Veterinary Infectious Diseases Commons^™

Cd21-Positive Follicular Dendritic Cells A Possible Source Of PrpSc In Lymph Node Macrophages Of Scrapie-Infected Sheep, Lynn M. Herrmann, William P. Cheevers, William C. Davis, Donald P. Knowles, Katherine I. O'Rourke

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Natural sheep scrapie is a prion disease characterized by the accumulation of PrP^Sc in brain and lymphoid tissues. Previous studies suggested that lymph node macrophages and follicular dendritic cells (FDC) accumulate PrP^Sc. In this study, lymph nodes were analyzed for the presence of PrP^Sc and macrophage or FDC markers using dual immunohistochemistry. A monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the C-terminus of PrP reacted with CD172a+ macrophages and CD21+ FDC processes in secondary follicles. However, a PrP N-terminus- specific mAb reacted with CD21+ FDC processes but not CD172a+ macrophages in secondary follicles. Neither the PrP N-terminus nor C-terminus-specific …

Immunohistochemical Detection And Distribution Of Prion Protein In A Goat With Natural Scrapie, Reginald A. Valdez, Matthew J. Rock, Anne K. Anderson, Katherine I. O'Rourke

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from a 3-year-old female Angora goat suffering from clinical scrapie were immunostained after hydrated autoclaving using a monoclonal antibody (mAb, F99/ 97.6.1; IgG1) specific for a conserved epitope on the prion protein. Widespread and prominent deposition of the scrapie isoform of the prion protein (PrP^Sc) was observed in the brain, brainstem, spinal cord, retina, postganglionic neurons associated with parasympathetic ganglia of myenteric and submucosal plexuses, Peyer’s patches, peripheral lymph nodes, and pharyngeal and palatine tonsils. The goat was homozygous for PrP alleles encoding 5 octapeptide repeat sequences in the N-terminal region of the prion …

A Prion Protein Epitope Selective For The Pathologically Misfolded Conformation, Eustache Paramithiotis, Marc Pinard, Trebor Lawton, Sylvie Laboissiere, Valerie I. Leathers, Wen-Quan Zou, Lisa A. Estey, Julie Lamontagne, Marty T. Lehto, Leslie H. Kondejewski, Gregory P. Francoeur, Maria Papadopoulos, Ashkan Haghighat, Stephen J. Spatz, Mark Head, Robert Will, James Ironside, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Quentin Tonelli, Harry C. Ledebur, Avi Chakrabartty, Neil R. Cashman

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Conformational conversion of proteins in disease is likely to be accompanied by molecular surface exposure of previously sequestered amino-acid side chains. We found that induction of β-sheet structures in recombinant prion proteins is associated with increased solvent accessibility of tyrosine. Antibodies directed against the prion protein repeat motif, tyrosine-tyrosinearginine, recognize the pathological isoform of the prion protein but not the normal cellular isoform, as assessed by immunoprecipitation, plate capture immunoassay and flow cytometry. Antibody binding to the pathological epitope is saturable and specific, and can be created in vitro by partial denaturation of normal brain prion protein. Conformation-selective exposure of …

Properties Of A Disease-Specific Prion Probe, Guy Gorochov, Jean-Phillippe Deslys, Eustache Paramithiotis, Marc Pinard, Trebor Lawton, Sylvie Laboissiere, Valerie L. Leathers, Wen-Quan Zou, Lisa A. Estey, Julie Lamontagne, Marty T. Lehto, Leslie H. Kondejewski, Gregory P. Francoeur, Maria Paoadopoulos, Ashkan Haghighat, Stephen J. Spatz, Mark Head, Robert Will, James Ironside, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Quentin Tonelli, Harry C. Ledebur, Avi Chakrabartty, Neil R. Cashman

