Project description:We observed an increase in the ratio of pathogenic Babesia microti to B. odocoilei in adult Ixodes scapularis ticks in Maine. Risk for babesiosis was associated with adult tick abundance, Borrelia burgdorferi infection prevalence, and Lyme disease incidence. Our findings may help track risk and increase the focus on blood supply screening.
Project description:Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoan Babesia microti. Its geographic distribution is more limited than that of Lyme disease, despite sharing the same tick vector and reservoir hosts. The geographic range of babesiosis is expanding, but knowledge of its range is incomplete and relies exclusively on reports of human cases. We evaluated the utility of tick-based surveillance for monitoring disease expansion by comparing the ratios of the 2 infections in humans and ticks in areas with varying B. microti endemicity. We found a close association between human disease and tick infection ratios in long-established babesiosis-endemic areas but a lower than expected incidence of human babesiosis on the basis of tick infection rates in new disease-endemic areas. This finding suggests that babesiosis at emerging sites is underreported. Vector-based surveillance can provide an early warning system for the emergence of human babesiosis.
Project description:Incidence of Legionnaires' disease is increasing, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic states in the United States; since 2015, New Jersey has documented ≈250-350 legionellosis cases per year. We used SaTScan software to develop a semiautomated surveillance tool for prospectively detecting legionellosis clusters in New Jersey. We varied temporal window size and baseline period to evaluate optimal parameter selections. The surveillance system detected 3 community clusters of Legionnaires' disease that were subsequently investigated. Other, smaller clusters were detected, but standard epidemiologic data did not identify common sources or new cases. The semiautomated processing is straightforward and replicable in other jurisdictions, likely by persons with even basic programming skills.
Project description:This study tested associations between observed neighborhood physical disorder and tobacco use, alcohol binging, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among a large population-based sample from an urban area of the United States. Individual-level data of this cross-sectional study were from adult respondents of the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011-2016 (n = 62,476). Zip code tabulation area-level observed neighborhood physical disorder were from virtual audits of 23,276 locations. Tobacco use (current cigarette smoking or chewing tobacco, snuff, or snus use), monthly binge drinking occasions (5+/4+ drinks per occasion among males/females), and monthly sugar-sweetened beverages consumed were self-reported. Logistic and negative binomial regression models were used to generate odds ratios, prevalence rate ratios (PRR), 95 % confidence intervals (CI) by levels of physical disorder. Compared to the lowest quartile, residence in the second (PRR: 1.16; 95 % CI: 1.03, 1.13), third (PRR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.10, 1.40), and fourth (highest) quartile of physical disorder (PRR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.10, 1.40) was associated with higher monthly sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Associations involving tobacco use and alcohol binging were mixed. Observed neighborhood disorder might be associated with unhealthy behaviors, especially sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
Project description:The national influenza surveillance in New Zealand is an essential public health component for assessing and implementing strategies to control influenza.The aim of this study is to report the national influenza surveillance data collected during 1997-2006 in terms of the community disease burden, circulating viral strains, hospitalisations, mortality, and immunisation coverage.The national influenza surveillance system includes sentinel general practice surveillance, laboratory-based surveillance, and hospital admission and mortality surveillance and immunisation coverage. The results obtained during 1997-2006 were analysed.When the last 10 years were compared to the previous years, sentinel general practice surveillance recorded a decreasing trend of influenza-like illness rates in the community. Sentinel surveillance also showed that children aged 0-4 years were the most affected. Influenza-related hospitalisation surveillance reported an increasing trend of hospital admissions particularly in children aged 0-19 years. Introduction of routine influenza vaccination among the New Zealand elderly was associated with a significant decrease of influenza-related mortality.This report demonstrates that an integrated virological and epidemiological surveillance system for influenza is essential for monitoring the disease burden, identifying circulating strains, guiding effective vaccination and planning for a potential pandemic.
Project description:Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne disease in the United States. During October 2011-January 2013, we conducted surveillance for norovirus infection in Minnesota among callers to a complaint-based foodborne illness hotline who reported diarrhea or vomiting. Of 241 complainants tested, 127 (52.7%) were positive for norovirus.
Project description:The dataset contains irrigation water quality parameters including iron concentrations (ferrous, ferric, and total) and turbidity measurements from a blueberry farm in southern New Jersey. Data was collected from May through June for 14 weeks in 2015 using a SMART3 Colorimeter™. Water samples were taken from the pump at the irrigation well and compared to samples taken from driplines at individual fields. All samples were analyzed in the field following the equipment׳s manual, except for ferric iron, which was calculated from the ferrous iron and total iron concentrations. Statistical analyses were performed on the dataset to understand the data. This data is being made available to increase the understanding of clogging in drip irrigation systems and to assist in the management of drip irrigation systems.
Project description:As saltmarsh habitat continues to disappear, understanding the factors that influence saltmarsh breeding bird population dynamics is an important step for the conservation of these declining species. Using five years (2011 - 2015) of demographic data, we evaluated and compared Seaside (Ammodramus maritimus) and Saltmarsh (A. caudacutus) sparrow apparent adult survival and nest survival at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey, USA. We determined the effect of site management history (unditched vs. ditched marsh) on adult and nest survival to aid in prioritizing future management or restoration actions. Seaside Sparrow apparent adult survival (61.6%, 95% CI: 52.5 - 70.0%) averaged >1.5 times greater than Saltmarsh Sparrow apparent adult survival (39.9%, 95% CI: 34.0 - 46.2%). Nest survival and predation and flooding rates did not differ between species, and predation was the primary cause of failure for both species. Apparent adult survival and nest survival did not differ between unditched and ditched marshes for either species, indicating that marsh ditching history may not affect breeding habitat quality for these species. With predation as the primary cause of nest failure for both species in New Jersey, we suggest that future research should focus on identification of predator communities in salt marshes and the potential for implementing predator-control programs to limit population declines.
Project description:The paleohistology of dyrosaurids is known from a small sample, despite being common fossils and representing a rare lineage of crocodylomorphs that survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction. Their lifestyle has been inferred only from sections of the snout, vertebrae, partial femur, and tibia. To improve this, we conducted a skeletochronological and paleohistological study of midshaft cross-sections of both femora and humeri of a nearly complete Hyposaurus rogersii skeleton. We found lamellar-zonal bone that underwent remodeling, evidenced by resorption cavities and abundant secondary osteons within the primary periosteal cortex. The osteons, mostly longitudinally oriented and arranged in circular rows, often anastomose radially along a linear path, resembling radial rows. The medullary cavity is completely open, lacking trabeculae: endosteal deposition is limited to thin lamellae surrounding the cavity. Analysis of cyclical growth marks and the presence of an external fundamental system indicate the specimen was a fully mature adult 17-18 years of age. Comparison of the skeleton to others suggests sexual dimorphism and that it was female. The open medullary cavity, and no evidence for pachyosteosclerosis, osteosclerosis, osteoporosis, or pachyostosis indicate H. rogersii was not a deep diver or a fast swimmer in the open ocean but a near-shore marine ambush predator.