Digital Commons Network^™

Combating Infectious Diseases In Aquaculture With An Original Probiotic Product, Meagan Hamblin, Saebom Sohn, Christine Ahn Dao, Marta Gomez-Chiarri, David R. Nelson, David Worthen, David Rowley

Senior Honors Projects

Oyster production in Rhode Island accounts for over $2.5 million in annual revenue, making it the top aquaculture product in the state. However, larval tank infections significantly constrain production and create substantial economic losses for commercial hatcheries. In most cases antibiotics may not be used to prevent or treat larval tank infections. A probiotic, or beneficial microbe which competes with pathogens, is a safer and “green” approach to preventing infections. Vibriosis, a common cause of oyster larval mortality, is the result of Vibrio species infections. Previous studies have shown that a native Rhode Island microbe, Bacillus pumilus RI06-95, protects oyster …

Clinical Implications Of Vancomycin Heteroresistant And Intermediately Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus, Diane M. Gomes, Kristina E. Ward, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has proven to be a major pathogen with the emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections and recently with heteroresistant vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) and vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) infections. Although vancomycin is traditionally a first-line and relatively effective antibiotic, its continued use is under question because reports of heteroresistance in S. aureus isolates are increasing. Both hVISA and VISA infections are associated with complicated clinical courses and treatment failures. The prevalence, mechanism of resistance, clinical significance, and laboratory detection of hVISA and VISA infections are not conclusive, making it difficult to apply research …

Overconsumption Of Antibiotics, Haley J. Morrill, L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

We applaud Thomas Van Boeckel and colleagues¹ for their large analysis of antibiotic consumption in 71 countries. A 36% increase in use of antibiotics worldwide, 76% of which was in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a concerning finding. In Europe and the USA, practitioners are increasingly aware of the importance of infection control and antimicrobial stewardship. However, 50% of antimicrobials, irrespective of setting, are used inappropriately.^2,3 We agree that most increases in global antibiotic consumption are probably caused by inappropriate use and that coordinated efforts to improve antimicrobial use internationally are desperately needed.

Sequential Dengue Virus Infections Detected In Active And Passive Surveillance Programs In Thailand, 1994–2010, Piraya Bhoomiboonchoo, Ananda Nisalak, Natkamol Chansatiporn, In-Kyu Yoon, Siripen Kalayanarooj, Mathuros Thipayamongkolgul, Timothy Endy, Alan L. Rothman, Sharone Green, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Darunee Buddhari, Mammen P. Mammen, Robert V. Gibbons

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background:

The effect of prior dengue virus (DENV) exposure on subsequent heterologous infection can be beneficial or detrimental depending on many factors including timing of infection. We sought to evaluate this effect by examining a large database of DENV infections captured by both active and passive surveillance encompassing a wide clinical spectrum of disease.

Methods:

We evaluated datasets from 17 years of hospital-based passive surveillance and nine years of cohort studies, including clinical and subclinical DENV infections, to assess the outcomes of sequential heterologous infections. Chi square or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare proportions of infection outcomes such …

Hla Class I Supertype Associations With Clinical Outcome Of Secondary Dengue Virus Infections In Ethnic Thais, Sasijit Vejbaesya, Rungrot Thongpradit, Siripen Kalayanarooj, Komon Luangtrakool, Panpimon Luangtrakool, Robert V. Gibbons, Duangporn Srinak, Somporn Ngammthaworn, Kusuma Apisawes, In-Kyu Yoon, Stephen J. Thomas, Richard G. Jarman, Anon Srikiakthachorn, Sharone Green, Dasnayanee Chandanayingyong, Sangshin Park, Jennifer Friedman, Alan Rothman, Henry A.F. Stephens

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: HLA supertypes are groups of functionally related alleles that present structurally similar antigens to the immune system. Despite many reports of HLA allele associations with dengue, there have to date been no studies of HLA supertype associations with disease.

