Robert E. Rollins
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View article: Outbreak dynamics of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b euBB, in black-headed gulls and common terns in Germany in 2023
Outbreak dynamics of high pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1, clade 2.3.4.4b euBB, in black-headed gulls and common terns in Germany in 2023 Open
Since winter 2022/23, high pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype euBB, has caused extensive mortality among wild birds. This genotype emerged in France in spring 2022 through reassortment between a gull-…
View article: Analysis of ticks (Acari: Ixodida) and associated microorganisms collected on the North Sea Island of Heligoland
Analysis of ticks (Acari: Ixodida) and associated microorganisms collected on the North Sea Island of Heligoland Open
Heligoland is an island located in the North Sea, where vegetation was almost destroyed as a result of heavy bombardment during and after the Second World War. However, over the past 70 years, the vegetation has developed from scrub toward…
View article: Beware of hitchhiking ticks? Clarifying the variable roles of bird species in tick movement along migratory routes
Beware of hitchhiking ticks? Clarifying the variable roles of bird species in tick movement along migratory routes Open
Ticks are blood‐feeding parasites which act as major vectors for various pathogenic microorganisms affecting both animal and human health. Hard ticks are known to move passively (i.e. ‘hitchhike') on migratory birds as they transit between…
View article: Assessment of genetic diversity in a locally endangered tern species suggests population connection instead of isolation
Assessment of genetic diversity in a locally endangered tern species suggests population connection instead of isolation Open
Many bird populations are declining globally, with migratory sea- and waterbirds among the most threatened groups. Increased isolation between populations, due to habitat loss leading to limited connectivity and reduced gene flow, may acce…
View article: Unprecedented genetic variability of <scp>PFam54</scp> paralogs among Eurasian Lyme borreliosis‐causing spirochetes
Unprecedented genetic variability of <span>PFam54</span> paralogs among Eurasian Lyme borreliosis‐causing spirochetes Open
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector‐borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato ( Bb sl) complex. Borrelia spirochetes circulate in obligatory transmission cyc…
View article: Beware of hitchhiking ticks? Clarifying the variable roles of bird families in tick movement along migratory routes
Beware of hitchhiking ticks? Clarifying the variable roles of bird families in tick movement along migratory routes Open
Ticks are blood-feeding parasites which act as major vectors for various pathogenic microorganisms affecting both animal and human health. Hard ticks are known to “hitchhike” on migratory birds as they transit from breeding to overwinterin…
View article: Unprecedented genetic diversity suggests importance of understudied PFam54 paralogs to Lyme borreliosis spirochetes
Unprecedented genetic diversity suggests importance of understudied PFam54 paralogs to Lyme borreliosis spirochetes Open
Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere caused by spirochetes belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex. Borrelia spirochetes circulate in obligatory transmission cycle…
View article: A high fidelity approach to assembling the complex Borrelia genome
A high fidelity approach to assembling the complex Borrelia genome Open
Background Bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex can cause Lyme borreliosis. Different B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies vary in their host and vector associations and human pathogenicity but the genetic basis for th…
View article: Candidatus Lariskella arthopodarum endosymbiont is the main factor differentiating the microbiome communities of female and male Borrelia-positive Ixodes persulcatus ticks
Candidatus Lariskella arthopodarum endosymbiont is the main factor differentiating the microbiome communities of female and male Borrelia-positive Ixodes persulcatus ticks Open
Ixodes persulcatus, a hard-bodied tick species primarily found in Asia and Eastern Europe, is a vector of pathogens to human and livestock hosts. Little research has been done on the microbiome of this species, especially using individual …
View article: A high fidelity approach to assembling the complex Borrelia genome
A high fidelity approach to assembling the complex Borrelia genome Open
Background: Bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) complex are the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis. These pathogens are maintained in transmission cycles between tick vectors of the Ixodes ricinus – persulcatus species…
