PhD - 1987, Fordham University

OTHER POSITIONS

• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• The ecology and epidemiology of vector-borne diseases
• Risk assessment and development of surveillance strategies for tick and mosquito-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and encephalitis
• Epidemiology of tick bites; prophylaxis of tick-borne diseases after tick bite
• Ecology of Ochlerotatus japonicus, a newly introduced mosquito species
• Local ecology of West Nile virus
• Public health entomology

SOME CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS AT THE
VECTOR ECOLOGY LABORATORY

Population dynamics of deer ticks

The Vector Ecology Laboratory currently is conducting one of the longest-running population studies of the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, in the world.  By using mark-release-recapture techniques, we have been studying population dynamics of all three active tick stages since 1985.  These data have allowed us to develop annual life history tables, investigate biotic and abiotic factors that regulate tick populations, and correlate tick abundance with Lyme disease risk. 

Biological control of ticks

There is a need to develop biological control agents that can be incorporated effectively into an IPM approach for tick control.  We are involved in several laboratory and field projects to assess the impact of natural agents, e.g., fungi and nematodes, on the mortality of the deer tick.

Dogs as sentinels for tick-borne diseases

There is much evidence to show that human case surveillance is not always an accurate indicator of Lyme disease risk over a large area.  Therefore, alternate methods of measuring risk must be developed so that prevention and control efforts can be efficiently targeted.  We have demonstrated that canine serologic studies can effectively measure human Lyme disease risk.  In collaboration with researchers at New York Medical College, we are currently involved in several studies examining the relationship between canine exposure and human risk for other tick-borne diseases, including
                                       ehrlichiosis and babesiosis.

Community-based tick control study

As deer tick populations continue to grow and expand into new areas, effective community-wide control programs are needed.  In collaboration with scientists at the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture and five other research institutions, we are participating in a study to determine the effectiveness of the “4 poster device” in controlling host-seeking nymphal I. scapularis.  Deer are attracted to the baited stations and are treated with a topical acaricide when they feed.  We hypothesize that by killing ticks on deer, Lyme disease risk will be reduced over a large area.

Distribution and population dynamics of Ochlerotatus japonicus in southern New York state

Oc. japonicus is a mosquito species newly introduced into the United States.  Little is presently known about the ecology of this potential vector.  We are currently studying the prevalence and distribution of this mosquito in southern New York state, both on spatial and temporal scales.  In collaboration with researchers from the    U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, we are also studying the most effective trapping methods that may be employed to collect this species for surveillance and virus isolation studies.

Ecology of West Nile vectors in New York state

Although the common house mosquito, Culex pipiens, has been identified as the primary vector of West Nile virus, other mosquito species are suspected of being secondary or bridge vectors.  We have initiated studies to determine the identity of these species and study their role in the ecology of West Nile virus in the northeast.

FULL-TIME LABORATORY PERSONNEL

Co-Director of the VEL: Dr. Thomas Daniels
Research technician: Theresa Boccia
Research technician:  James Vellozzi

James, Tom, & Theresa

MEMBERSHIPS

Acarological Society of America
American Mosquito Control Association (www.mosquito.org)
American Public Health Association (www.apha.org)
Entomological Society of America (www.entsoc.org)
New York Entomological Society
Northeastern Mosquito Control Association (www.nmca.org)

HOBBIES AND RECREATION

ODD FACT: Never had a plum until I was 30.

For more information on ticks and tick borne diseases, try these links:
American Lyme Disease Foundation (www.aldf.com)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm)

For more information on mosquitoes and West Nile virus, try these links:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm)
New York State Department of Health (www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/westnile/index.htm)
New York City Department of Health (www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/html/wnv/wnvhome.html)

For current information on infectious disease outbreaks, try this link:
ProMED-mail (www.promedmail.org)

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Daniels, T.J., G.R. Battaly, D. Liveris, R.C. Falco, and Ira Schwartz.  Avian reservoirs of the agent of human granulocytic
            ehrlichiosis?  Emerg Infect Dis.  In press.

Falco, R.C., T.J. Daniels, and M.C. Slamecka.  Prevalence and distribution of Ochlerotatus japonicus (Diptera:  Culicidae) in two counties in southern New York state.  J Med Entomol.  In press. 

Nasci, R.S, N. Komar, A.A. Marfin, G.V. Ludwig, L.D. Kramer, T.J. Daniels, R.C. Falco, S.R. Campbell, K. Brookes,
K.L. Gottfried, K.L. Burkhalter, S.E. Aspen, A.J. Kerst, R.S. Lanciotti, C.G. Moore.  Detection of
           West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes and seropositive juvenile birds in the vicinity of virus-positive dead birds.  Amer J
            Trop Med Hyg.  In press.

Nasci, R.S., D.J. White, H. Stirling, J. Oliver, T.J. Daniels, R.C. Falco, S. Campbell, W.J. Crans, H.M. Savage, R.S. Lanciotti, C.G. Moore, M.S. Godsey, K.L. Gottfried, and C.J. Mitchell.  2001.  West Nile virus isolates from mosquitoes in New York and New Jersey, 1999.  Emerg Infect Dis.  7:626-630.

Nadelman, R.B., J. Nowakowski, D. Fish, R.C. Falco, K. Freeman, D. McKenna, P. Welch, R. Marcus, M. Aguero-Rosenfeld, D.T. Dennis, and G.P. Wormser.  2001.  Prophylaxis with single-dose doxycycline for the prevention of Lyme disease after an Ixodes scapularis tick bite.  New Eng J Med.  345:79-84.

Daniels, T.J., R.C. Falco, and D. Fish.  2000.  Estimating population size and drag sampling efficiency for the black-legged tick (Acari: Ixodidae).  J Med Entomol.  37:357-363.