Objectives: To analyse HLA class I supertypes in hospitalised Thai children with acute dengue illness.

Methods: 762 patients and population-matched controls recruited predominantly in Bangkok were HLA-A and –B typed. HLA supertype frequencies were compared and tested for significant dengue disease associations using logistic regression analyses. Final multivariable models were built by conducting forward stepwise selection procedures.

Results: In the …

The Effects Of Obesity On The Comparative Effectiveness Of Linezolid And Vancomycin In Suspected Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia, Aisling R. Caffrey, Noh, Haley J. Morrill, Kerry L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Background: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a leading cause of pneumonia in the United States and there is limited data on treatment outcomes in obese patients.We evaluated the effectiveness of linezolid compared to vancomycin for the treatment of MRSA pneumonia in a national cohort of obese Veterans.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included obese patients (body mass index ≥ 30) admitted to Veterans Affairs hospitals with MRSA-positive respiratory cultures and clinical signs of infection between 2002 and 2012. Patients initiating treatment with either vancomycin or linezolid, but not both, were selected for inclusion. Propensity matching and adjustment …

An Immunoinformatic Approach For Identification Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Hla-A2-Restricted Cd8+ T Cell Epitopes, Christopher S. Eickhoff, Daniel Van Aartsen, Francis E. Terry, Sheba K. Meymandi, Mahmoud M. Traina, Salvador Hernandez, William D. Martin, Leonard Moise, Anne S. De Groot, Daniel F. Hoft

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Chagas disease is a major neglected tropical disease caused by persistent chronic infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. An estimated 8 million people are infected with T. cruzi, however only 2 drugs are approved for treatment and no vaccines are available. Thus there is an urgent need to develop vaccines and new drugs to prevent and treat Chagas disease. In this work, we identify T cell targets relevant for human infection with T. cruzi. The trans-sialidase (TS) gene family is a large family of homologous genes within the T. cruzi genome encoding over 1,400 members. There …

H7n9 T-Cell Epitopes That Mimic Human Sequences Are Less Immunogenic And May Induce Treg-Mediated Tolerance, Rui Liu, Leonard Moise, Ryan Tassone, Andres H. Gutierrez, Francis E. Terry, Kotou Sangare, Matthew T. Ardito, William D. Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Avian-origin H7N9 influenza is a novel influenza A virus (IAV) that emerged in humans in China in 2013. Using immunoinformatics tools, we identified several H7N9 T cell epitopes with T cell receptor (TCR)-facing residues identical to those of multiple epitopes from human proteins. We hypothesized that host tolerance to these peptides may impair T helper response and contribute to the low titer, weak hemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibody responses and diminished seroconversion rates that have been observed in human H7N9 infections and vaccine trials. We found that the magnitude of human T effector responses to individual H7N9 peptides was inversely correlated …

8th Vaccine Renaissance: A Creative Nexus For Vaccine Developers, Heather Johnson, Lenny Moise, Austin Menge, Sarah Beseme, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

T Cell Epitope Redundancy: Cross-Conservation Of The Tcr Face Between Pathogens And Self And Its Implications For Vaccines And Auto-Immunity, Leonard Moise, Sarah Beseme, Ryan Tassone, Rui Liu, Farzana Kibria, Francis Terry, William Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

T cells are extensively trained on ‘self’ in the thymus and then move to the periphery, where they seek out and destroy infections and regulate immune response to self-antigens. T cell receptors (TCR) on T cells’ surface recognize T cell epitopes, short linear strings of amino acids presented by antigen-presenting cells. Some of these epitopes activate T effectors, while others activate regulatory T cells. It was recently discovered that T cell epitopes that are highly conserved on their TCR face with human genome sequences are often associated with T cells that regulate immune response. These TCR-cross-conserved or ‘redundant epitopes’ are …

