allows for linkage of samples to picture, audio and text notes, which are available to all participants, including field workers, lab personnel and data managers. The resulting data is automatically formatted for national databases, including VectorSurv, ArboNet, etc.

Dr. Gillian Eastwood’s lab (Virginia Tech) has conducted research on La Crosse virus ecology and pathogenicity (specifically, lineage III strains), phenology of container-breeding mosquitoes in Blacksburg, Virginia, and tick species diversity, ecology, and pathogen prevalence in southwest Virginia, with a focus on tick-borne viruses.

Dr. Vincenzo Ellis’s lab (University of Delaware) has been conducting population genetic analyses of Borrelia burgdorferi in ticks and small mammals and avian malaria pathogen identification in native birds in Delaware. They also have been developing molecular sequencing protocols for pathogen population genetic and phylogenetic studies.

Dr. Dina Fonseca’s lab (Rutgers University) has worked on multiple aims of the multistate project. Goal 1. First reports of soft tick Carios kelleyi (Cooley and Kohls), a parasite of bats, from New Jersey and Vermont. Although thought to be widespread in North America, the ecology of C. kelleyi is not well understood, despite reports of this species feeding on humans and its consequent potential as a disease vector.  The association of C. kelleyi with bat species that regularly roost in such as attics and barns, and recent isolations from this tick of pathogens capable of infecting humans, companion animals and livestock underscore the need for further studies of these bat ectoparasites. They also reported on larvae and nymphs of Ixodes scapularis recovered from big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus (Palisot de Beauvois) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), at four locations in rural New York State, USA. This is the first report of bats as hosts of I. scapularis. All Ixodes infested bats were injured and found on the ground, therefore, parasitism by I. scapularis was likely opportunistic. Nonetheless, the large number of pathogens known to be associated with bats and the frequency with which I. scapularis bites people suggest that this host-tick relationship is of at least potential epidemiological significance. Goal 2. From 2018-2020 in a collaboration with the NY City department of Health and the Monmouth Co. (NJ) Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases Program we characterized and reported a multi-year collection of the Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Acaridae: Ixodida: Ixodidae) in Staten Island, New York City (NYC) as well as their detection in Brooklyn, NYC, and in Atlantic and Cumberland counties in southern New Jersey, USA. Notably, they also reported a high prevalence in the ticks (~50%) of the human pathogen Rickettsia parkeri. In 2022 we detected an established population of this southern tick species in Salem, Co. NJ with similar infection levels with Rickettsia parkeri (54%). Goal 3. They examined the effect of forest thinning on ticks, a management tool used in the New Jersey Pinelands and elsewhere to improve forest health and resilience, mitigate wildfire risk, and manage for wildlife. They found that, on average, questing tick abundance was 92% lower in thinned as compared with unthinned sites. Of the four tick species collected in unthinned sites only one was collected in thinned sites. Prevalence of vector-borne pathogens was similar between treatments, but the significant and very large decline in tick abundance indicates a lower risk of tick encounters. Our results add to the growing evidence that landscape and forest management can reduce local tick abundance thereby reducing the risk for human tick-borne disease. 

Dr. Allison Gardner’s lab (University of Maine) has progressed toward the aims of this project through two research avenues.  First, they continued ongoing work using field experiments to study overwinter survival of the blacklegged tick, a major disease vector species, in its northern range.  They also initiated a new study of blacklegged tick host-seeking behavior under different weather and climate conditions, and anticipate continuing this work over the next year.  Second, they continued an ongoing study of the spread of Zika virus in the western hemisphere via domestic and international tourism.  They extended concepts and tools developed under this project to analyze impacts of human movements on the spread of COVID as well.

Dr. Andrea Gloria-Soria’s lab (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) continued to build a reference database of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes worldwide based on microsatellite markers and genome-wide SNPs. Such a database was used to track the origin of new introductions of this invasive species to Utah and Nebraska. They investigated the genetic diversity and population dynamics of Aedes albopictus in the Northeastern USA using microsatellites to better understand its invasion history and inform control strategies. They are also using mosquito collections from the Connecticut Mosquito Surveillance program to determine the role of each species in driving heartworm infections in the region, with a special focus on the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus.

Dr. Gabriel Hamer’s lab (Texas A&M University) in several vector-borne disease systems continued to advance the understanding of vector ecology while evaluating different forms of vector control.  They have advanced understanding of South Texas populations of Aedes aegypti by understanding susceptibility to an insect growth regulator, they have measured their diel host-seeking activity, identified that Ae. aegypti is contributing to dog heartworm transmission, and evaluated two vector control tools for population suppression.  They have also studied vector ecology and pathogen infection for Culex spp. mosquitoes, ticks, and triatomines.

Dr. Laura Harrington’s lab (Cornell University) conducted research to address Multistate NE1943 Objectives 1,2 and 3.  For objective 1, they conducted entomological surveys coupled with knowledge attitudes and practices surveys to understand  tick borne disease risk and perceptions of ticks and risk in park visitors on Staten Island (Hassett et al. 2022) as well as how ticks are monitored across public health and vector control districts in the USA (Mader et al. 2021).  For objective 2, they investigated the host feeding biology of the invasive Asian tiger mosquito on Long Island (Fikrig et al. 2021) and assessed optimal surveillance methods for the invasive Asian Longhorned tick (Sherpa et al. 2021). For control and management of disease vectors (obj 3) they conducted a scoping review of Lyme disease provider-patient communication (Nesgros et al. 2021), evaluated susceptibilility of Lyme disease vector, Ixodes scapularis to permethrin in a long-term 4-poster treatment area on Shelter Island,  NY (Burtis et al. 2021a), evaluated the efficacy of methoprene for eastern equine encephalitis virus vector control in Massachusetts (Burtis et al. 2021b) and determined community-wide efficacy of WNV larval vector control practices in CT (McMillan et al. 2021). 

