As ticks and mosquitoes return with a vengeance this spring, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine are continuing to research pathways that may lead to treatments for vector-borne diseases.

Tick and mosquito populations are increasing worldwide, largely because of the effects of climate change and an increase in available habitats, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In lab experiments at Johns Hopkins Medicine, scientists are taking a closer look at mechanisms that drive vector-borne diseases, which may lead to future treatments or ways to prevent bites.

Members of the media who would like to hear more from the following scientists should contact Alexandria Carolan ([email protected]).

Bacteria biologist Erin Goley, Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and genetics,investigatesRickettsia parkeri, the bacterial pathogen responsible for a tick-borne spotted fever disease, R. parkeri rickettsiosis. In experiments, Goley’s lab uses this bacterium to model the biology of its more virulent close cousin,  Rickettsia rickettsii, which causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne infection that affects 3,000 to 7,000 people each year in the United States and can cause fever, headache, rash or death if left untreated. Rickettsia rickettsii is frequently spread by the American dog tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the brown dog tick, while Rickettsia parkeri is spread by the Gulf Coast tick in the United States. She can answer:

• How do these bacteria grow, spread and infect other organs after a tick bite?
• Why are new antibiotics needed to fight Rocky Mountain spotted fever?
• What does the future of treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever look like?

Immunologist Nicole Baumgarth, D.V.M., Ph.D., director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, studies Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, a dangerous condition that affects 300,000 people in the United States each year and can cause long-term neurological side effects and arthritis. Borrelia burgdorferi is spread by a bite from an infected blacklegged tick. In mouse studies, Baumgarth aims to find new ways to treat Lyme disease. Watch a recent media briefing featuring expert commentary from Baumgarth, in which she overviews the rise in tickborne illnesses and the landscape of Lyme disease research. In addition, she can discuss: 

• Why can some people successfully fight Lyme disease, while others cannot?
• How does the immune system protect itself from Borrelia?
• What may future treatments for Lyme disease look like?
• How can I prevent a tick bite?

Chris Potter, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience, studies Anopheles gambiae, a type of mosquito that transmits malaria, resulting in more than 600,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. Potter investigates how the female Anopheles mosquito seeks us out for its next blood meal, primarily through its highly attuned sense of smell. In recent research, Potter has examined the kinds of bug repellants that work, and those that don’t. Potter is available to overview: 

• How do mosquitoes find us? 
• Are some people more likely to be bitten by mosquitoes than others?
• What are the most effective mosquito repellants and why?
• How do mosquito repellants work? Do they use odor to keep insects at a distance, or do they mainly work once a mosquito lands on repellant-treated skin?
• Do “natural” mosquito repellants, including eucalyptus, lemon or lavender, keep mosquitos at bay?
• How effective are new methods, such as gene drives or spatial repellants?
• What are good ways to protect against mosquito biting?