Interaction Of A Dengue Virus Ns1-Derived Peptide With The Inhibitory Receptor Kir3dl1 On Natural Killer Cells, Elizabeth Townsley, Geraldine O'Connor, Cormac Cosgrove, Marcia Woda, Mary Co, Stephen J. Thomas, Siripen Kalayanarooj, In-Kyu Yoon, Ananda Nisalak, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Sharone Green, Henry A. F. Stephens, Emma Gostick, David A. Price, Mary Carrington, Galit Alter, Daniel W. Mcvicar, Alan L. Rothman, Anuja Mathew

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) interact with HLA class I ligands and play a key role in the regulation and activation of NK cells. The functional importance of KIR-HLA interactions has been demonstrated for a number of chronic viral infections, but to date only a few studies have been performed in the context of acute self-limited viral infections. During our investigation of CD8⁺ T cell responses to a conserved HLA-B57-restricted epitope derived from dengue virus (DENV) non-structural protein-1 (NS1), we observed substantial binding of the tetrameric complex to non-T/non-B lymphocytes in PBMC from a long-standing clinical cohort in Thailand. We …

Improving Dengue Virus Capture Rates In Humans And Vectors In Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand, Using An Enhanced Spatiotemporal Surveillance Strategy, Stephen J. Thomas, Jared Aldstadt, Richard G. Jarman, Darunee Buddhari, In-Kyu Yoon, Jason H. Richardson, Alongkot Ponlawat, Sopon Iamsirithaworn, Thomas W. Scott, Alan L. Rothman, Robert V. Gibbons, Louis Lambrechts, Timothy P. Endy

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Dengue is of public health importance in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Dengue virus (DENV) transmission dynamics was studied in Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand, using an enhanced spatiotemporal surveillance of 93 hospitalized subjects with confirmed dengue (initiates) and associated cluster individuals (associates) with entomologic sampling. A total of 438 associates were enrolled from 208 houses with household members with a history of fever, located within a 200-m radius of an initiate case. Of 409 associates, 86 (21%) had laboratory-confirmed DENV infection. A total of 63 (1.8%) of the 3,565 mosquitoes collected were dengue polymerase chain reaction positive (PCR+). There was a …

Time For T? Immunoinformatics Addresses The Challenges Of Vaccine Design For Neglected Tropical And Emerging Infectious Diseases, Francis E. Terry, Leonard Moise, Rebecca Martin, Melissa Torres, Nils Pilotte, Steven Williams, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Vaccines have been invaluable for global health, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs, while also raising the quality of human life. However, newly emerging infectious diseases (EID) and more well-established tropical disease pathogens present complex challenges to vaccine developers; in particular, neglected tropical diseases, which are most prevalent among the world’s poorest, include many pathogens with large sizes, multistage life cycles and a variety of nonhuman vectors. EID such as MERS-CoV and H7N9 are highly pathogenic for humans. For many of these pathogens, while their genomes are available, immune correlates of protection are currently unknown. These complexities make developing vaccines …

Momentum: Research & Innovation For Winter 2015, University Of Rhode Island

Publications (Research and Economic Development)

The Winter 2015 issue of Momentum: Research & Innovation, a periodical focused on research at the University of Rhode Island.

Absence Of Neutralizing Antibodies Against Influenza A/H5n1 Virus Among Children In Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, Benjawan Khuntirat, Christopher S. Love, Darunee Buddhari, Gary L. Heil, Robert V. Gibbons, Alan L. Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Gregory C. Gray, In-Kyu Yoon

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Influenza A/H5N1 actively circulated in Kamphaeng Phet (KPP), Thailand from 2004 to 2006. A prospective longitudinal cohort study of influenza virus infection in 800 adults conducted during 2008–2010 in KPP suggested that subclinical or mild H5N1 infections had occurred among this adult cohort. However, this study was conducted after the peak of H5N1 activity in KPP. Coincidentally, banked serum samples were available from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of primary school children who had undergone active surveillance for febrile illnesses from 2004 to 2007 and lived in the same district of KPP as the adult cohort.

