One Health monitoring of rickettsial pathogens in wildlife, ticks, and fleas in Northwestern California
Official title: A One Health Approach to Surveillance of Pathogenic and Emerging Rickettsia in Mammals, Ticks, and Fleas of Northwestern California
Funded at Humboldt State University · NIH-11424694 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A field study will monitor rickettsia bacteria in small mammals and their ticks and fleas in Northwestern California to understand how these infections spread and affect people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Humboldt State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Arcata, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $145,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R16AI201228-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11424694 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be rural or suburban residents in northwestern California who might be exposed to ticks or fleas and who are interested in how environmental factors influence infection risk.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not exposed to tick- or flea-borne pathogens or not in the study regions may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will collect animals and ectoparasites from California to detect and map several Rickettsia species using real-time PCR, nested PCR, and sequencing. Researchers will identify which host species and vectors carry the bacteria and how this relates to human exposure risk. The findings aim to reveal transmission cycles in wild animals, guiding future public health surveillance and prevention efforts. The study focuses on ecological relationships rather than individual medical treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve early warning of human rickettsial infections and inform public health strategies to reduce exposure.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ecological surveillance has helped map vector-borne pathogen risks, supporting the potential value of this approach in California.
Where this research is happening
-
Humboldt State University
Arcata, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhong, Jianmin — Humboldt State University
- Study coordinator: Zhong, Jianmin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.