Dr. Yoosook Lee’s lab (University of Florida) is aimed at (1) developing and strengthening effective surveillance and monitoring of disease vectors at local and regional scales, (2) determining the ecology and geographic distribution of invasive and native disease vectors, and (3) developing novel control and management interventions and test their impacts on the transmission of human and animal diseases. Lee obtained mosquito samples from multiple locations within Florida, Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands. EDDMaps database is constructed to curate mosquito collection data and some data curation has started. Whole genome sequencing data was collected from the natural populations to estimate population connectivity between locations and to inform various models aimed at modeling mosquito distribution and dispersal. This will be critical in assessing impacts of various mosquito control measures on the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Lee is also serving as the Program Director of the Mosquito BEACONS working group improving the invasive mosquito surveillance and control capacity in the Southern states including AL, FL, GA, MS, LA, NC, SC, TX, and PR.

Dr. Paul Leisnham’s lab (University of Maryland) tested the hypothesis that the contents of different urban containers alter the effects of competition from the invasive mosquito, Aedes albopictus, on resident Culex pipiens. They found that functional containers, and trash cans in particular, facilitated the persistence of C. pipiens despite the invasion of competitively superior A. albopictus, likely due to greater nutrient concentrations.

Dr. Shirley Luckhart’s lab (University of Idaho) studies molecular biology. Cutting-edge diagnostic assays for vector-borne disease samples (vectors, pathogens, hosts) are largely limited to research laboratories or a few commercial entities in the U.S., are expensive, and difficult to compare across laboratories due to use of platforms that vary significantly. Furthermore, assay capacity is typically limited to a few targets of interest (e.g., limited multi-plexing) or, if thousands of targets can be analyzed, this is most often from a single organism (e.g., RNA-seq), with the challenge that analyses of infecting pathogens are confounded by this approach. To address these issues, thel work with colleagues to develop an innovative next-generation sequencing platform for improved diagnostics for arthropods of medical importance. Specifically, they will leverage our expertise to adapt existing technology for a platform for mosquito- and tick-borne diseases that can be used to identify up to 100,000 targets in a single reaction with a single sample. The single reaction format can be used for arthropod, host, and pathogen analyses (or all three, in the case of bloodfed arthropods) to identify known pathogens, screen for novel pathogens, confirm the identity of the arthropod vector, discern population genetic variation in any of the organisms in the sample, identify drug resistance genotypes or genotypes associated with altered virulence in the associated pathogens, identify the hosts that were fed upon by the arthropods, identify geographic variation in host genetics, etc. There is no current resource like this in the U.S. Initially, they will develop a panel of biomarkers that can be used to screen for diverse pathogen groups for the major human-biting tick and mosquito species, along with known vector arthropods and hosts, with sufficient design flexibility to detect invasive pathogens, vector arthropods, and hosts. Methods and assay conditions will be optimized and tested collaboratively against known standards and previously characterized samples before being applied to field-collected specimens to assess limits of detection, sensitivity and specificity. From this, they will develop best-practice recommendations and support the adoption of standardized methods for diagnosis and testing for samples from across the U.S.

Dr. Megan Meuti’s lab (The Ohio State University) has been conducting mosquito surveillance throughout the fall, winter and spring to determine when mosquitoes enter and exit from their overwintering dormancy. They have also collected blood-fed mosquitoes throughout the spring, summer and fall to identify seasonal changes in host use that may contribute to West Nile virus transmission dynamics. The Meuti lab has also investigated how urban pollutants, like artificial light at night and higher temperatures associated with heat islands, affect mosquito dormancy in the lab and in the field. They have also evaluated how traditional and novel, trap-based approaches affect the abundance of mosquitoes and beneficial insects in urban areas. Finally, they are conducting basic research on the connection between the circadian clock and the hormonal pathways that regulate seasonal responses in mosquitoes, as well as differences in gene expression between biting (anautogenous) and non-biting (autogenous) mosquito variants to hopefully identify novel targets for control.

Dr. Goudarz Molaei’s lab (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station) focuses on the eco-epidemiology of mosquito- and tick-borne pathogens of human and veterinary health concern. He is elucidating the role of mosquito species in the transmission of West Nile and eastern equine encephalitis viruses and other arboviruses and the contribution of avian species as mosquito hosts to the maintenance and amplification of these viruses in the northeastern U.S. He is also directing the Connecticut Tick and Tick-borne Pathogen Surveillance Programs at the Agricultural Experiment Station, and conducting research on the ecology, biology, and vector-host-pathogen interactions of tick vectors of human pathogens of human and veterinary health concern. 

Dr. Bruce Noden’s lab (Oklahoma State University) has worked to strengthen surveillance and monitoring of disease vectors at local and regional scales by focusing on: 1) what hosts mosquitoes that use eastern redcedar, an invasive tree in the Great Plains, are feeding on.  In addition to identifying a wide variety of hosts, they have found that newly blood fed mosquitoes will fly great distances to rest in ERC; and 2) the pathogens in fleas obtained from free-roaming domestic cats in central Oklahoma.  From a relatively small sample of fleas, they identified two Rickettsia species and three Bartonella species.  Additionally, an ear mite was positive for Bartonella. These results highlight the need for more focus on free-roaming domestic cats and their ectoparasites in the Great Plains region.