Objectives: We sought …

Maternal Plasma And Breastmilk Viral Loads Are Associated With Hiv-1-Specific Cellular Immune Responses Among Hiv-1-Exposed, Uninfected Infants In Kenya, Amy Y. Liu, Barbara Lohman-Payne, Michael H. Chung, James Kiarie, John Kinuthia, Jennifer Slyker, Barbra Richardson, Dara Lehman, Carey Farquhar, Grace John-Stewart

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Infants exposed to maternal HIV-1 provide an opportunity to assess correlates of HIV-1-specific interferon (IFN)-γ responses and may be informative in the development of HIV-1 vaccines. HIV-1-infected women with CD4 counts 200-500 cells/mm(3) were randomized to short-course zidovudine/nevirapine (ZDV/NVP) or highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) between 2003 and 2005. Maternal plasma and breastmilk HIV-1 RNA and DNA were quantified during the first 6-12 months postpartum. HIV-1 gag peptide-stimulated enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays were conducted in HIV-1-exposed, uninfected infants (EU), and correlates were determined using regression and generalized estimating equations. Among 47 EU infants, 21 (45%) had ≥1 positive ELISPOT result …

Weighing The Facts: A Systematic Review Of Expected Patterns Of Weight Loss In Full-Term, Breastfed Infants, Diane Thulier

College of Nursing Faculty Publications

All breastfeeding infants lose some weight in the early days of life. Conventionally, 5% to 7% loss of birth weight has been accepted as the normal and expected amount of weight loss before infants begin to gain weight steadily. When infants lose more than 7% of their birth weight, breastfeeding adequacy is sometimes questioned and formula supplementation is often given. Despite the fact that 5% to 7% is well known and commonly cited, little reliable evidence exists that supports use of this figure as a guide to practice. A systematic review of studies that focused on infant weight loss was …

Predictive Time Series Analysis Linking Bengal Cholera With Terrestrial Water Storage Measured From Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment Sensors, Antarpreet Jutla, Ali Akanda, Avinash Unnikrishnan, Anwar Huq, Rita Colwell

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, including cholera, are related to floods and droughts in regions where water and sanitation infrastructure are inadequate or insufficient. However, availability of data on water scarcity and abundance in transnational basins, are a prerequisite for developing cholera forecasting systems. With more than a decade of terrestrial water storage (TWS) data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, conditions favorable for predicting cholera occurrence may now be determined. We explored lead–lag relationships between TWS in the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna basin and endemic cholera in Bangladesh. Since bimodal seasonal peaks in cholera in Bangladesh occur during spring and autumn seasons, …

Observed Antagonistic Effect Of Linezolid On Daptomycin Or Vancomycin Activity Against Biofilm-Forming Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus In An In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Model, Megan Luther, L. Laplante

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Pharmacodynamic activity in antibiotic combinations of daptomycin, vancomycin and linezolid was investigated in a 48h in vitro pharmacodynamic model. Using free human-simulated concentrations, activity against clinical biofilm-forming methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates was evaluated. Linezolid antagonized vancomycin activity at 24 and 48h. Linezolid antagonized daptomycin at 24 and 48h depending on dose and strain. Adding daptomycin increased vancomycin activity at 48h (P < 0.03). These results may be strain dependent and require further clinical investigation.

