West Nile Virus (WNV), a vector-borne disease continues to be a serious threat to public health in the United States, particularly in the Southwest region. While all the states in the U.S. experienced a decreasing trend of WNV disease in 2010, the state of Arizona experienced a sharp increase from...
In recent years, red raspberry production in Washington and British Columbia has been severely limited by a newly emerged virus complex that causes symptoms of crumbly fruit. The complex is comprised of three viruses: Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV), Raspberry leaf mottle virus (RLMV) and Raspberry latent virus (RpLV). Both...
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease native to the African continent. Outbreaks tend to occur in the wet seasons, and can affect numerous mammalian species including African buffalo. It is debated how the virus survives the inter-epidemic period when it is not detected in mammalian populations,...
Large raspberry aphid, Amphorophora agathonica, is an important pest in red and black raspberries in the Pacific Northwest. It transmits plant viruses that cause decreased cane vigor and fruit quality, making it a significant pest for growers. This publication includes aphid identification, biology, monitoring techniques, and control methods.
Emerging infectious diseases in wild animals threaten global biodiversity as well as domestic animal and human health. Their unprecedented increase in conjunction with anthropogenically induced range shifts of endemic pathogens exposes hosts to novel parasite combinations, lending urgency to research on disease dynamics in wildlife systems. In natural populations, hosts...
Most wild animals are concurrently infected with multiple parasite species for most of their lives. These parasite species assemble into rich and diverse communities, with parasites using host tissues for growth and reproduction as well as evolving strategies to evade the host immune system. The net effect of these ecological...
A pheromone lure baited with the sex pheromone of grape mealybug is the most reliable way to confirm the presence or absence of this important vector of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a foodborne pathogen recognized as the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis associated with consumption of raw and undercooked seafood, particularly raw oysters, with major symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. It is estimated that 45,000 cases of V. parahaemolyticus infection occur each year in the...
With continual and worldwide human population growth, our impact on the natural environment expands and intensifies every day. We consume natural resources, burn fossil fuels, and release toxic compounds into the air, water, and earth. We build roads that fragment the landscape, construct new settlements, and develop agricultural lands in...