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

In a recently published article, Paramithiotis et al. describe antibodies specific for the prion Tyr-Tyr-Arg (YYR) repeat motif. These antibodies interact with the pathological isoform of the prion protein (PrP^SC), but not with the normal cellular isoform (Prp^C). Because of this restricted specificity, they suggest that YYR-specific antibodies could be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of prion diseases (Fig. O. The monoclonal antibodies, all of the IgM isotype, were produced by immunizing mice with a synthetic peptide (CYYRRYYRYY). When coupled to magnetic beads, these YYR-specific antibodies immunoprecipitate Prp^sc much more efficiently than Prp^{C …}

Monte Carlo Assessments Of Goodness-Of-Fit For Ecological Simulation Models, Lance A. Waller, David Smith, James E. Childs, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

One often develops stochastic ecologic simulation models based on local interactions between individuals or groups and bases systemic conclusions on trends summarized over multiple data sets generated from the model. In many cases, such models generate data sets (“realizations”) each violating the usual assumptions associated with traditional statistical tests of goodness-of-fit, most notably that of independent observations. Monte Carlo hypothesis tests applied to multiple realizations from such models provide appropriate goodness-of-fit tests regardless of within-model peculiarities. The Monte Carlo tests address the question “Do the observed data appear consistent with the model?” in contrast to the usual question “Does the …

Abundant PrpCwd In Tonsil From Mule Deer With Preclinical Chronic Wasting Disease, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Dongyue Zhuang, Amy Lyda, Gabriel Gomez, Elizabeth S. Williams, Wenbin Tuo, Michael W. Miller

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

A monoclonal antibody dot-blot assay was used to evaluate detergent lysates of tonsil tissue from mule deer to detect PrP^CWD, the marker for the cervid transmissible spongiform encephalopathy chronic wasting disease (CWD). Samples of formalin-fixed brain and tonsil tissues from mule deer were examined for PrP^CWD using immunohistochemistry (IHC) with Mab F99/97.6.1, the gold standard for diagnosis of preclinical CWD. The contralateral tonsil from each of the 143 deer was prepared for confirmatory IHC and as a 10% (wt/vol) detergent lysate without purification or enrichment steps for monoclonal antibody dot-blot assay. PrP^CWD was detected by dot-blot …

A Priori Prediction Of Disease Invasion Dynamics In A Novel Environment, Colin A. Russell, David L. Smith, Lance A. Waller, James E. Childs, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Directly transmitted infectious diseases spread through wildlife populations as travelling waves away from the sites of original introduction. These waves often become distorted through their interaction with environmental and population heterogeneities and by long-distance translocation of infected individuals. Accurate a priori predictions of travelling waves of infection depend upon understanding and quantifying these distorting factors. We assess the effects of anisotropies arising from the orientation of rivers in relation to the direction of disease-front propagation and the damming effect of mountains on disease movement in natural populations. The model successfully predicts the local and large-scale prevaccination spread of raccoon rabies …

Predicting The Spatial Dynamics Of Rabies Epidemics On Heterogeneous Landscapes, David L. Smith, Brendan Lucey, Lance A. Waller, James E. Childs, Leslie A. Real

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Often as an epidemic spreads, the leading front is irregular, reflecting spatial variation in local transmission rates. We developed a methodology for quantifying spatial variation in rates of disease spread across heterogeneous landscapes. Based on data for epidemic raccoon rabies in Connecticut, we developed a stochastic spatial model of rabies spread through the state’s 169 townships. We quantified spatial variation in transmission rates associated with human demography and key habitat features. We found that large rivers act as semipermeable barriers, leading to a 7-fold reduction in the local rates of propagation. By combining the spatial distribution of major rivers with …

The Federal Role In Regulating Alternative Livestock Operations, Jose R. Diez, Mike Gilsdorf, Robert Werge

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

This paper discusses one aspect of federal regulation for alternative livestock, namely that concerned with the health status of animal agriculture. Federal responsibility for animal health programs rests with Veterinary Services (VS), a unit of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The objective of this paper is to briefly describe three aspects ofVS' policy that have a potential to impact alternative livestock as well as free ranging wildlife. These are (1) using cooperative state-federal programs to eliminate diseases in alternative livestock, (2) collaborating on health issues with a …