View article: German<i>Ixodes inopinatus</i>samples may not actually represent this tick species
German<i>Ixodes inopinatus</i>samples may not actually represent this tick species Open
Ticks are important vectors of human and animal pathogens, but many questions remain unanswered regarding their taxonomy. Molecular sequencing methods have allowed research to start understanding the evolutionary history of even closely re…
View article: Out of Asia? Expansion of Eurasian Lyme borreliosis causing genospecies display unique evolutionary trajectories
Out of Asia? Expansion of Eurasian Lyme borreliosis causing genospecies display unique evolutionary trajectories Open
Vector‐borne pathogens exist in obligate transmission cycles between vector and reservoir host species. Host and vector shifts can lead to geographic expansion of infectious agents and the emergence of new diseases in susceptible individua…
View article: Identification of <i>Pseudomonas asiatica</i> subsp. <i>bavariensis</i> str. <scp>JM1</scp> as the first <i>N</i> <sub> <i>ε</i> </sub> ‐carboxy(m)ethyllysine‐degrading soil bacterium
Identification of <i>Pseudomonas asiatica</i> subsp. <i>bavariensis</i> str. <span>JM1</span> as the first <i>N</i> <sub> <i>ε</i> </sub> ‐carboxy(m)ethyllysine‐degrading soil bacterium Open
Summary Thermal food processing leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) such as N ε ‐carboxymethyllysine (CML). Accordingly, these non‐canonical amino acids are an important part of the human diet. However, CML is o…
View article: Analysis of seven SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests in detecting omicron (B.1.1.529) versus delta (B.1.617.2) using cell culture supernatants and clinical specimens
Analysis of seven SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests in detecting omicron (B.1.1.529) versus delta (B.1.617.2) using cell culture supernatants and clinical specimens Open
Purpose Omicron is rapidly spreading as a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC). The question whether this new variant has an impact on SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test (RAT) performance is of utmost importance. To obtain an initial estimat…
View article: Out of Asia? Vector switches leading to the expansion of Eurasian Lyme disease bacteria
Out of Asia? Vector switches leading to the expansion of Eurasian Lyme disease bacteria Open
Vector-borne pathogens exist in obligate transmission cycles between vector and reservoir host species. Host shifts can lead to geographic expansion and the emergence of new diseases. Three etiological agents of human Lyme borreliosis (Bor…
View article: The Population Structure of Borrelia lusitaniae Is Reflected by a Population Division of Its Ixodes Vector
The Population Structure of Borrelia lusitaniae Is Reflected by a Population Division of Its Ixodes Vector Open
Populations of vector-borne pathogens are shaped by the distribution and movement of vector and reservoir hosts. To study what impact host and vector association have on tick-borne pathogens, we investigated the population structure of Bor…
View article: Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits
Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits Open
Ecological factors and individual-specific traits affect parasite infestation in wild animals. Ixodid ticks are important ectoparasites of various vertebrate hosts, which include passerine bird species such as the great tit ( Parus major )…
View article: High conservation combined with high plasticity: genomics and evolution of Borrelia bavariensis
High conservation combined with high plasticity: genomics and evolution of Borrelia bavariensis Open
Background Borrelia bavariensis is one of the agents of Lyme Borreliosis (or Lyme disease) in Eurasia. The genome of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, that includes B. bavariensis , is known to be very complex and fragme…
View article: High conservation combined with high plasticity: genomics and evolution of Borrelia bavariensis
High conservation combined with high plasticity: genomics and evolution of Borrelia bavariensis Open
Background Borrelia bavariensis is one of the agents of Lyme Borreliosis (or Lyme disease) in Eurasia. The genome of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, that includes B. bavariensis , is known to be very complex and fragme…
View article: Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits
Repeatable differences in exploratory behaviour predict tick infestation probability in wild great tits Open
Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of various vertebrate hosts, including many species of bird. Birds can disperse ticks over short and long distances, therefore impacting tick population dynamics. The likelihood that birds attract…