Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26669305›Full record

ArticleBMC ecology2015

Spatio-temporal patterns of an anthrax outbreak in white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginanus, and associated genetic diversity of Bacillus anthracis.

Jocelyn C Mullins, Matthew Van Ert, Ted Hadfield, Mikeljon P Nikolich, Martin E Hugh-Jones, Jason K Blackburn

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ecology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. InvestigatingbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025
    Article
  3. Spatiotemporal dynamics ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2025
    Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Jocelyn C MullinsDepartment of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. jcmvet36@gmail.com.
Matthew Van ErtDepartment of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. vanert_associatesllc@yahoo.com.
Ted HadfieldEmerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA. hadecollc@yahoo.com.
Mikeljon P NikolichDepartment of Emerging Bacterial Infections, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA. mikeljon.p.nikolich.civ@mail.mil.
Martin E Hugh-JonesDepartment of Environmental Sciences, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA. mhughj1@lsu.edu.
Jason K BlackburnDepartment of Geography, Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. jkblackburn@ufl.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnthrax, 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.

resultsThe 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.

conclusionsAreas 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.

Indexed as

Genetic VariationAnimalsAnthraxBacillus anthracisBacterial Typing TechniquesCluster AnalysisDeerDisease OutbreaksFemaleGenotypeMaleMinisatellite RepeatsSpatio-Temporal AnalysisTexas

Identifiers

PMID26669305
PMCPMC4681179

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.