Bradley Blitvich
1991: B.Sc., The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
1996: Ph.D., The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
1997-1998: Post-doc, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Center, Perth, Australia
1999-2006: Post-doc, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
2006-2011: Assistant Professor, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
2011-2017: Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
2017-present: Professor, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
Molecular Viology (VMPM 608)
Microbiology (VMPM 501)
Graduate Student Seminar Series (VMPM 604)
The major focus of my research program is to study the transmission dynamics, epidemiology and molecular biology of mosquito-transmitted viruses and to develop rapid molecular and serologic assays for virus surveillance and diagnosis. The current research focuses of my laboratory are to (1) identify the genetic determinants that condition the differential host ranges and transmission cycles of mosquito/vertebrate, mosquito-specific and vertebrate-specific flaviviruses, (2) discover and characterize novel mosquito-associated viruses using next-generation sequencing methodologies, (3) determine the public and veterinary health impact of mosquito-transmitted viruses in the United States and Mexico and (4) develop and implement molecular and serologic assays for the rapid diagnosis of emerging and re-emerging viruses.
2018 - present: NIH-NIAID Vector Biology Study Section, Standing Member
2017 – present: Flaviviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, Member
2017: Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence, Iowa State University
2015 - present: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Section Editor
2014 - 2016: Virology Reports, Section Editor
2013 – 2017: American Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses, Executive Council Member (Elected Position)
2013: Bailey Research Career Development Award, Iowa State University
2013 – present: Society for Vector Ecology, Member
2006 – present: American Society for Virology, Lifetime Member
2006 – present: Iowa Virology Network, Member
2001 – present American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Member
Full publication list on PubMed
Last four years only:
2018:
Stone D, Lyons AC, Huang Y-J, Vanlandingham DL, Higgs S, Blitvich BJ, Adesiyun AA, Santana SE, Leiser-Miller L, Cheetham S. Serological evidence of widespread exposure of Grenada fruit bats to chikungunya virus. Zoonoses Public Health. 2018. 65(5):505-11.
Brault AC, Blitvich BJ. Continued need for comprehensive genetic and phenotypic characterization of viruses: benefits of complementing sequence analyses with functional determinations. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018, 98(5):1213.
Machain-Williams C, Raga E, Baak-Baak CM, Blitvich BJ, Ramos C. Maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant dengue patients in Mexico. BioMed Research International. 2018, 9643083.
Blitvich BJ, Beaty BJ, Blair CD, Brault AC, Dobler G, Drebot MA, Haddow AD, Kramer LD, LaBeaud AD, Monath TP, Mossel EC, Plante K, Powers AM, Tesh RB, Turell MJ, Vasilakis N, Weaver SC. Bunyavirus taxonomy: limitations and misconceptions associated with the current ICTV criteria used for species demarcation. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018, 99(1):11-6.
Charles J, Tangudu CS, Blitvich BJ. Complete nucleotide sequences of the large RNA genome segments of Main Drain and Northway viruses (family Peribunyaviridae). Archives of Virology. 2018, 163(8):2253-5.
Tangudu CS, Charles J, Blitvich BJ. Evidence that Lokern virus (family Peribunyaviridae) is a reassortant that acquired its small and large genome segments from Main Drain virus and its medium genome segment from an undiscovered virus Virol J. 2018 15(1):122.
Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Machain-Williams C, Rodríguez-Pérez MA, Garza-Hernandez JA, Doria-Cobos GL, Cetina-Trejo RC, Bacab-Cab LA, Tangudu CS, Charles J, De Luna-Santillana EJ, Garcia-Rejon JE, Blitvich BJ. Arbovirus surveillance near the Mexico/United States border: isolation and sequence analysis of chikungunya virus from patients with dengue-like symptoms in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018. 99(1):191-4.
Cigarroa-Toledo N, Baak-Baak CM, Cetina-Trejo RC, Cordova-Fletes C, Martinez-Nuñez MA, Talavera-Aguilar LG, Garcia-Rejon JE, Torres-Chable OM, Suzan G, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams CI. Complete genome sequence of Houston virus, a newly discovered mosquito-specific virus, isolated from Culex quinquefasciatus in Mexico. Genome Announc. 2018. 7(10):1-2.
Ayers VB, Huang YJS, Lyons AC, Park SL, Higgs S, Dunlop JI, Kohl A, Alto BW, Unlu I, Blitvich BJ, Vanlandingham DL. Culex tarsalis as a competent vector species for Cache Valley virus. Parasite Vectors. 2018. 11(1):519.
Torres-Chable OM, Baak-Baak CM, Cigarroa-Toledo N, Brito-Argaez LG, Alvarado-Cantu YN, Zaragoza-Vera CV, Arjona-Jimenez G, Moreno-Perez LG, Medina-Perez P, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C, Garcia-Rejon JE. Molecular detection of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs and mosquitoes in Tabasco, Mexico. J Vector Borne Dis. 2018. 55(2):151-8.
Charles J, Tangudu CS, Hurt S, Tumescheit C, Firth AE, Garcia-Rejon JE, Machain-Williams C, Blitvich BJ. Detection of novel and recognized RNA viruses in mosquitoes from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico using metagenomics and characterization of their in vitro host ranges. J Gen Virol. 2018. [Epub ahead of print].
