RAPID: Investigating a rapidly emerging epidemic of babesiosis in upstate New York

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。巴贝斯虫病是一种在美国迅速出现的疾病，在欧洲和亚洲，这是由原生动物寄生虫感染引起的。这种寄生虫，即小巴氏杆菌，与疟疾的病原体密切相关，通过硬蜱叮咬传播。巴贝斯虫病的症状包括疟疾样发热、寒战和急性贫血;严重病例可能致命。在过去的几年里，纽约州达奇斯县每年的巴贝西虫病人间病例数从零增加到60例，而且没有减少的迹象。在美国东部，B。田鼠是由传播莱姆病和人类粒细胞无形体病的相同蜱传播的。事实上，一个单一的蜱叮咬可以导致合并感染所有三种病原体。不幸的是，人们对巴贝西虫病的生态学知之甚少。研究人员将确定负责感染蜱虫的野生动物物种。然后，他们将把这些信息纳入大规模的实地实验，以测试环境变化对人类接触蜱传病原体风险的原因和后果。这项研究将改变科学的理解是什么决定了暴露于这种严重疾病的风险，在其迅速和令人震惊的出现。此外，该项目将支持一名博士后科学家，一名实验室技术员和三名现场助理，以及两名将在巴德学院进行独立研究项目的本科生。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Babesiosis is a rapidly emerging disease in the U.S., Europe, and Asia that is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite. The parasite, Babesia microti, is closely related to the causative agent of malaria and is transmitted through the bite of ixodid ticks. Symptoms of babesiosis include malaria-like fevers, shaking chills, and acute anemia; severe cases can be fatal. In the past few years, the annual number of human cases of babesiosis in Dutchess County, NY has increased from zero to sixty and shows no signs of abating. In the eastern U.S., B. microti is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Indeed, a single tick bite can result in coinfection with all three pathogens. Unfortunately, little is known about the ecology of babesiosis. The investigators will determine the wildlife species responsible for infecting ticks with Babesia microti. They will then incorporate this information into large-scale field experiments to test the causes and consequences of environmental variation in human risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens. This research will transform scientific understanding of what determines risk of exposure to this serious disease in the midst of its rapid and alarming emergence. In addition, the project will support a postdoctoral scientist, a laboratory technician, and three field assistants, as well as two undergraduates who will conduct independent research projects at Bard College.