Modern advancements in genomic technology have expediated the vaccine development process. Verardi and Jasperse were among the first researchers in the US to receive NIH funding to generate a vaccine against Zika virus, thanks to Verardi recognizing the significance of Zika virus early. In October of that year, Verardi called then-Ph.D.-student Brittany Jasperse (CAHNR '19) into his office and told her he wanted to apply their newly developed vaccine platform and start developing a vaccine for Zika virus. Verardi, a Brazilian native, was in Brazil visiting family in the summer of 2015 when the Zika outbreak first began to make waves and soon reached epidemic status.īack in the United States, Verardi kept tabs on the Zika epidemic and its emerging connection to microcephaly, a serious birth defect that causes babies to be born with small heads and underdeveloped brains. He has also filed provisional patent for the novel vaccine platform technology used to generate the vaccine, as well as genetic modifications made to the vaccine that significantly enhance expression of the vaccine antigen. UConn researcher Paulo Verardi, associate professor of pathobiology and veterinary science in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, has demonstrated the success of a vaccine against Zika virus and recently published his findings in Scientific Reports, a Nature Research publication. The submission form and the “Do’s and Don’ts of tick testing” can be found on our website at įor more articles out of New England, click here.Image: Paulo Verardi, associate professor of pathobiology and veterinary science in UConn's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources view more How to send in ticks: Please send ticks in sealed, double zip lock bags accompanied by a small square of moist paper towel. The laboratory is located on the UConn-Storrs campus and provides diagnostic services, professional expertise, research and detection of newly emerging diseases, and collaborates with federal, state, and local agencies to detect and monitor diseases important to animal and human health. CVMDL speculates that changes in weather patterns this year may have affected changes in tick populations and with that, increased number of tick submissions to the lab.ĬVMDL is the only laboratory in New England accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The increases for other warm weather months were 104% in May, 70% in June and 60% in July. In the month of April the number of submissions increased 92% relative to the same month in 2016. Photo Credit: Heather HaycockĬompared to 2016, this year, the CVMDL has seen a significant increase in the numbers of tick submissions to the laboratory. The information obtained from testing your tick at UConn is very useful when consulting with your physician or veterinarian about further actions you may need to take. Next business day RUSH testing is available for an additional fee. Results are reported within 3-5 business days of receiving the sample. Ticks may then be tested for the DNA of pathogens that are known to be transmitted by that tick species. This identification process determines the species of tick, life stage, and degree of blood engorgement, all of which are factors that may impact transmission of pathogens to the person or animal (the host). Ticks received at the CVMDL are first examined and identified by trained technicians using a dissection microscope. The Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL) at UConn can test the tick for all those pathogens. If you find a tick on yourself, your child, or your pet, remove it immediately but do not make any attempt to destroy it. A single tick has the potential to transmit one, two, or even all four of these illnesses simultaneously! Other species of ticks found in the Northeast such as the Dog tick ( Dermacentor variablis), Brown Dog tick ( Rhiphcephalus sanguineus) and Lonestar tick ( Amblyomma americanum) can also be tested for different pathogens known to cause illness in humans and/or animals. These are the causative agents of Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Borrelia miyamotoi respectively. While the Deer tick is predominantly known for transmitting Lyme disease (caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi) it can also carry other disease causing agents such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti and Borrelia miyamotoi. Although there are many different species of ticks, people generally think of one tick species in particular when worrying about illness: the deer tick. These disease-carrying arachnids reside in moist areas, long grass and the leaf litter and will latch onto humans and animals alike. Adult ticks are more active during this time of the year, creating a problem for both humans and animals. Headed outdoors? Make sure you take precautions against ticks in October and November.
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