@article {756, title = {Genetic diversity of ixodid ticks parasitizing eastern mouse and dwarf lemurs in Madagascar, with descriptions of the larva, nymph and male of Ixodes lemuris (Acari: Ixodidae).}, journal = {J Parasitol}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Aug 27}, abstract = {Abstract The ixodid ticks parasitizing small-bodied nocturnal mouse and dwarf lemurs (Primates, Cheirogaleidae) in Madagascar are poorly documented. At Tsinjoarivo, a high-altitude eastern rainforest, mouse and dwarf lemurs were parasitized by ticks of the genus Ixodes. At Ranomafana, a montane southeastern rainforest, dwarf lemurs hosted ticks of the genus Ixodes, whereas mouse lemurs were parasitized by ticks of the genus Haemaphysalis. Our Ixodes specimens represent all active stages and females are morphologically consistent with previous descriptions of Ixodes lemuris females, the only described stage in the literature. Morphological comparisons and genetic analysis using fragments of COI gene confirm all Ixodes ticks from Tsinjoarivo and Ranomafana forests belong to the same species, i.e., Ixodes lemuris. Thus, we are able to provide descriptions of the previously unknown larva, nymph and male. Mouse lemurs at both locations were parasitized only by immature stages of Ixodes lemuris (at Tsinjoarivo) or Haemaphysalis lemuris (at Ranomafana) whereas dwarf lemurs were parasitized by all stages of Ixodes lemuris. We suggest that ecological and biogeographical conditions may affect the pattern of tick infestation at Tsinjoarivo and Ranomafana. Additional studies are necessary to understand the tick-host associations of small-bodied nocturnal lemurs.}, issn = {1937-2345}, doi = {10.1645/GE-3183.1}, author = {Blanco, Marina Beatriz and Elfawal, Mostafa A and Durden, Lance A and Beati, Lorenza and Xu, Guang and Godfrey, Laurie R and Rich, Stephen M} } @article {760, title = {Resolving the phylogeny of malaria parasites.}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, volume = {108}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Aug 9}, pages = {12973-4}, keywords = {Animals, Evolution, Molecular, Malaria, Parasites}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1110141108}, author = {Rich, Stephen M and Xu, Guang} } @article {768, title = {Correlation between tick density and pathogen endemicity, New Hampshire.}, journal = {Emerg Infect Dis}, volume = {15}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Apr}, pages = {585-7}, abstract = {To assess the endemicity of tick-borne pathogens in New Hampshire, we surveyed adult tick vectors. Pathogens were more prevalent in areas of high tick density, suggesting a correlation between tick establishment and pathogen endemicity. Infection rates in ticks correlated with disease frequency in humans.}, keywords = {Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Animals, Arachnid Vectors, Babesia microti, Babesiosis, Biosurveillance, Borrelia burgdorferi, Communicable Diseases, Emerging, Ehrlichiosis, Humans, Ixodes, Lyme Disease, New Hampshire}, issn = {1080-6059}, doi = {10.3201/eid1504.080940}, author = {Walk, Seth T and Xu, Guang and Stull, Jason W and Rich, Stephen M} } @article {767, title = {The origin of malignant malaria.}, journal = {Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A}, volume = {106}, year = {2009}, month = {2009 Sep 1}, pages = {14902-7}, abstract = {Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malignant malaria, is among the most severe human infectious diseases. The closest known relative of P. falciparum is a chimpanzee parasite, Plasmodium reichenowi, of which one single isolate was previously known. The co-speciation hypothesis suggests that both parasites evolved separately from a common ancestor over the last 5-7 million years, in parallel with the divergence of their hosts, the hominin and chimpanzee lineages. Genetic analysis of eight new isolates of P. reichenowi, from wild and wild-born captive chimpanzees in Cameroon and C{\^o}te d{\textquoteright}Ivoire, shows that P. reichenowi is a geographically widespread and genetically diverse chimpanzee parasite. The genetic lineage comprising the totality of global P. falciparum is fully included within the much broader genetic diversity of P. reichenowi. This finding is inconsistent with the co-speciation hypothesis. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that all extant P. falciparum populations originated from P. reichenowi, likely by a single host transfer, which may have occurred as early as 2-3 million years ago, or as recently as 10,000 years ago. The evolutionary history of this relationship may be explained by two critical genetic mutations. First, inactivation of the CMAH gene in the human lineage rendered human ancestors unable to generate the sialic acid Neu5Gc from its precursor Neu5Ac, and likely made humans resistant to P. reichenowi. More recently, mutations in the dominant invasion receptor EBA 175 in the P. falciparum lineage provided the parasite with preference for the overabundant Neu5Ac precursor, accounting for its extreme human pathogenicity.}, keywords = {Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Glycoproteins, Humans, Malaria, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutation, N-Acetylneuraminic Acid, Pan troglodytes, Phylogeny, Plasmodium, Plasmodium falciparum, Protozoan Infections, Animal, Protozoan Proteins, Sequence Alignment}, issn = {1091-6490}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.0907740106}, author = {Rich, Stephen M and Leendertz, Fabian H and Xu, Guang and LeBreton, Matthew and Djoko, Cyrille F and Aminake, Makoah N and Takang, Eric E and Diffo, Joseph L D and Pike, Brian L and Rosenthal, Benjamin M and Formenty, Pierre and Boesch, Christophe and Ayala, Francisco J and Wolfe, Nathan D} }