Dr. Adela Oliva Chavez’s lab (Texas A&M University) studied epigenetic mechanisms, which allow the regulation of gene expression without the modification of DNA coding sequences. Although several mechanisms of epigenetic regulation have been shown in ticks, their role in environmental and host adaptation have not been explored in depth. They currently are investigating two epigenetic mechanisms in the context of tick feeding and environmental adaptation: DNA methylation and miRNA expression. Their preliminary data indicates that methylation levels change in Ixodes scapularis populations from year to year, suggesting a potential mechanism for phenotypic plasticity. They have identified sites of differential methylation within their genome and pathway enrichment of genes differentially methylation. Lastly, they developed a new protocol for the isolation of miRNAs from tick salivary glands and extracellular vesicles, which reduces the number of ticks needed for experiments.

Dr. Reddy Palli’s lab (University of Kentucky) conducted surveillance for A. americanum in Kentucky through field collections and the establishment of a statewide tick submission program with the help of the Kentucky Department for Public Health and screened for Ehrlichia chaffeensis on a county-level throughout the state. They collected 5,726 A. americanum ticks in 77 counties and detected E. chaffeensis in 32 counties. The minimum infection rate was 1.8%. With the expansion of A. americanum and increasing cases of tick-borne diseases, future surveillance is needed to monitor this important tick vector over time.

Dr. Susan Paskewitz’s lab (University of Wisconsin) analyzed results of surveillance and control of blacklegged ticks and the Culex mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus. They also completed studies on the role of microclimates in facilitating overwintering of Aedes albopictus. Finally, they focused on ecological studies of the small mammals associated with tickborne pathogens.

Dr. Dana Price’s lab (Rutgers University) focuses on functional genomic analyses of vector arthropods.  In 2021, they utilized Multistate resources for several such projects centered on ticks: Isolation and genome sequencing of two Rickettsial agents co-infecting  bat tick (Carios kelleyi) ticks discovered in New Jersey, and in a comparison of Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) populations and associated pathogens in two NJ counties. They also conducted similar research with mosquitoes that includes a tissue-tropic metaviromic assessment of single wild-caught mosquitoes using both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies, and the generation of a draft genome of Anopheles bradleyi mosquito (a project that aims to sequence members of the Anopheles crucians complex). They remain very interested in emerging and under-studied insect vectors as well, and in 2022 generated a genome sequencing of the phlebotomine sand fly Lutzomyia vexator and associated novel Torix-group Rickettsial endosymbiont using Oxford Nanopore single-molecule sequencing.

Dr. Michael Reiskind’s lab (North Carolina State University) has conducted several studies as part of the multistate project.  They have on-going surveillance of invasive container mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Aedes japonicas).  They also have on-going tick surveillance in North Carolina counties, in collaboration with NC Department of Health and Human Services, as well as providing entomological surveillance for epidemiological investigations of tick-borne disease.  They have also started three new research projects during this time frame.  The first focusing on the relative abundance of two important ticks in North Carolina: Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis, comparing historical to contemporary data.  The second examines the role of larval habitat on response to parasitic infection in mosquitoes.  The final project, in collaboration with colleagues at East Carolina University and Western Carolina University, explores new technology (mid-infrared spectroscopy) to identify, age, and determine infection status of mosquitoes.  

Dr. Kris Silver’s lab (Kansas State University) is exploring the use of RNA interference (RNAi), a new technology that can provide highly specific control of insect pests, as well as established insecticides like Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis as new avenues of control of Culicoides midges and Aedes mosquitoes. Additionally, they are also characterizing probing behaviors of Culex tarsalis and Culicoides midges using electropenetography to better understand how they feed and identify potential new targets for vector control.

Dr. Ryan Smith’s lab (Iowa State University) performed mosquito and tick surveillance in the state of Iowa to better understand West Nile virus transmission dynamics, the spread of invasive mosquito species, and to determine the current range of tick populations. When paired with the long-term data sets obtained from surveillance efforts in previous years, these data provide valuable insights into vector ecology and vector-borne disease transmission in the state of Iowa and the greater Midwest.

Dr. Alvaro Toledo’s lab (Rutgers University) studied natural commercial alternatives to synthetic repellents with similar or better properties than DEET. Tey evaluated the repellency of two extracts, CR3 and CR9, derived for newly developed catnip cultivars on two tick species, Ixodes scapularis and Haemaphysalis longicornis. Dose-response in vitro assays showed that CR3 and CR9 extracts have similar repellency properties to DEET. Few documented control strategies exist for the invasive tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, despite its potential to reach extremely high numbers and vector human and animal pathogens. In 2020, they evaluated the effects of single applications of five granular and liquid acaricides on H. longicornis in a public park in northern New Jersey. Acaricides tested included pyrethroids (lambda-cyhalothrin, bifenthrin), a carbamate (carbaryl), and the insect growth regulators (IGRs) pyriproxyfen and novaluron. They also monitored the impact of each treatment on non-target soil and above-ground invertebrate species using pitfall and sticky traps, respectively.

Abernathy HA, BD Hollingsworth, DA Giandomenico, KA Moser, MH Reiskind, R Boyce. 2022.  Prevalence of Knock-Down Resistance F1534S Mutations in Aedes albopictus (Skuse)(Diptera: Culicidae) in North Carolina. Journal of Medical Entomology.

