Review of the Mid-Atlantic Tick Summit III: A model for regional information sharing.
Ticks are the most significant vectors of infectious diseases in the United States, inspiring many researchers to study aspects of their biology, ecology, and their effects on public health. However, regional differences in tick abundance and pathogen infection prevalence result in the inability to assume results from one area are relevant in another. Current local information on tick ranges, infection rates, and human cases is needed to assess tick-borne disease risk in any given region. The Mid-Atlantic Tick Summit III brought together over 100 area experts and researchers to share regional updates on ticks and their associated pathogens. We report some meeting highlights here. Regional meetings foster cross-disciplinary collaborations that benefit the community, and open novel lines of inquiry so that tick-bite risk can be reduced and tick-borne diseases can be treated effectively.
Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States; U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States.
Robyn M
RM
Nadolny
Center for Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Katherine A
KA
Feldman
U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States.
Benedict
B
Pagac
U.S. Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, United States.
Ellen Y
EY
Stromdahl
Center for Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Heather
H
Rutz
Center for Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Siok-Bi
SB
Wee
Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States.
Allen L
AL
Richards
Fairfax County Health Department, Fairfax, VA, United States.
Joshua
J
Smith
Center for Zoonotic and Vector-borne Diseases, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Mary
M
Armolt
Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States. Electronic address: hgaff@odu.edu.
Holly D
HD
Gaff
D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D011634:Public Health; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D013987:Ticks / Q000502:physiology*; D003226:Congresses as Topic
Public health; Regional meeting; Regional surveillance; Tick-borne disease; Ticks; Vector ecology