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、欧洲和亚洲迅速出现的疾病，是由一种原生动物寄生虫感染引起的。这种寄生虫，微巴贝斯虫，与疟疾的病原体密切相关，并通过粘虫蜱的叮咬传播。巴贝斯虫病的症状包括疟疾样发热、寒战和急性贫血；严重的病例可能致命。在过去的几年中，每年在纽约达奇斯县的巴贝斯虫病人类病例数从零增加到60，并且没有任何减少的迹象。在美国东部，微孢子虫是由蜱虫传播的，而蜱虫传播的细菌会导致莱姆病和人类粒细胞无形体病。事实上，一次蜱虫叮咬可能导致所有三种病原体的共同感染。不幸的是，人们对巴贝斯虫病的生态学知之甚少。调查人员将确定使蜱虫感染微小巴贝斯虫的野生动物物种。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。这项研究将改变对在这种严重疾病迅速和令人震惊的出现期间决定接触风险的因素的科学理解。此外，该项目将支持一名博士后科学家、一名实验室技术人员、三名现场助理以及两名本科生在巴德学院进行独立研究项目。

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.