Gern, L. and R.C. Falco.  2000.  Lyme disease. Rev. sci. tech. Off. Int. Epiz. 19:121-135.

Falco, R.C., D. McKenna, T.J. Daniels, R.B. Nadelman, J. Nowakowski, D. Fish, and G.P. Wormser.  1999.  The temporal relationship between Ixodes scapularis abundance and risk for Lyme disease associated with erythema migrans.  Am J Epidemiol.  149:771-776.

Daniels, T.J., T.M. Boccia, S. Varde, J. Marcus, J. Le, D. Bucher, R.C. Falco, and I. Schwartz.  1998.  Geographic risk for Lyme disease and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in southern New York State.  Appl Environ Microbiol.  64:4663-4669.

Falco, R.C., D. Fish, and V. D=Amico.  1998.  Accuracy of tick identification in a Lyme disease endemic area.  JAMA.  280:602-603.

Ginsberg, H.S., K.E. Hyland, R. Hu, T.J. Daniels, and R.C. Falco.  1998.  Tick population trends and forest type.  Science. 281: 349-350.

Daniels, T.J., R.C. Falco, I. Schwartz, S. Varde, and R.G. Robbins.  1997.  Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and the agents of Lyme disease and human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in a New York City park.  Emerg Infect Dis.  3:353-355.

Falco, R.C., D. Fish, and J. Piesman. 1996. Duration of tick attachment in a Lyme disease endemic area. Am J Epidemiol. 143:187-192.

Daniels, T.J., R.C. Falco, K.L. Curran, and D. Fish. 1996. Timing of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) oviposition and larval hatching in southern New York state. J Med Entomol. 33:140-147.

Falco, R.C., T.J. Daniels, and D. Fish. 1995. Increase in abundance of immature Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in an emergent Lyme disease endemic area. J Med Entomol. 32:522-526.

 Falco, R.C., H. Smith, D. Fish, B.A. Mojica, H. Harris, and K. Hechemy. 1993. Distribution and prevalence of canines seropositive for Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in a Lyme disease endemic area. Am J Pub Health. 83: 1305-1310.

Dister, S., L. Beck, B. Wood, R. Falco, and D. Fish. 1993. The use of GIS and remote sensing technologies in a landscape approach to the study of Lyme disease transmission risk. GIS '93: Seventh annual symposium proceedings; Geographic Information Systems in forestry, environmental, and natural resource management.

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1992. A comparison of methods for sampling the deer tick, Ixodes dammini, in a Lyme disease endemic area. Exp Appl Acarol. 14: 165-173.

Falco, R.C., D. Fish, H.A. Smith, A. DeGuglielmo, E. Whittemore, and K. Hechemy. 1992. Comparison of methods to assess Lyme disease risk. Abstracts of the 120th annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Washington, DC. (Abstract).

Falco, R.C., D. Fish, and J. Piesman. 1992. Duration of Ixodes dammini attachment to humans. Program and abstracts of the Fifth International Conference on Lyme borreliosis, Arlington, VA. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. (Abstract).

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1991. Horizontal movement of adult Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae) attracted to carbon dioxide‑baited traps. J Med Entomol. 28: 726-729.

Daniels, T.J., D. Fish, and R.C. Falco. 1991. Evaluation of host‑targeted acaricidal treatment of white footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, for reducing risk of Lyme disease.  J Med Entomol. 28: 537-543.

Fish, D., T.J. Daniels, and R.C. Falco. 1991. Surveillance techniques for Lyme disease. Southeastern Lyme Disease Workshop Proceedings. (Abstract).

Daniels, T.J., D. Fish, and R.C. Falco. 1989. Seasonal activity and survival of adult Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae) in southern New York State. J Med Entomol. 26: 610‑14.

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1989. The use of carbon dioxide- baited traps for sampling Ixodes dammini (Acarina: Ixodidae). Acarologia. 30: 29‑33.

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1989. Potential for exposure to tick bites in recreational parks in a Lyme disease endemic area. Amer J Pub Health. 79: 12‑15.

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1989. Assessing risk for tick bites in a Lyme disease endemic area. Abstracts of the 117th annual meeting of the American Public Health Association. (Abstract).

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1988. Ticks parasitizing humans in a Lyme disease endemic area of southern New York State. Amer J Epidemiol. 128: 1146‑52.

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1988. A survey of tick bites acquired in a Lyme disease endemic area in southern New York State. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 539: 456‑57. (Abstract).

Falco, R.C. and D. Fish. 1987. Prevalence of Ixodes dammini near the homes of Lyme disease patients in Westchester County, New York. Amer J Epidemiol. 127: 826‑30.

Falco, R.C. 1987. Abundance of the deer tick, Ixodes dammini (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Lyme disease endemic area of southern New York state. Dissertation Abstracts. 48:954‑B. (Abstract).

Fish, D. and R.C. Falco. 1985. Prevalence of Ixodes dammini in suburban New York City. Second International Symposium on Lyme Disease and Related Disorders. Austrian Society of Hygiene, Microbiology, and Preventive Medicine. 70. (Abstract).

BOOK CHAPTERS

Falco, R.C. and T.J. Daniels. 1993. Lyme disease control and tick management. In: Ginsberg, H. ed. Ecology and environmental management of Lyme disease. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.

POPULAR  AND TRADE ARTICLES

Controlling deer ticks.  2002.  Grounds Maintenance Magazine.  February.

Daniels, T.J. and R.C. Falco. 1989. The Lyme disease invasion. Natural History. July: pp. 4-10.          

Page last updated September 23, 2002 by Craig L. Frank (frank@fordham.edu)