Adams, D. R.*, A. J. Golnar*, S. A. Hamer, M. A. Slotman, G. L. Hamer. 2021. Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) survivorship following the ingestion of bird blood infected with Haemoproteus sp. parasites. Parasitology Research. 120:2343–2350.

Adams, D. R., A. J. Golnar, J. I. Meyers, M. A. Slotman, G. L. Hamer. In press. Plasmodium relictum infection in Culex quinquefasciatus (Culicidae) decreases diel flight activity but increases peak dusk flight activity. Malaria Journal.

Adelman, J.S., Tokarz, R.E., Euken, A.E., Field, E.N., Russell, M.C., Smith, R.C. (2022) Relative influence of land use, mosquito abundance, and bird communities in defining West Nile virus infection rates in Culex mosquito populations. Insects 13 (9): 758.

Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG. (2022) Ecology and Epidemiology of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus in the Northeastern United States: An Historical Perspective. J Med Entomol 59(1):1-13.

Aryaprema VS, Qualls WA, Dobson KL, Dobson SL, Xue RD. The Effects of Boric Acid Sugar Bait on Wolbachia Trans-Infected Male Aedes albopictus (ZAP Males((R))) in Laboratory Conditions. Insects. 2021;13(1). Epub 20211221. doi: 10.3390/insects13010001. PubMed PMID: 35055844; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC8777746.

Bajwa WI, Tsynman L, Egizi AM, Tokarz R, Maestas L, Fonseca DM 2022 The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum (Ixodida: Ixodidae) and spotted fever group Rickettsia in the highly urbanized northeastern US. Journal of Medical Entomology 59(4):1434-1442. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac053

Balasubramanian S, Curtis-Robles R, Chirra B, Auckland LD, Mai A, Bocanegra-Garcia V, Clark P, Clark W, Cottingham M, Fleurie G, Johnson CD, Metz RP, Wang S, Hathaway NJ, Bailey JA , Hamer GL, Hamer SA. 2022. Characterization of triatomine bloodmeal sources using direct Sanger sequencing and amplicon deep sequencing methods. Sci Rep 12:10234.

Beck A., Bjork J., Biggerstaff B., Eisen L., Eisen R., Foster E., Signs K., Tsao J., Kough E., Peterson M., Schiffman E., Muganda C., Osborn R., Wozniak R., Bron G., Phaneuf D., Smith D., Bartholomay L., Paskewitz S., Hinckley A.,  Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tick-borne disease prevention in Lyme disease-endemic areas of the Upper Midwest, United States.  Ticks and Tickborne Disease. 13:101925. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101925

Brennan JR, Boychuck S, Washkwich AJ, John-Alder H, Fonseca DM 2022 Tick abundance and diversity is substantially lower in thinned vs. unthinned forests in the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, USA. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. Accepted with minor revisions (resubmitted)

Bron G., Fenelon H., and Paskewitz S.M. Assessing recognition of the vector of Lyme disease using resin-embedded specimens in a Lyme endemic area. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58:866-872. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa234. 2021.

Bron G., Lee X. and Paskewitz S.M. Do-it-yourself tick control: granular gamma-cyhalothrin reduces Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs in residential backyards. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58:749-755.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa212.  2021.

Burtis JC, Bickerton MW, Indelicato N, Poggi JD, Crans SC and LC Harrington. 2022. Effectiveness of a Buffalo Turbine and A1 Mist Sprayer for the Areawide Deployment of Larvicide for Mosquito Control in an Urban Residential Setting. Journal of Medical Entomology.

Burtis JC, Poggi J, Duval, TB, Bidlack E, Shepard JJ, Matton P, Rossetti R, and LC Harrington. 2021. Evaluation of a methoprene aerial application for the control of Culiseta melanura (Diptera: Culicidae) in wetland breeding larval habitats. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58 (6), 2330-2337.

Burtis JC, Poggi J, Payne B, Campbell SR, and LC Harrington. 2021.  The susceptibility of Ixodes scapularis collected from a long-term 4-poster treatment area on Shelter Island, Long Island NY. J Med Entomol. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab054

Conte CE, JE Leahy, and AM Gardner. 2021. Active forest management reduces exposure risk to blacklegged ticks and tick-borne pathogens. EcoHealth 18: 157-168.

Crawford JE, Hopkins KC, Buchman A, Zha T, Howell P, Kakani E, et al. Reply to: Assessing the efficiency of Verily's automated process for production and release of male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes. Nat Biotechnol. 2022. Epub 20220526. doi: 10.1038/s41587-022-01325-y. PubMed PMID: 35618925.

Cumbie AN, Whitlow AM, Eastwood G (2021) First Evidence of Powassan Virus (Flaviviridae) in Ixodes scapularis in Appalachian Virginia, USA. AJTMH 103(3): 905-908. doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.21-0825

Dacso, M. M., D. A. Bente, S. C. Weaver, G. P. Kobinger, P. C. Melby, S. L.F. McLellan, P. H. Keiser, S. A. Hamer, G. L. Hamer, G. W. Parker, D. I. Douphrate, A. Rodriguez, M. L. Goodman, G. C. Gray. 2022. Texas professionals are employing a one health approach to protect the United States against biosecurity threats. One Health. 15:100431.