Blitvich BJ, Brault AC. A book review of: Chikungunya and Zika viruses: global emerging health threats. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2018. 99(4):1105-6.
Romo H, Kenney JL, Blitvich BJ, Brault AC. Inhibition of Zika virus transmission in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes by an insect-specific flavivirus. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2018. 7(1):181-93.
Charles J, Tangudu CS, Hurt SL, Tumescheit C, Firth AE, Garcia-Rejon JE, Machain-Williams C, Blitvich BJ. Discovery of a novel Tymoviridae-like virus in mosquitoes from in Mexico. Arch Virol [E-pub ahead of print].
2017:
Torres-Chablé OM, Ojeda- Robertos NF, Chay-Canul AJ, Peralta-Torres JA, Luna-Palomera C, Brindis-Vázquez N, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C, García-Rejón JE, Baak-Baak CM, Dorman KS, Alegría-López MA. Hematologic RIs for healthy water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in southern Mexico. Vet. Clin. Path. 2017. Vet Clin Pathol. 46(3):436-441.
Briese T, Loroño-Pino MA, Garcia-Rejon JE, Farfan-Ale JA, Dorman KS, Lipkin WI, Blitvich BJ. Complete genome sequence of T’Ho virus, a novel putative flavivirus from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Virol J. 2017. 14(1):110.
Blitvich BJ, Firth AE. A review of flaviviruses that have no known arthropod vector. Viruses. 2017. 9(6).
Charles J, Tangudu CS, Firth AE, Blitvich BJ. Complete genome sequences of two insect-specific flaviviruses. Archives of Virology. 2017. 162:3913-3917.
2016:
Cigarroa-Toledo N, Talavera-Aguilar LG, Baak-Baak CM, García-Rejón JE, Hernandez-Betancour S, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C. Serological evidence of flavivirus infections in peridomestic rodents, Merida City, Mexico. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 2016; 52(1):168-72.
Charles J, Firth AE, Loroño-Pino MA, Garcia-Rejon JE, Farfan-Ale JA, Lipkin WI, Blitvich BJ, Briese T. Merida virus, a novel putative rhabdovirus discovered in Culex and Ochlerotatus spp. mosquitoes in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. J. Gen. Virol. 2016. 97(4):977-87.
Cigarroa-Toledo N, Blitvich BJ, Cetina-Trejo RC, Talavera-Aguilar LG, Baak-Baak CM, Torres-Chablé OM, Hamid MD, Friedberg I, González-Martinez P, Alonzo-Salomon G, Rosado-Paredes EP, Rivero-Cárdenas N, Reyes-Solis GC, Farfan-Ale JA, García-Rejón JE, Machain-Williams C. Chikungunya virus in febrile patients and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, Yucatan, Mexico. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2016. 22(10):1804-7.
Blitvich BJ. Arboviruses: Molecular Biology, Evolution and Control. Nikos Vasilakis and Duane J. Gubler. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016. 95(2):488-9. This article is a book review.
Blitvich BJ, Wang T, Saxena V, Zeng S, Harmon KM, Raymond MD, Goins KM, Reed C, Mullins RF, Greiner MA. West Nile virus infection in human and mouse cornea tissue. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2016. 95(5):1185-1191.
2015:
Thompson NN, Auguste AJ, Travassos da Rosa APA, Carrington CVF, Blitvich BJ, Chadee DD, Tesh RB, Weaver SC, Adesiyun AA. Seroepidemiology of selected alphaviruses and flaviviruses in bats in Trinidad. Zoonoses and Public Health. 2015, 62(1):53-60.
Loy DS, Liu S, Mogler MA, Loy JD, Blitvich BJ, Bartholomay LC. Characterization of newly revealed sequences in the Infectious Myonecrosis virus genome in Litopenaeus vannamei. J Gen Virol. 2015; 96(7):1821-9.
Bisanzio D, McMillan JR, Gonzalves-Barreto J, Blitvich BJ, Mead DG, O’Connor J, Kitron U. Evidence for West Nile virus spillover into the squirrel population in Atlanta, USA. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Dis. 2015; 15(5):303-310.
Blitvich BJ, Firth AE. Insect-specific flaviviruses: a systematic review of their discovery, host range, mode of transmission, superinfection exclusion potential and genomic organization (Review Article). Viruses; 2015 7(4):1927-1959.
Meyers MT, Bahnson CS, Hanlon M, Kopral C, Srisinlapaudom S, Cochrane ZN, Sabas CE, Saiyasombat R, Burrough ER, Plummer PJ, O’Connor AM, Marshall KL, Blitvich BJ. Management factors associated with prevalence of antibody to Cache Valley virus and other Bunyamwera serogroup viruses in sheep in the United States. Vector-Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2015; 15(11):683-693.
Torres-Chablé OM, García-Herrera RA, Hernández-Hernández M, Peralta-Torres JA, Ojeda- Robertos NF, Blitvich BJ, Baak-Baak CM, García-Rejón JE, Machain-Wiliams C. Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in domestic dogs in Tabasco, southeastern Mexico. Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária. 2015; (4):432-7.