Preclinical Diagnosis Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Captive Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) And White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Using Tonsillar Biopsy, Margaret A. Wild, Terry R. Spraker, Christina J. Sigurdson, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Michael W. Miller

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The usefulness of tonsillar biopsy on live deer for preclinical diagnosis of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy chronic wasting disease (CWD) was evaluated. Disease was tracked in a CWD-endemic herd using serial tonsillar biopsies collected at 6 to 9 month intervals from 34 captive mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and five white-tailed deer (O. virginianus). Tonsillar biopsies were examined for accumulation of PrP^CWD, the protein marker for infection, using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. 26/34 (76%) mule deer and 4/5 (80%) white-tailed deer had PrP^CWD accumulation in tonsillar biopsies; CWD was subsequently confirmed by post-mortem examination in …

Validation Of Monoclonal Antibody F99/97.6.1 For Immunohistochemical Staining Of Brain And Tonsil In Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) With Chronic Wasting Disease, T. R. Spraker, Katherine I. O'Rourke, A. Balachandran, R. R. Zink, B. A. Cummings, M. W. Miller, B. E. Powers

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

A new monoclonal antibody (MAb), F99/97.6.1, that has been used to demonstrate scrapieassociated prion protein PrP^Sc in brain and lymphoid tissues of domestic sheep with scrapie was used in an immunohistochemistry assay for diagnosis of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). The MAb F99/97.6.1 immunohistochemistry assay was evaluated in brain and tonsil tissue from 100 mule deer that had spongiform encephalopathy compatible with CWD and from 1,050 mule deer outside the CWD-endemic area. This MAb demonstrated abnormal protease-resistant prion protein (PrP^res) in brains of all of the 100 mule deer and in …

Pregnancy Status And Fetal Prion Genetics Determine PrpSc Accumulation In Placentomes Of Scrapieinfected Sheep, Wenbin Tuo, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Dongyue Zhuang, William P. Cheevers, Terry R. Spraker, Donald P. Knowles

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Ovine scrapie is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that may be transmitted through exposure to infected uterine and placental tissues. Susceptibility to scrapie is primarily controlled by polymorphisms in the prion protein (PrP) gene. Scrapie in the U.S. Suffolk breed and in many breeds in Europe occurs in sheep homozygous for glutamine (171QQ), but rarely in sheep heterozygous for glutamine and arginine (171QR) or homozygous for arginine (171RR) at codon 171 of the PrP gene. This study demonstrated that accumulation of PrP^Sc in uterine-placental epithelial cells in the placentome was determined by fetal PrP genotype and the pregnancy status of …

Active Surveillance For Scrapie By Third Eyelid Biopsy And Genetic Susceptibility Testing Of Flocks Of Sheep In Wyoming, Katherine I. O'Rourke, John V. Duncan, James R. Logan, Anne K. Anderson, Dianne K. Norden, Elizabeth S. Williams, Bret A. Combs, Robert H. Stobart, Gary E. Moss, Diane L. Sutton

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Control of scrapie, an ovine transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disorder, has been hampered by the lack of conventional antemortem diagnostic tests. Currently, scrapie is diagnosed by postmortem examination of the brain and lymphoid tissues for PrP^Sc, the protein marker for this group of disorders. For live, asymptomatic sheep, diagnosis using tonsil or third-eyelid lymphoid tissue biopsy and PrP^Sc assay has been described. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of third-eyelid testing for identification of infected flocks and individual infected sheep, 690 sheep from 22 flocks were sampled by third-eyelid lymphoid tissue biopsy and immunohistochemistry. Sheep were …

Comparison Of Histological Lesions And Immunohistochemical Staining Of Proteinase-Resistant Prion Protein In A Naturally Occurring Spongiform Encephalopathy Of Free-Ranging Mule Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus) With Those Of Chronic Wasting Disease Of Captive Mule Deer, T. R. Spraker, R. R. Zink, B. A. Cummings, M. A. Wild, M. W. Miller, Katherine I. O'Rourke

