http://www.cidd.psu.edu A non-exhaustive list of selected research papers by CIDD researchers. daily 1 2008-08-25T13:36:04Z http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/daily-temperature-fluctuations-affect-malaria-transmission-potential Most climate-based malaria transmission models utilize mean monthly temperatures to explore the impact of climate on infection dynamics. According to CIDD researchers, this leads to an overestimation of malaria transmission in higher temperature areas and underestimation of transmission in lower temperature areas. Their studies show that daily temperature fluctuations greatly influence the incubation period of parasites in their vector, which alters malaria transmission potential. No publisher atk137 2009-09-02T16:00:19Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/birth-rates-vaccination-affect-rotavirus-epidemics Experts have been at a loss to explain the pattern of rotavirus epidemics in the U.S, in which seasonal activity begins in the southwest and ends in the northeast each year. Using epidemiological modeling, CIDD researchers have revealed that geographic differences in birth rate explain this apparent traveling wave. Their model also clarifies the impacts of vaccination and herd immunity. No publisher amb1065 2009-07-21T22:47:35Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/targeted-pesticides-could-reduce-malaria Using insecticides indiscriminately can cause mosquitoes to built up a resistance to the insecticides creating a never ending race to engineer new insecticides. By changing the approach and creating insecticides that only target older mosquitoes the pressure to reproduce is reduced and the chances of building a resistance are greatly reduced. No publisher admin 2009-04-20T20:10:21Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/climate-change-and-fungal-disease-in-amphibians Many amphibian extinctions in recent decades were apparently caused by a fungal disease. But what underlies increased disease incidence? Has climate change made it easier for the fungus to spread? Or has the fungus been introduced in more places independently of climate change? A new data analysis shows that neither theory explains observed amphibian population declines well. Instead, a mix of factors may be responsible No publisher admin fungus climate change 2008-11-27T19:35:26Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/tropical-reservoir-for-human-influenza An analysis of more than 1300 complete influenza genomes shows different evolutionary patterns for two important viral subtypes (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2). Changes in diversity through time in northern and southern hemispheres suggest that for each of these subtypes, new strains arise from a reservoir in the tropics and move out to temperate regions. No publisher admin virus influenza 2008-11-27T20:05:55Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/influenza-a-virus-history-of-reassortment Genetic sequences collected between 1918 and 2005 indicate that reassortment happens frequently in the evolutionary history of the Influenza A virus, including in the emergence of epidemic viruses. No publisher admin virus influenza 2008-11-27T19:34:14Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/measles-outbreaks-niger Strong seasonal variations in transmission mean it is difficult to predict the size of measles epidemics in Niger from year to year. The large variability in annual outbreaks has implications for efforts to control outbreaks by vaccination. No publisher admin morbillivirus measles virus 2008-11-27T20:06:44Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/bacterial-wilt-and-herbivory Squash plants that resisted herbivory by beetles were also more resistant to a bacterial pathogen vectored by the beetles. This confounds some common assumptions about tradeoffs between resistance and tolerance to herbivory. No publisher admin virus bacteria 2008-11-27T22:17:06Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/how-whooping-cough-evades-the-immune-system-to-infect-vaccinated-hosts Dynamic modeling provides insights into virulence, pathogenesis and host adaptation. No publisher admin Bordetella bacteria theory 2008-11-27T22:58:46Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/why-west-nile-virus-kills-so-many-crows West Nile virus infects many animals, including humans. The strain currently circulating in North America is particularly deadly to crows. A single positively selected mutation appears to be responsible for turning the virus from a relatively mild pathogen into one that is lethal to crows. No publisher admin flavivirus virus 2008-11-27T22:19:31Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/new-metagenomic-analysis-method-could-aid-pathogen-id The MEGAN computer program can aid taxonomic exploration of large genomic datasets. Unlike some other analysis methods, it can potentially distinguish between sequences from closely-related species or strains, such as pathogenic and non-pathogenic variants. No publisher admin methods 2008-11-27T22:25:00Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/recombination-helps-virus-jump-species Evidence that recombination may help viruses survive in novel environments, such as a new host species, from studies where domestic cats became infected with lentiviruses isolated from wild cougars. No publisher admin virus lentivirus 2008-11-27T22:26:29Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/how-yellow-fever-got-to-the-americas Evolutionary analysis supports an "out of Africa" theory for the origin of South American yellow fever viral strains. The timing of the split between African and South American viral isolates suggests that the disease may have been brought to the Americas by the slave trade. No publisher admin flavivirus virus 2008-11-27T22:23:28Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/rapid-rise-of-antiviral-resistance-in-influenza-not-caused-by-drug-selection-pressure Over recent years, human influenza viruses resistant to antiviral drugs (adamantanes) have spread to high frequency worldwide. An analysis of influenza genomes suggests that this surge in resistance has not occurred in response to selection imposed by antiviral drugs. Rather, the mutation that confers resistance appears to be associated with fitness-enhancing changes elsewhere in the genome. No publisher admin virus influenza 2008-11-27T22:21:47Z Synopsis or news article http://www.cidd.psu.edu/research/synopses/leeches-may-transmit-pathogen-to-amphibians Leeches are well-known to transmit blood-borne pathogens but this is the first report of them transmitting an intramuscular infection (a protist which causes swellings and ulcerations) in amphibians. No publisher admin vector 2008-11-27T22:35:13Z Synopsis or news article