Howard Ginsberg, Ph.D.
Biography
Howard Ginsberg is a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. He is USGS Field Station Leader and Professor in Residence at the University of Rhode Island. Dr. Ginsberg received his Ph.D. in entomology from Cornell University in 1979. His research explores transmission dynamics and factors that influence human exposure to vector-borne zoonotic pathogens, so as to develop efficient approaches to surveillance and management. Dr. Ginsberg received the Director’s Award for Natural Resource Research, 1999, from the U.S. National Park Service.
Science and Products
Distribution and abundance of host-seeking Culex species at three proximate locations with different levels of West Nile virus activity
Culex species were monitored at three proximate sites with historically different West Nile virus (WNV) activities. The site with human WNV transmission (epidemic) had the lowest abundance of the putative bridge vectors, Culex pipiens and Cx. salinarius. The site with horse cases but not human cases (epizootic) had the highest percent...
Rochlin, I.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Campbell, S.R. The effect of off-road vehicles on barrier beach invertebrates at Cape Cod and Fire Island National Seashores
The effects of off-road vehicles (ORVS) on invertebrates inhabiting seaweed debris (wrack) and supratidal sands on energetic beaches in the northeastern United States were studied at Cape Cod National Seashore, MA, and Fire Island, NY. Cores, wrack quadrats, and pitfall traps were used to sample four beaches, which all had vehicle-free sections in...
Kluft, J. M.; Ginsberg, Howard S. Comparative analysis of distribution and abundance of West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis virus vectors in Suffolk County, New York, using human population density and land use/cover data
Five years of CDC light trap data from Suffolk County, NY, were analyzed to compare the applicability of human population density (HPD) and land use/cover (LUC) classification systems to describe mosquito abundance and to determine whether certain mosquito species of medical importance tend to be more common in urban (defined by HPD) or...
Rochlin, I.; Harding, K.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Campbell, S.R. Potential effects of mixed infections in ticks on transmission dynamics of pathogens: comparative analysis of published records
Ticks are often infected with more than one pathogen, and several field surveys have documented nonrandom levels of coinfection. Levels of coinfection by pathogens in four tick species were analyzed using published infection data. Coinfection patterns of pathogens in field-collected ticks include numerous cases of higher or lower levels of...
Ginsberg, Howard S. Anti-tick biological control agents: assessment and future perspectives
Widespread and increasing resistance to most available acaracides threatens both global livestock industries and public health. This necessitates better understanding of ticks and the diseases they transmit in the development of new control strategies. Ticks: Biology, Disease and Control is written by an international collection of experts and...
Bowman, Alan. S.; Nuttall, Patricia A.; Samish, M.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Glazer, I. A sampling device for the fauna of storm water catch basins
Storm water drainage catch basins provide habitat to a variety of different aquatic organisms including arthropods, molluscs and annelid worms. Arthropods such as mosquitoes are known to use these environments as larval habitat. Because of health concerns, catch basins are often targeted for mosquito control exposing all inhabitants to...
Butler, M.; Casagrande, R.; LeBrun, R.; Ginsberg, H.; Gettman, A. Natural communities in catch basins in southern Rhode Island
Storm-water drainage catch basins are manmade structures that often contain water and organic matter, making them suitable environments for various organisms. We censused organisms inhabiting catch basins in southern Rhode Island in 2002 in an effort to begin to describe these communities. Catch-basin inhabitants were mostly detritivores,...
Butler, M.; Ginsberg, H.S.; LeBrun, R.A.; Gettman, A.D.; Pollnak, F. Effects of invasive plant species on pollinator service and reproduction in native plants at Acadia National Park
Invasive plant species can have profound negative effects on natural communities by competively excluding native species. Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry), Frangula alnus (glossy or alder buckthorn) and Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) are invasive species known to reduce native plant diversity and are thus of great concern to Acadia...
Stubbs, C.J.; Drummond, F.; Ginsberg, H. Assessing peridomestic entomological factors as predictors for Lyme disease
The roles of entomologic risk factors, including density of nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), prevalence of nymphal infection with the etiologic agent (Borrelia burgdorferi), and density of infected nymphs, in determining the risk of human Lyme disease were assessed at residences in the endemic community of South Kingstown, RI....
Connally, N.P.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Mather, T.N. Prevalence of Ehrlichia, Borrelia, and Rickettsial agents in Amblyomma americanum (Acari : Ixodidae) collected from nine states
Ambyomma antericanum (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae) is an aggressive tick that feeds on humans during all postembryonic life stages. In many regions of the United States, it is the tick most commonly found attached to humans. Public health interest has grown recently, due to the recognition of new human pathogens transmitted by A. antericanum and the...
Mixson, T.R.; Campbell, S.R.; Gill, J.S.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Reichard, M.V.; Schultz, T.L.; Dasch, G.A. Effects of methoprene on oviposition by Aedes japonicus and Culex spp
The mosquito larvicide methoprene is a juvenile growth hormone mimic that is widely used to control mosquitoes. This chemical disrupts normal mosquito development, drastically inhibiting emergence from the pupal to the adult stage. If the presence of methoprene attracts or deters mosquitoes from ovipositing it could have implications for...
Butler, M.; Suom, C.; LeBrun, R.A.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Gettman, A.D. Efficacy of methoprene for mosquito control in storm water catch basins
This study evaluated the efficacy of methoprene, a widely used juvenile hormone mimic, formulated as 30-day slow release Altosid? pellets, at controlling mosquitoes in underground storm water drainage catch basins. Data from applications to ?-sized cement catch basins in the laboratory, field observations from treated and untreated basins, and an...
Butler, M.; LeBrun, R.A.; Ginsberg, H.S.; Gettman, A.D.