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

In this investigation, the nature and distribution of histologic lesions and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) of a proteinase-resistant prion protein were compared in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) dying of a naturally occurring spongiform encephalopathy (SE) and captive mule deer dying of chronic wasting disease (CWD). Sixteen free-ranging deer with SE, 12 free-ranging deer without SE, and 10 captive deer with CWD were examined at necropsy. Tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and duplicate sections were stained with a monoclonal antibody (F89/160.1.5). Histological lesions in the freeranging deer with SE and captive deer with CWD were found …

Capitalism And The Value Of Life: Foot-And-Mouth And The Culling Of Herds, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some psychological implications of culling as an intervention to help combat the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Trends. The Psycho-Politics Of Foot In Mouth On Foot In Mouth: Pigs, Sheep, Cows, Politicians On The Animal Farm, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article discusses agricultural policy in the United Kingdom regarding foot and mouth disease of cloven-hoofed animals.

Infections With Ehrlichia Chaffeensis And Ehrlichia Ewingii In Persons Coinfected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Christopher D. Paddock, Scott M. Folk, G. Merrill Shore, Linda J. Machado, Mark M. Huycke, Leonard N. Slater, Allison M. Liddell, Richard S. Buller, Gregory A. Storch, Thomas P. Monson, David Rimland, John W. Sumner, Joseph Singleton, Karen C. Bloch, Yi-Wei Tang, Steven M. Standaert, James E. Childs

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The clinical course and laboratory valuation of 21 patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Ehrlichia chaffeensis or Ehrlichia ewingii are reviewed and summarized, including 13 cases of ehrlichiosis caused by E. chaffeensis, 4 caused by E. ewingii, and 4 caused by either E. chaffeensis or E. ewingii. Twenty patients were male, and the median CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count was 137 cells/μL. Exposures to infecting ticks were linked to recreational pursuits, occupations, and peridomestic activities. For 8 patients, a diagnosis of ehrlichiosis was not considered until ≥4 days after presentation. Severe manifestations occurred more frequently …

Prospective Assesment Of The Etiology Of Acute Febrile Illness After A Tick Bite In Slovenia, Stanka Lotric-Furlan, Miroslav Petrovec, Tatjana Avsic-Zupanc, William L. Nicholson, John W. Sumner, James E. Childs, Franc Strle

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

A prospective study established the etiology of febrile illnesses in residents of Slovenia that occurred within 6 weeks after a tick bite. A combination of laboratory and clinical criteria identified 64 (49.2%) of 130 patients as having confirmed, probable, or possible cases of tickborne disease during 1995 and 1996. Of the 130 patients, 36 (27.7%) had laboratory evidence of tickborne encephalitis, all of whom had clinically confirmed disease. Evidence of infection with Borreliab urgdorfersie sensu lato was identified in 26 patients; 10 (7.7%) had confirmed Lyme borreliosis. Of 22 patients with evidence of Ehrlichiap hagocytophila infection, 4 (3.1%) had confirmed …

Analysis Of Risk Factors For Fatal Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: Evidence For Superiority Of Tetracyclines For Therapy, Robert C. Holman, Christopher D. Paddock, Aaron T. Curns, John W. Krebs, Jennifer H. Mcquiston, James E. Childs

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of fatal and nonfatal cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) were compared to identify risk factors for death caused by this disease. Confirmed and probable RMSF cases reported through US national surveillance for 1981- 1998 were analyzed. Among 6388 RMSF patients, 213 died (annual case-fatality rate, 3M; range, 4.9 % in 1982 to 1.1 % in 1996). Use of tetracycline-class antibiotics for treatment of RMSF increased significantly in the 1990s, compared with use in the 1980s. Older patients, patients treated with chloramphenicol only, patients for whom tetracycline antibiotics were not the primary therapy, and patients …

Prp-C And Prp-Sc At The Fetal-Maternal Interface, Wenbin Tuo, Dongyue Zhuang, Donald P. Knowles, William P. Cheevers, Man-Sun Sy, Katherine I. O'Rourke

