title: Spatio-temporal patterns of an anthrax outbreak in white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginanus, and associated genetic diversity of Bacillus anthracis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anthrax, a soil-borne zoonosis caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is enzootic in areas of North America with frequent outbreaks in west Texas. Despite a long history of study, pathogen transmission during natural outbreaks remains poorly understood. Here we combined case-level spatio-temporal analysis and high resolution genotyping to investigate anthrax transmission dynamics. Carcass locations from a single white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginanus, outbreak were analyzed for spatial clustering using K-function analysis and directionality with trend surface analysis and the direction test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The directionalities were compared to results of high resolution genotyping. The results of the spatial clustering analyses, combined with deer movement data, suggest anthrax transmission events occur within limited spatial areas, with carcass locations occurring within the activity space of adjacent cases. The directionality of the outbreak paralleled adjacent dry river beds. Isolates from the outbreak were represented by a single genotype based on multiple locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA); four sub-genotypes were identified using single nucleotide repeat (SNR) analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Areas of high transmission agreed spatially with areas of higher SNR genetic diversity; however, SNRs did not provide clear evidence of linear transmission. Overlap of case home ranges provides spatial and temporal support for localized transmission, which may include the role of necrophagous or hematophagous flies in outbreaks in this region. These results emphasize the need for active surveillance and prompt cleanup of anthrax carcasses to control anthrax both during outbreaks and between seasons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. jcmvet36@gmail.com.|Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. jcmvet36@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jocelyn C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. vanert_associatesllc@yahoo.com.|Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. vanert_associatesllc@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Ert
authors.affiliation: Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. hadecollc@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hadfield
authors.affiliation: Department of Emerging Bacterial Infections, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. mikeljon.p.nikolich.civ@mail.mil.
authors.forename: Mikeljon P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Nikolich
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. mhughj1@lsu.edu.
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hugh-Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. jkblackburn@ufl.edu.|Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. jkblackburn@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Jason K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Blackburn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000881:Anthrax / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013781:Texas