Davila, E., N. A. Fernandez-Santos, J. G. Estrada-Franco, L. Wei, J. A. Agular-Duran, M. J. Lopez-Lopez, R. Solis- Hernandez, R. Garcia-Miranda, D. D. Valazquez-Ramirez, J. Torres-Romero, S. Arellano Chavez, R. Cruz-Cadena, R. Navarro-Lopez, A. A. Perez de Leon, C. Guichard-Romero, E. Martin, W. Tang, M. Frank, M. Borucki, M. J. Turell, A. Pauvolid-Correa, M. A. Rodriguez-Perez, H. Ochoa-Diaz-Lopez, S. A. Hamer, G. L. Hamer. 2022. Utility of domestic dogs as effective sentinels for WNV transmission, but not Aedes-borne flavivirus transmission, in Mexico.  Emerging Infectious Diseases. 28: 1071–1074.

De Nadai BL, AG Maletzke, JJ Corbi, G Batista, MH Reiskind. 2021.  The impact of body size on Aedes [Stegomyia] aegypti wingbeat frequency: implications for mosquito identification.  Medical and Veterinary Entomology 35 (4), 617-624

Dickinson, K. L., N. Banacos, E. Carbajal, N. Dacko, C. Fredregill, S. Hinojosa, J. G. Juarez*, C. Weldon, G. L. Hamer. 2022. Public willingness to pay and social acceptability for mosquito control in Texas. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 28: 425-428.

Dobson KL, Mains JW, Dobson SL. Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) for Individual Property Owners: An Overview of the MosquitoMate Experience. Wing Beats. 2022;33(Spring).

Dobson SL. When More is Less: Mosquito Population Suppression Using Sterile, Incompatible and Genetically Modified Male Mosquitoes. J Med Entomol. 2021;58(5):1980-6. Epub 2021/03/12. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjab025. PubMed PMID: 33704487.

Dong, B., L. Khan, M. Smith, J. Trevino, M. Zhao, G. L. Hamer, A. Lemus, A. A. Molina, J. Lubinda, U. DT. Nguyen, U. Haque. Spatio-temporal dynamics of chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses in Mexico. In press. Communications Medicine.

Elias SP, AM Gardner, KA Maasch, SD Birkel, NT Anderson, PW Rand, CB Lubelczyk, and RP Smith. 2021. A generalized additive model correlating blacklegged ticks with white-tailed deer density, temperature, and humidity in Maine, USA, 1990-2013. Journal of Medical Entomology 58: 125-138.

Ellis VA, V Kalbskopf, A Ciloglu, M Duc, X Huang, A Inci, S Bensch, O Hellgren, V Palinauskas. 2022. Genomic sequence capture of Plasmodium relictum in experimentally infected birds. Parasites and Vectors 15: 1-12.

Field, E.N., Shepard, J. J., Clifton, M. E., Price, K. J., Witmier, B. J., Johnson, K., Boze, B., Abadam, C., Ebel, G. D., Armstrong, P.M., Barker, C. M., Smith, R. C. (2022) Semi-field and surveillance data define the natural diapause timeline for Culex pipiens across the United States. bioRxiv 2022.05.19.492729.

Figurskey AC, B Hollingsworth, MS Doyle, MH Reiskind. 2022. Effectiveness of autocidal gravid trapping and chemical control in altering abundance and age structure of Aedes albopictus.  Pest Management Science

Fikrig K, Peck S, Deckerman P, Dang S, St Fleur K, Goldsmith H, Qu S, Rosenthal H and LC Harrington. 2021. The effects of host availability and fitness on Aedes albopictus blood feeding patterns in New York. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 106(1), 320-331.

Foster E., Burtis J., Tsao J., Bjork J, Liu G., Nietzel D.F., Schiffman E., Lee X., Paskewitz S., Caporale D., Eisen R.J. Inter-annual variation in prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in host-seeking Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) at long-term surveillance sites in the upper midwestern United States: Implications for public health practice. Ticks and Tick-borne Disease. 13: 101886. 2022.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101886

Frederick, J.C., Sharma, P., Thompson, A., Dharmarajan, G., Ronai, I., Pesapane, R., Smith, R.C., Sundstrom, K., Tsao, J.I., Tuten, H., Yabsley, M.J., Glenn, T.C. (2022) Phylogeography of the blacklegged tick Ixodes scapularis identifies candidate loci for differences in vectorial capacity. Authorea. August 23, 2022.

Gallagher, M. R., J. Kreye, E. T. Machtinger, N. Schmidt, A. Everland, N. S. Skowronski. 2022. Can restoration of fire-dependent ecosystems reduce ticks and tick-borne disease prevalence in the Eastern US? Ecological Applications. 32: e2637 https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2637

Gloria-Soria, A., 2022. Special Collection: Highlights of Medical, Urban and Veterinary Entomology. Highlights in Medical Entomology, 2021. Journal of Medical Entomology.

Gloria-Soria, A., Faraji, A., Hamik, J., White, G., Amsberry, S., Donahue, M., Buss, B., Pless, E., Cosme, L.V. and Powell, J.R., 2022. Origins of high latitude introductions of Aedes aegypti to Nebraska and Utah during 2019. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 103, p.105333.

Gloria-Soria, A., Shragai, T., Ciota A.T., Duval, T.B., Alto, B.W., Martins, A.J., Westby, K.M., Medley, K.A., Unlu, I., Campbell, S.R., Kawalkowski, M., Tsuda Y., Higa, Y., Indelicato, N., Leisnham, P.T., Caccone A., Armstrong, PM. Population genetics of an invasive mosquito vector; Aedes albopictus in the Northeastern USA. Neobiota. In press.