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Scrapie is a naturally occurring prion (PrP) disease causing a fatal neurodegenerative disorder in sheep and goats. Previous studies suggest that scrapie is transmitted naturally through exposure to the scrapie agent in wasted placentas of infected ewes. This study determined the distribution and biochemical properties of PrP cellular (PrP-C) and the distribution of PrP scrapie (PrP-Sc) in reproductive, placental, and selected fetal tissues and fetal fluids in sheep. Glycosylated, N-terminally truncated, proteinase K-sensitive PrP-C with apparent molecular masses of 23–37 kDa was present in reproductive, placental, and fetal tissues and fetal fluids. PrP-C was low or undetectable in intercotyledonary chorioallantois, …

Immunohistochemical Detection Of Scrapie Prion Proteins In Clinically Normal Sheep In Pennsylvania, Hyun Kim, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Mark Walter, H. Graham Purchase, John Enck, Tae Kyun Shin

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Following diagnosis of scrapie in a clinically suspect Suffolk sheep, 7 clinically normal flockmates were purchased by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to determine their scrapie status using an immunohistochemical procedure. Two of the 7 euthanized healthy sheep had positive immunohistochemical staining of the prion protein of scrapie (PrP-Sc) in their brains, nictitating membranes, and tonsils. The PrP-Sc was localized in the areas of the brain where, histopathologically, there was neurodegeneration and astrocytosis. The PrP-Sc occurred within germinal centers of the affected nictitating membranes and tonsils and was located in the cytoplasm of the dendrite-like cells, lymphoid cells, and macrophages. …

Preliminary Findings On The Experimental Transmission Of Chronic Wasting Disease Agent Of Mule Deer To Cattle, Amir N. Hamir, Randall C. Cutlip, Janice M. Miller, Elizabeth S. Williams, Mick J. Stack, Michael W. Miller, Katherine I. O'Rourke, Melanie J. Chaplin

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

To determine the transmissibility of chronic wasting disease (CWD) to cattle and to provide information about clinical course, lesions, and suitability of currently used diagnostic procedures for detection of CWD in cattle, 13 calves were inoculated intracerebrally with brain suspension from mule deer naturally affected with CWD. Between 24 and 27 months postinoculation, 3 animals became recumbent and were euthanized. Gross necropsies revealed emaciation in 2 animals and a large pulmonary abscess in the third. Brains were examined for protease-resistant prion protein (PrP^res) by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting and for scrapie-associated fibrils (SAFs) by negative-stain electron microscopy. Microscopic …

Arbovirus Infection Increases With Group Size, Charles R. Brown, Nicholas Komar, Sunita B. Quick, Rajni A. Sethi, Nicholas A. Panella, Mary Bromberger Brown, Martin Pfeffer

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Buggy Creek (BCR) virus is an arthropod-borne alphavirus that is naturally transmitted to its vertebrate host the cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) by an invertebrate vector, namely the cimicid swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius). We examined how the prevalence of the virus varied with the group size of both its vector and host. The study was conducted in southwestern Nebraska where cliff swallows breed in colonies ranging from one to 3700 nests and the bug populations at a site vary directly with the cliff swallow colony size. The percentage of cliff swallow nests containing bugs infected with BCR …

Quarantine And Health Screening Protocols For Wildlife Prior To Translocation And Release Into The Wild, Michael H. Woodford

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

In recent years the translocation and release into the wild of wild-caught and captive-bred wild animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish) has become a common practice, ostensibly for rehabilitation or conservation purposes. These wild animals comprise many varied taxa and the objectives of translocation and release may include:
(1) reintroducing a species that has become extinct in its natural range;
(2) restocking or reinforcing a population which has become depleted; and
(3) rehabilitating wild animals and birds which have been illegally captured and subsequently confiscated by Customs or national wildlife authorities. Welfare organizations also receive sick and injured wild …