Relevance To Psychology Of Beliefs About Socialism: Some New Research Questions, Bernice Lott

Psychology Faculty Publications

This article aims to stimulate discussion about the potential relevance of the concept of socialism for what we study and the questions we ask. The economic systems of capitalism and socialism are seldom considered subjects of interest in psychology. At this particular time, however, especially in the United States, the relevance of these systems for our theories and research on human behavior, health, and human welfare seem particularly relevant and potentially significant. I argue that discussions of socialism should be helpful in expanding the context of our concerns in psychology and the identification of important new variables. The growing crisis …

Assessing The Pathogenic Cause Of Sea Star Wasting Disease In Asterias Forbesi Along The East Coast Of The United States, Caitlin Jessica Delsesto

Open Access Master's Theses

As keystone predators, sea stars serve to maintain biodiversity and distribution through trophic level interactions in intertidal ecosystems. Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) has caused widespread mass mortality of Asterias forbesi in locations along the Northeast Coast of the US in recent years. A similar disease has been described in several sea star species from the West Coast of the US. Recently, a densovirus has been associated with wasting disease in West Coast sea stars and a few limited samples of A. forbesi. The goal of this research is to describe the pathogenesis of SSWD in A. forbesi and …

Exploration Of Life In Deep Subseafloor Sediments, David C. Smith, Steven D'Hondt

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The scientific ocean drilling community has been retrieving cores from hundreds of meters below the seafloor since the inception of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) in 1968. While microbiological research was not part of the scientific impetus for the creation of DSDP, it became apparent to geochemists that some of the observations in pore water chemistry indicated microbiological activity at great depth (e.g., Claypool and Kaplan, 1974). Site after site yielded profiles of microbiologically relevant compounds (e.g., sulfate, methane) that indicated microbial activity.

An Economic Analysis Of Food Safety And Public Health: Milk Pasteurization In The United States, Huiqiang Wang

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation is a comprehensive economic history study to the public health impacts of milk pasteurization in the United States. It has four major focuses which are included into four chapters. Chapter I is a case study to the public health impact of Chicago’s pasteurization ordinance. This study sets up the causal relationship between milk pasteurization and health outcomes. Chapter II extends the new econometric tool, the synthetic control methods, from a single unit to multiple treated units. This chapter also measures the impacts of pasteurization ordinances in a group of cities. Chapter III is written from an econometric perspective. …

Chemical Investigation Of Candidate Probiotics In Aquaculture And Formulation Of A Probiotic Agent For Oyster Larviculure, Christine Anh Dao

Open Access Dissertations

Aquaculture is a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. The United States is a significant consumer to both fresh and marine aquaculture products. Aquaculture sales in Rhode Island have dramatically increased in the last 20 years. In Rhode Island nearly 4.3 million oysters were produced via aquaculture in 2012. Currently, hatcheries and nurseries in the United States produce large amounts of a variety of species of oysters, clams and scallops. Oysters are filter feeders and are exposed to many microbes in the hatchery. Infectious diseases from bacterial pathogens in the hatcheries can have serious impacts on production. Vibrio species are often responsible …

Ivax: An Integrated Toolkit For The Selection And Optimization Of Antigens And The Design Of Epitope-Driven Vaccines, Leonard Moise, Andres H. Gutierrez, Farzana Kibria, Rebecca Martin, Ryan Tassone, Rui Liu, Francis Terry, William Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Computational vaccine design, also known as computational vaccinology, encompasses epitope mapping, antigen selection and immunogen design using computational tools. The iVAX toolkit is an integrated set of tools that has been in development since 1998 by De Groot and Martin. It comprises a suite of immunoinformatics algorithms for triaging candidate antigens, selecting immunogenic and conserved T cell epitopes, eliminating regulatory T cell epitopes, and optimizing antigens for immunogenicity and protection against disease. iVAX has been applied to vaccine development programs for emerging infectious diseases, cancer antigens and biodefense targets. Several iVAX vaccine design projects have had success in pre-clinical studies …

A Plasmid-Based Reporter System For Live Cell Imaging Of Dengue Infected Cells, Carey L. Medin, Sierra Valois, Chinmay G. Patkar, Alan Rothman