Green K. D., H. S. Tiffin, J. E. Brown, E. R. Burgess, IV, and E. T. Machtinger. Small mammal use of cotton in tick control tubes is dependent on the month of use but independent of odor or cotton size. Ecosphere 13:7 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4155

Guarnieri LD, SE McBride, E Groden, and AM Gardner. 2021. Interactions between sympatric invasive European fire ants (Myrmica rubra) and blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis). PLoS One 16: e0251497.

Hall, D.R., Tokarz, R.E., Field, E.N., Smith, R. C. (2022) Surveillance and genetic data support the introduction and establishment of Aedes albopictus in Iowa, USA. Scientific Reports 12: 2143.

Hassett E, Diuk-Wasser M, Harrington LC and MP Fernandez. 2022. Integrating tick density and park visitor behaviors to assess the risk of tick exposure in urban parks on Staten Island, New York. BMC Public Health. 10.1186/s12889-022-13989-x

Juarez, J. G.*, L. F. Chaves, S. Garcia-Luna#, E. Martin#, I. Badillo-Vargas, M. C. I. Medeiros, G. L. Hamer. 2021. Variable coverage in an Autocidal Gravid Ovitrap intervention impacts efficacy of Aedes aegypti control. Journal of Applied Ecology. 58: 2075-2086.

Juarez, J. G.*, S. M. Garcia-Luna#, C. M. Roundy#, A. Branca, M. G. Banfield, G. L. Hamer. 2021. Susceptibility of South Texas Aedes aegypti to pyriproxyfen. Insects. 12: 460.

Juarez, J.G.*, E. Carbajal, K. L. Dickinson, S. Garcia-Luna, N. Vuong, J. P. Mutebi, R. R. Hemme, I. Badillo-Vargas, G. L. Hamer. 2022. The unreachable doorbells of South Texas: community engagement in colonias on the US Mexico border for mosquito control. BMC Public Health. 22:1176.

Keyel, A. C., M. E. Gorris, I. Rochlin, J. A. Uelmen, L. F. Chaves, G. L. Hamer, I. K. Moise, M. Shocket, A. M. Kilpatrick, N. B. DeFelice, J. K. Davis, E. Little, P. Irwin, A. J. Tyre, K. H. Smith, C. L. Fredregill, O. E. Timm, K. M. Holcomb, M. C. Wimberly, M. J. Ward, C. M. Barker, C. G. Rhodes*, R. L. Smith. 2021. A proposed framework for the development and qualitative evaluation of West Nile virus models and their application to local public health decision-making. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. 15:e0009653.

Khalil N, Dugas KD, Cantoni J, Stafford III KC, Molaei G*. 2022. Anomalous Morphologies in Ixodes scapularis Feeding on Human Hosts. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101993.

Larson R., Bron G., Lee X. and Paskewitz S.M. High proportion of unfed larval blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from modified nest boxes for mice. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58: 1448-1453.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjaa287 2021.

Larson R.T., Bron G., Lee X., Siy P., and Paskewitz S.M.  Peromyscus maniculatus: an overlooked reservoir of tickborne disease in the Midwest (U.S.A.)?  Ecosphere. 12 (11): e03831.10.1002.  http://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3831.  2021.

Larson S.R., Kruger E., Sabo AE., Jones P. and Paskewitz S.M.  Meso- and micro-geographic factors shaping variation in Ixodes scapularis abundance in northern temperate forests.  Ecosphere 13: e3932. 2022.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3932

Leal-Galvan B, Arocho Rosario C, Oliva Chávez A. 2022. Extracellular vesicles and immunomodulation in mosquitoes and ticks. Encyclopedia. 2(2):873-881. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020057

Leal-Galvan B, Harvey C, Thomas D, Saelo P, and Oliva Chavez A. 2022. Isolation of miRNAs from tick ex vivo salivary gland cultures and extracellular vesicles. JoVE. (182), e63618, doi:10.3791/63618

Lee X., Wong C., Coats J., and Paskewitz S.M. Semi-field evaluations of three botanically derived repellents against the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 2022. 59:1694-1699. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjac111.

Leisnham, P.T., S.L. LaDeau, M.E.M. Saunders, O.C. Villena. 2021. Condition-specific competitive effects of Aedes albopictus on Culex pipiens among different urban container habitats may explain their coexistence in the field. Insects 12(11), 993; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12110993

Lennart Justen, Gebbiena M. Bron, Duncan Carlsmith, Susan M. Paskewitz, and Lyric C. Bartholomay.  Identification of public submitted tick images: a neural network approach.  PLoS One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260622 2021.

Lieberthal BA and AM Gardner. 2021. Connectivity, reproduction number, and mobility interact to determine communities’ epidemiological superspreader potential in a metapopulation network. PLoS Computational Biology 17: e1008674.

Little EAH, Hutchinson ML, Price KJ, Marini A, Shepard JJ, and Molaei G*. 2022. Spatiotemporal Distribution, Abundance, and Host Interactions of Two Invasive Vectors of Arboviruses, Aedes albopictus and Aedes japonicus, in Pennsylvania, USA. Parasites and Vectors, 15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-022-05151-8.

Machtinger, E. T., R. M. Nadolny, B. T. Vinyard, L. Eisen, A. Hojgaard, S. A. Haynes, L. Bowman, C. Casal, and A. Y. Li. 2021. Spatial heterogeneity of sympatric tick species and tick-borne pathogens emphasizes the need for surveillance for effective tick control. Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases 21: 843-853 https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2021.0027

Mader EM, C Ganser, A Geiger, LC Harrington, J Foley, RL Smith, ... 2021. A survey of tick surveillance and control practices in the United States. Journal of medical entomology 58 (4), 1503-1512.

