Examining Prevalence and Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ixodes pacificus Ticks in California.

Tick-borne diseases in California include Lyme disease (caused by Borrelia burgdorferi), infections with Borrelia miyamotoi, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum). We surveyed multiple sites and habitats (woodland, grassland, and coastal chaparral) in California to describe spatial patterns of tick-borne pathogen prevalence in western black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus). We found that several species of Borrelia-B. burgdorferi, Borrelia americana, and Borrelia bissettiae-were observed in habitats, such as coastal chaparral, that do not harbor obvious reservoir host candidates. Describing tick-borne pathogen prevalence is strongly influenced by the scale of surveillance: aggregating data from individual sites to match jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., county or state) can lower the reported infection prevalence. Considering multiple pathogen species in the same habitat allows a more cohesive interpretation of local pathogen occurrence. IMPORTANCE Understanding the local host ecology and prevalence of zoonotic diseases is vital for public health. Using tick-borne diseases in California, we show that there is often a bias to our understanding and that studies tend to focus on particular habitats, e.g., Lyme disease in oak woodlands. Other habitats may harbor a surprising diversity of tick-borne pathogens but have been neglected, e.g., coastal chaparral. Explaining pathogen prevalence requires descriptions of data on a local scale; otherwise, aggregating the data can misrepresent the local dynamics of tick-borne diseases.

Advancing antimicrobial stewardship in companion animal veterinary medicine: a qualitative study on perceptions and solutions to a One Health problem.

OBJECTIVE: The term antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is used to describe the coordinated efforts and programs required to sustain the clinical efficacy of antimicrobials and slow the development of antimicrobial resistance. However, companion animal veterinarians are provided with few "cage-side" resources to achieve these goals. The aims of our study were to understand the current perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of AMS among companion animal veterinarians and to source technology-based solutions that reduce barriers to judicious antimicrobial drug prescribing. PROCEDURES: 6 focus groups were conducted via a teleconference platform. The focus group recordings were transcribed and coded thematically using a grounded theory approach and inductive coding. RESULTS: A total of 25 companion animal veterinarians participated in 6, 1-hour focus groups. Two themes emerged from the data: (1) Veterinarians feel that AMS is important and understand the principles of AMS, but experience barriers to practicing judicious AMD use principles. (2) Veterinarians agree that technology can promote AMS, but express that a tool needs to support their prescribing decisions, provide accurate and concise stewardship information, and be integrated into the existing workflow. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For an AMS technology tool to be successful in improving AMS in companion animal medicine, veterinarians need centralized information on antimicrobial use, improved access to geographical AMR patterns, and communication support with clients and their hospital teams.

Characterization of regionally associated feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) in bobcats (Lynx rufus).

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) classically infects felid species with highly divergent species-specific FIVs. However, recent studies have detected an FIV strain infecting both bobcats (Lynx rufus) and pumas (Puma concolor) in California and Florida. To further investigate this observation, we evaluated FIV from bobcats in Florida (n=25) and Colorado (n=80) between 2008 and 2011. Partial viral sequences from five Florida bobcats cluster with previously published sequences from Florida panthers. We did not detect FIV in Colorado bobcats.