Ab that arise in the absence of T cell help are a critical host defense against infection with the spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii. We have previously shown that CD1d-deficient (CD1d(-/-)) mice have impaired resistance to infection with B. burgdorferi. In mice, CD1d expression is highest on marginal zone B (MZB) cells, which produce Ab to blood-borne Ag. In this study we e...

Ticks are unique among hematophagous arthropods by continuous attachment to host skin and blood feeding for days; complexity and diversity of biologically active molecules differentially expressed in saliva of tick species; their ability to modulate the host defenses of pain and itch, hemostasis, inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, and wound healing; and, the diverse array of infectious...

Vector-borne infections begin in the dermis when a pathogen is introduced by an arthropod during a blood meal. Several barriers separate an invading pathogen from its replicative niche, including phagocytic cells in the dermis that activate immunity by engulfing would-be pathogens and migrating to the lymph node. In addition, neutrophils circulating in the blood are rapidly recruited when the d...

Zoonotic diseases are a looming threat to global populations, and nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases can spread among wildlife, domestic animals and humans. A 'One World, One Health' perspective offers us an ideal framework for understanding and potentially mitigating the spread of zoonoses, and the island of Madagascar serves as a natural laboratory for conducting these studies. Rapid ...

Powassan virus lineage II (POWV) is an emerging tick-borne neurotropic pathogen, transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Ixodes scapularis ticks. In United States, disease most prevalent in Northeast and upper Midwest occurs mostly during spring summer months when tick activity highest. Some patients with POWV develop severe encephalitis, high mortality. We report case a 42-year-old healt...

Since November 2015, Puerto Rico has reported active mosquito-borne transmission of Zika virus. Because of the potential for Zika virus to be transmitted through transfusion of blood components, and because a high percentage of persons infected with Zika virus are asymptomatic, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that blood collections cease in areas of the United States affected...

Tick-pathogen-host interactions have been closely studied to understand the molecular mechanisms of pathogen transmission for tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, babesiosis, spotted fever diseases, and Tick-borne encephalitis, among others. Such studies have yielded insights into disease processes and have identified promising candidates for vaccines against tick-borne diseases (Dai et...

INTRODUCTION Two species of Ehrlichia are known to cause human illness. Several other species have been discovered in ticks and animals, and recent reports suggest that some of these Ehrlichia species might be human pathogens. We report here the first association of a recently discovered pathogen, the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species, with a case of human illness. CASE PRESENTATION A 31-year...

Three pathogens account for most cases of occupationally acquired blood-borne infection: hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The highest proportion of occupational transmission is due to percutaneous injury (PI) via hollow-bore needles with vascular access. We briefly review prevention and management of blood-borne pathogens in health care wo...