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Cell culture models are used widely to study the effects of dengue virus (DENV) on host cell function. Current methods of identification of cells infected with an unmodified DENV requires fixation and permeablization of cells to allow DENV-specific antibody staining. This method does not permit imaging of viable cells over time. In this report, a plasmid-based reporter was developed to allow non-destructive identification of DENV-infected cells. The plasmid-based reporter was demonstrated to be broadly applicable to the four DENV serotypes, including low-passaged strains, and was specifically cleaved by the viral protease with minimal interference on viral production. This study reveals …

Tuberculosis Interferon-Gamma Responses In The Breast Milk Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Mothers, Lisa Cranmer, Mercy Kanyugo, Barbara Lohman-Payne, Ken Tapia, Grace John-Stewart

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Tuberculosis (TB) cellular immune responses were examined in breastmilk of HIV-infected mothers using the T-SPOT.TB interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). Positive TB IFN-γ responses were detected in 6 of 8 (75%) valid breast milk assays. Among 7 mothers with paired breastmilk and blood assays, TB IFN- γ responses were higher in breastmilk compared to blood (p=.02). The magnitude of TB IFN-γ responses in maternal breastmilk and blood were correlated. Elucidating the influence of breastmilk TB immune responses on infant TB susceptibility and immunity may inform future maternal TB vaccine strategies.

Top 10 Medicinal Plants And Their Groundbreaking Impact On Modern Medicine, Jordan N. Patterson, Joan Marie Lausier

Senior Honors Projects

This paper describes ten plants that having been groundbreaking drugs in the past century that were all derived from plants. I chose to do my project on this topic because of my family’s history with natural medicine. In 1999 my mother was diagnosed with Bile Duct cancer and the doctors gave her only a couple of weeks to live. The doctors recommended chemotherapy and radiation, but the results seemed negative for the situation. After some extensive research, my parents found St. Georges Medicinal Wellness Center located in the tiny village of Bad Aibling, Germany. This hospital along with offering traditional …

Dengue Virus Neutralizing Antibody Levels Associated With Protection From Infection In Thai Cluster Studies, Darunee Buddhari, Jared Aldstadt, Timothy P. Endy, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Butsaya Thaisomboonsuk, Chonticha Klungthong, Ananda Nisalak, Benjawan Khuntirat, Richard G. Jarman, Stefan Fernandez, Stephen J. Thomas, Thomas W. Scott, Alan Rothman, In-Kyu Yoon

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background

Long-term homologous and temporary heterologous protection from dengue virus (DENV) infection may be mediated by neutralizing antibodies. However, neutralizing antibody titers (NTs) have not been clearly associated with protection from infection.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Data from two geographic cluster studies conducted in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand were used for this analysis. In the first study (2004–2007), cluster investigations of 100-meter radius were triggered by DENV-infected index cases from a concurrent prospective cohort. Subjects between 6 months and 15 years old were evaluated for DENV infection at days 0 and 15 by DENV PCR and IgM ELISA. In the second study (2009–2012), …

The Spatial Dynamics Of Dengue Virus In Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand, Piraya Bhoomiboonchoo, Robert V. Gibbons, Angkana Huang, In-Kyu Yoon, Darunee Buddhari, Ananda Nisalak, Natkamol Chansatiporn, Mathuros Thipayamongkolgul, Siripen Kalanarooj, Timothy Endy, Alan Rothman, Anon Srikiatkhachorn, Sharone Green, Mammen P. Mammen, Derek A. Cummings, Henrik Salje

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Dengue is endemic to the rural province of Kamphaeng Phet, Northern Thailand. A decade of prospective cohort studies has provided important insights into the dengue viruses and their generated disease. However, as elsewhere, spatial dynamics of the pathogen remain poorly understood. In particular, the spatial scale of transmission and the scale of clustering are poorly characterized. This information is critical for effective deployment of spatially targeted interventions and for understanding the mechanisms that drive the dispersal of the virus.

Methodology/Principal Findings: We geocoded the home locations of 4,768 confirmed dengue cases admitted to the main hospital in Kamphaeng Phet …