Predicting The Local Dynamics Of Epizootic Rabies Among Raccoons In The United States, James E. Childs, Aaron T. Curns, Meghan E. Dey, Leslie A. Real, Lisa Feinstein, Ottar N. Bjørnstad, John W. Krebs

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Mathematical models have been developed to explore the population dynamics of viral diseases among wildlife. However, assessing the predictions stemming from these models with wildlife databases adequate in size and temporal duration is uncommon. An epizootic of raccoon rabies that began in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States in the late 1970s has developed into one of the largest and most extensive in the history of wildlife rabies. We analyzed the dynamics of local epizootics at the county level by examining a database spanning more than 20 years and including 35,387 rabid raccoons. The size, number, and periodicity of …

Ceftriaxone-Resistant Salmonella Infection Acquired By A Child From Cattle, Paul D. Fey, Thomas J. Safranek, Mark E. Rupp, Eileen F. Dunne, Efrain Ribot, Peter C. Iwen, Patricia A. Bradford, Frederick J. Angulo, Steven H. Hinrichs

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Background
The emergence of resistance to antimicrobial agents within the salmonellae is a worldwide problem that has been associated with the use of antibiotics in livestock. Resistance to ceftriaxone and the fluoroquinolones, which are used to treat invasive salmonella infections, is rare in the United States. We analyzed the molecular characteristics of a ceftriaxone-resistant strain of Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium isolated from a 12-year-old boy with fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
Methods
We used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and analysis of plasmids and β-lactamases to compare the ceftriaxone-resistant S. enterica serotype typhimurium from the child with four isolates of this strain …

Bulletin 4394 - Exotic Diseases - Sheep And Goats, Agriculture Western Australia

Bulletins 4000 -

An exotic disease is a disease which does not occur in Australia.

If an exotic disease did occur in Australia it would cause production losses, stock deaths and stop exports of primary production. When export markets are lost they can only be re-established once it is proven the disease is eradicated. Some exotic diseases may be transmitted to humans

Prevalence Of Antibody To Hepatitis E Virus Among Rodents In The United States, Michael O. Favorov, Michael Y. Kosoy, Sergei A. Tsarev, James E. Childs, Harold S. Margolis

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

The recent identification of antibody to hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs, sheep, and cattle and characterization of an HEV isolated from domestic pigs suggest animal reservoirs for this virus. To investigate whether rodents might be a natural reservoir of HEV, the prevalence of anti-HEV was determined among a variety of species throughout the United States. Serum samples were obtained from 806 rodents of 26 species in 15 genera. Anti-HEV prevalence was assessed by 2 EIAs (mosaic protein- and 55-kDa protein-based), which gave concordant results. The highest prevalence of antibody was found in the genus Rattus (59.7%; 66/278). Overall, rodents …

Incidence Of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Among American Indians In Oklahoma, Jennifer H. Mcquiston, Robert C. Holman, Amy V. Groom, Stephen F. Kaufman, James E. Cheek, James E. Childs

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Althought he state of Oklahoma has traditionally reported very high incidence rates of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) cases, the incidence of RMSF among the American Indian population of the state has not been studied. The authors used data from several sources to estimate the incidence of RMSF among American Indians in Oklahoma.

Primary Isolation Of Ehrlichia Chaffeensis From Patients With Febrile Illnesses: Clinical And Molecular Characteristics, Steven M. Standaert, Tina Yu, Margie A. Scott, James E. Childs, Christopher D. Paddock, William L. Nicholson, Joseph Singleton Jr., Martin J. Blaser

Zoonotics and Wildlife Disease: Publications

Ehrlichia chaffeensis was sought among patients with a history of tick exposure and fever, and the accuracy of other diagnostic tests was compared with that of primary isolation. Among the 38 patients enrolled, E. chaffeensis was isolated from the blood of 7 (18%) and from cerebrospinal fluid specimens of 2 of these 7. All 7 patients also were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of blood, and 6 patients developed diagnostic titers of antibody to E. chaffeensis. The isolates were characterized by molecular analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, the 120-kDa protein gene, and the variable-length PCR target (VLPT) …