Mandli J., Lee X, Bron G. and Paskewitz S.M.  Integrated tick management in South Central Wisconsin: Impact of invasive vegetation removal and host-targeted acaricides on the density of questing Ixodes scapularis nymphs.  Journal of Medical Entomology. 58: 2358-2367. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab131. 2021.

McBride SE, BA Lieberthal, DE Buttke, BD Cronk, SM De Urioste-Stone, LB Goodman, LD Guarnieri, TF Rounsville, Jr., and AM Gardner. 2022. Patterns and ecological mechanisms of tick-borne disease exposure risk in Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology. Online ahead of print.

McClung KL, Noden BH. 2022. Prevalence of selected pathogens in ectoparasites from free-roaming domestic cats in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 34:100764.

McMillan JR, Christina A Harden, James C Burtis, Mallery I Breban, John J Shepard, Tanya A Petruff, Michael J Misencik, Angela B Bransfield, Joseph D Poggi, Laura C Harrington, Theodore G Andreadis, Philip M Armstrong. 2021. The community‐wide effectiveness of municipal larval control programs for West Nile virus risk reduction in Connecticut, USA. Pest Management Science. 77 (11), 5186-520.

McMillan JR, Harden CA, Burtis JC, Breban MI, Shepard JJ, Petruff TA, Misencik MJ, Bransfield AB, Poggi JD, Harrington LC, Andreadis TG, Armstrong PM. (2021) The community-wide effectiveness of municipal larval control programs for West Nile virus risk reduction in Connecticut, USA. Pest Manag Sci 77(11):5186-5201.

Molaei G*, and Andreadis TG. 2022. The Connecticut Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases: A Long History of Research Partnership and Outreach in Public Health Entomology. Wing Beats, 33, 30-34.

Molaei G*, Eisen LM, Price KJ, Eisen RJ. 2022. Range Expansion of Native and Invasive Ticks, a Looming Public Health Threat. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac249.

Mutebi, J.P., A. B. B.Wilke, E. Ostrum, C. Vasquez, G. Cardenas, A. Carvajal, M. Moreno, W. D. Petrie, A. Rodriguez, H. Presas, J. Rodriguez, F. Barnes, G. L. Hamer, J. G. Juarez*, E. J. Marshall, J. C. Beier. 2022. Diel activity patterns of two distinct populations of Aedes aegypti in Miami, FL and  Brownsville, TX. Scientific Reports. 12. 5315.

Nesgos AT, Harrington LC and EM Mader.  2021. Experience and Knowledge of Lyme Disease: A Scoping Review of Patient-Provider Communication" Zoonoses and Public Health. 12:(4) 101714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2021.101714

Noden BH, Cote NM, Reiskind MH, Talley JL. 2021. Invasive Plants as Foci of Mosquito-Borne Pathogens: Red Cedar in the Southern Great Plains of the USA. Ecohealth. 18: 475-486.

Noden BH, NM Cote, MH Reiskind, JL Talley. 2021. Invasive Plants as Foci of Mosquito-Borne Pathogens: Red Cedar in the Southern Great Plains of the USA. EcoHealth 18 (4), 475-486

Occi JL, Campbell VM, Fonseca DM, Robbins RG 2022. Ixodes scapularis (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Parasitizing an unlikely host: big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), in New York State, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology 59(1): 376-379. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab174

Olafson, P. U., K. C. Poh, J. R. Evans, M. J. Skvarla, and E. T. Machtinger. Limited detection of shared zoonotic pathogens in deer keds and blacklegged ticks co-parasitizing white-tailed deer in the eastern United States. Medical and Veterinary Entomology. http://doi.org/10.1111/mve.12620

Pasternak and Palli (2022) County-level surveillance for the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, and its associated pathogen, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, in Kentucky  Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (In press).

Peffers C.*, and Meuti M.E. 2022. Characterizing the Relative Abundance of Circadian Transcription Factors in Diapausing and Nondiapausing Northern House Mosquitoes. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY. P. 10404. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4030475.

Poh, K. C., J. R. Evans, M. J. Skvarla, E. T. Machtinger. 2022. All for One Health and One Health for All: Considerations for successful citizen science projects conducting vector surveillance from animal hosts. Insects. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13060492

Poh, K. C., J. R. Evans, M. Skvarla, P. Olafson, G. Hicking, J. Mullinax, and E. T. Machtinger. 2022. Patterns of deer ked (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) and tick (Ixodida: Ixodidae) infestation on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the eastern United States. Parasites & Vectors. 15: 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-05148-9

Rhodes, C. G.*, J. R. Loaiza, L. M. Romero, J. Manuel, G. Alvarado, G. Delgado, O. R. Salas, M. R. Rojas, C. Aguilar-Avendaño, E. Maynes, J. A. V. Cordero, A. S. Mora, C. A. Rigg, A. Zardkoohi, M. Prado, M.D. Friberg, L. R. Bergmann, R. M. Rodríguez, G. L. Hamer, L. F. Chaves. 2022. Anopheles albimanus (Diptera: Culicidae) ensemble distribution modeling: applications for malaria elimination. Insects. 13, 221.

Rhodes, C.G.*, N.A. Scavo*, M. Finney, J. P. Fimbres-Macias, M. T. Lively, B. H. Strauss, G. L. Hamer. 2022.   Meta-analysis of the relative abundance of nuisance and vector mosquitoes in urban and blue-green spaces. Insects. 13, 271.

