Staff at Catoctin Mountain National Park have been looking for justification to control the Japanese barberry which has evidently covered about 1/4th of the 5,000 acres. This may help. Cheers.

 

Marc

 

 

 

 

“Linkage Between Invasive Plants and Human Disease: October 2008, Scott C. Williams a researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station together with Jeffery S. Ward, Thomas E. Worthley, and Kirby C. Stafford from the University of Connecticut reported that the management of the invasive plant, Japanese barberry (Berberis thumbergii) reduces blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) abundance and could have human health ramifications.  The native white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a primary host for larval and nymphal blacklegged tick. The researchers found that tick abundances were greatest in dense barberry.  These ticks are a major vector for agents that cause Lyme disease, human grandulocytic anaplasmosis, and human babesiosis.  

 

The Connecticut researchers found that questing adult ticks were most abundant in areas dominated by Japanese barberry, and that about 44% of the ticks found in barberry were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, -- the spirochete causative agent of human Lyme disease.  However, only 10% of the less abundant ticks from non-barberry areas were infected. These findings suggest a great probability of humans becoming infected with Lyme disease in barberry dominated areas.

 

The CDC reported in 2005 that human grandulocytic anaplasmosis is a new tickborne rickettsial infection of neutrophils caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum. "This zoonotic disease has a great capacity to infect and cause disease in humans while maintaining a persistent subclinical state in animal reservoirs." Because grandulocytic anaplasmosis impacts immune system function, there is a potential that this infection could worsen other infectious diseases (see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EiD/vol11no12/05-0898.htm).

 

The CDC reported in 2007 that cases of human babesiosis have increased across the northeastern U.S., especially in coastal areas. Human babesiosis is a tick-transmitted, malaria-like infection caused by Babesia microtiparasites. The B. microti parasite shares the same principal rodent reservoir (white-footed mouse) and tick vector (I. scapularis) as the Lyme disease spirochete (see www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/4/633.htm) (Staff Contact Chris Dionigi).”

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Egan, Peter, Dr, OSD-ATL [mailto:Peter.Egan@...]
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 11:16 PM
Subject: FW: NISC Biweekly report for October 17 - October 31 *Meeting Announcement*

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: Melinda_Wilkinson@...

[mailto:Melinda_Wilkinson@...]

Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 6:38 PM

To: Melinda_Wilkinson@...

Subject: NISC Biweekly report for October 17 - October 31 *Meeting

Announcement*

 

 

Hello! The biweekly NISC invasive species report for October 17 -

October 31 is now available. Please note that there will be a Policy

Liaison meeting this Thursdays, November 6, 2008 at 1:30PM in the NISC

conference room. The draft agenda is as follows:

 

1.        Review of the action items from the ANSTF meetings October

28-29, 2008

2.        Summary of the ERS - Research on the Economics of Invasive

Species Management workshop

3.        Demonstration of the revised NISC website due to be released

before the end of the year

4.        Discussion and exchange of transition documents related to

invasive species issues

5.        Request for priority topics to suggest to the National

Invasive Weeds Awareness Week organizers

6.        Discussion of NISC Plan performance elements that would most

benefit from ISAC participation - please send suggestions to Chris

Dionigi (Chris_Dionigi@...)

 

Please contact me if you have any questions,

 

Mindy

 

 

 

 

----------------------------

Mindy Wilkinson

NISC State Liaison

 

1201 Eye Street, NW

5th Floor, Room 80

Washington, DC 20005

 

Desk: (202) 354-1891

Fax: (202) 371-1751

Melinda_Wilkinson@...

 

Invasive Species Information:

http://www.invasivespecies.gov

-----------------------------