Roberts, C. E., E. Burgess, IV, T. M. Miller, A. Wise, C. J. Dickerson, M. Skvarla, A. Y. Li, and E. T. Machtinger. 2022. Tissue-damaging marking methods do not affect tick burdens on field captured Peromyscus spp. Wildlife Society Bulletin. http://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1385

Roundy, C. M.#, S. A. Hamer, I. B. Zecca, E. B. Davila, L. D. Auckland, W. Tang, H. Gavranovic^, S. L. Swiger, J. K. Tomberlin, R. S. B. Fischer, A. Pauvolid-Corrêa, G. L. Hamer. 2022. No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 among flies or cockroaches in households where COVID-19 positive cases resided. Journal of Medical Entomology.

Šafářová B, Giusti CH, Perez MP, Zecca IB, Carbajal ES, Hamer GL, Hamer SA. 2021. Habitat and environmental risks of Chagas disease in low-income colonias and peri-urban subdivisions in South Texas. Habitat Int 118:102460.

Salomon J, Fernandez Santos NA, Zecca IB, Estrada-Franco JG, Davila E, Hamer GL, Rodriguez Perez  MA, Hamer SA. 2022. Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) infection with endosymbiont and human pathogenic Rickettsia spp., northeastern Mexico. Intl J Environ Res Pub Hlth 19, 6249.

Scavo, N. A., Zecca, I. B. Zecca, C. Sobotyk, M. N. Saleh, S. K. Lane, M. F. Olson, S. A. Hamer, G. G. Verocai, G. L. Hamer. High prevalence of canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, in pet dogs in south Texas, U.S.A., with evidence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes contributing to transmission. In press. Parasites & Vectors.

Sharma R, Cozens DW, Armstrong PM, Brackney DE. (2021) Vector competence of human-biting ticks Ixodes scapularis, Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis for Powassan virus. Parasit Vectors 14(1):466.

Sherpa P, Piedmonte NP, Wunderlin K, Harrington LC and RC Falco.2021. Optimal collection methods for Asian longhorned ticks, Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in the Northeast US. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58 (6), 2255-2263 https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab083

Siperstein A.*, Marzec S., Fritz, M.L., Holzapfel, C.M., Bradshaw W.E., Armbruster, P.A. and Meuti M.E. 2022. Conserved Molecular Pathways Underlying Biting in Two Divergent Mosquito Genera. EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13379

Siy P. N., Larson R.T., Zembsch T., Lee X., and Paskewitz S.M.  High prevalence of Borrelia mayonii (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in field-caught Tamias striatus (Rodentia: Sciuridae) from Northern Wisconsin.  Journal of Medical Entomology. 58: 2504-2507. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab102. 2021.

Stafford III KC, Molaei G, Williams SC, and Mertins JW. 2022. Rhipicephalus capensis (Acari: Ixodidae), A Geographically Restricted South African Tick, Returning with A Human Traveler to the United States. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 13(3). DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101912.

Sullivan C, Occi J, Brennan J, Robbins R, Skinner M, Bennet A, Parker B, Fonseca DM 2022 First report of the bat tick Carios kelleyi (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) from Vermont, USA. Journal of Medical Entomology. 59(2): 784-787. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab232

Susong K.M., Tucker B.J., Bron G.M., Irwin P., Kirsch J.M., Vimont D., Stone C., Paskewitz S.M.,  Bartholomay L.C. Snow-covered tires generate microhabitats that enhance overwintering survival of Aedes albopictus in the Midwest, USA. Environmental Entomology. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvac023

Tangudu, C., Hargett, A.M., Laredo-Tiscareno, V., Smith, R.C., Blitvich, B. (2022) Isolation of a novel rhabdovirus and detection of multiple novel viral sequences in Culex species mosquitoes in the United States. Arch. Virol.

Tiffin, H. S., M. J. Skvarla, E. T. Machtinger. 2021. Tick abundance and life-stage segregation on the American black bear (Ursus americanus). International Journal for Parasitology 16: 208-216 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.10.004

Volk MR, CB Lubelczyk, JC Johnston, DL Levesque, and AM Gardner. 2022. Microclimate conditions alter Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) overwinter survival across climate gradients in Maine, United States. Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases 13: e101872.

White AV, E Berl, C Williams, M Doyle, DM Smith, BD Byrd, MH Reiskind, S Richards. 2022. Horse Owner Practices and Equine and Human Arboviral Encephalitis in North Carolina. Journal of Environmental Health 84 (7).

Whitlow AM, Schürch R, Mullins D, Eastwood G (2021) The Influence of Southwestern Virginia Environmental Conditions on the Potential Ability of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Amblyomma americanum, and Amblyomma maculatum to Overwinter in the Region. Insects: 12(11):1000. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12111000

Wilson SN, López K, Coutermash-Ott S, Auguste DI, Porier DL, Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG, Eastwood G, Auguste AJ (2021) La Crosse Virus Shows Strain-Specific Differences in Pathogenesis. Pathogens 10(4):400.  doi: 10.3390/pathogens10040400.

Zembsch T., Bron G., and Paskewitz S.M. Evidence for vertical transmission of Babesia odocoilei (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) in Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 58: 2484-2487.  https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab074  2021.

Zembsch T., Lee X., Bron G., Bartholomay L., and Paskewitz S.M. Co-infection of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) nymphs with Babesia spp. (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae) and Borrelia burgdorferi (Spirochaetales: Spirochaetaceae) in Wisconsin. Journal of Medical Entomology. 58:1891-1899. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab056.  2021.