Photo of Mike Teglas, Extension

Mike Teglas

Associate Professor

Summary

Nevada’s large open spaces and diversity of habitat types supports a wide variety of wildlife species as well as domestic livestock. These conditions lend themselves to the uniqueness of the state but also provide habitat for many tick species. Important tick borne diseases have been diagnosed in humans and domestic animals within Nevada but little is known about the distribution and composition of tick populations throughout the state. Most of my efforts go into investigating the role of tick borne disease in the health of cattle herds throughout Nevada. Currently I am identifing important tick species, and the diseases they carry. 

Education

BS, 1991. Washington state University, Pullman, WA
DVM, 1996. Washington State University, Pullman, WA
PhD, 2005. University of California, Davis, CA

News & Journal Articles, Fact Sheets, Reports...

Book Chapter(s)
Argasid ticks, relapsing fever and a changing climate. Teglas, M. B. 2021, In Climate, Ticks and Disease. UK: Oxford Press
Bulletins
Cattle Management Strategies to Minimize Foothill Abortion. Oliver, M., Nader, G. A., Maas, J., Blanchard, M., Stott, J., Teglas, M. B., Becchetti, T., Bushnell, R. 2016, University of California Extension Publications, 8566(October), 1-6
Journals
Host plant-mediation of viral transmission and its consequences for a native butterfly
The use of a novel host plant may confer fitness benefits in terms of survival and reduced viral transmission when larvae feeding on it are infected with this pathogen, supporting hypotheses of potential evolutionary advantages of a host range expansion in the context of tritrophic interactions.
 Christensen, T., Dyer, L., Forister, M., Bowers, M.D., Carper, A., Teglas, M.B., Hurtado, P., and Smilanich, A.M. 2024, Ecology
Exploring spatial and temporal patterns of viral infection across populations of the Melissa blue butterfly McKeegan, K. J., Muchoney, N. D., Teglas, M. B., Forister, M. L., & Smilanich, A. M. 2024, Ecological Entomology, 49(1), 54-66
Dose-dependent dynamics of densovirus infection in two nymphalid butterfly species utilizing native or exotic host plants
These results illustrate the variable influences of host plant use on herbivore resistance to infection, highlighting the importance of investigating plant-herbivore relationships within a tritrophic framework.
 Nadya D Muchoney, Amy M Watanabe, Mike B Teglas, and Angela M Smilanich 2024, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Volume 206, September 2024, 108176
Use of an exotic host plant reduces viral burden in a native insect herbivore Muchoney, N. D., Bowers, M. D., Carper, A. L., Teglas, M. B., & Smilanich, A. M. 2023, Ecology Letters, 26(3), 425-436
Protection of Cattle against Epizootic Bovine Abortion (EBA) Using a Live Pajaroellobacter abortibovis Vaccine Blanchard, M.T.; Teglas, M.B.; Anderson, M.L.; Moore, P.F.; McNabb, B.R.; Collins, K.M.; Yeargan, B.V.; Stott, J.L. 2022, Vaccines (Basel) 10(2):335.
Use of an exotic host plant shifts immunity, chemical defense, and viral burden in wild populations of a specialist insect herbivore Nadya D. Muchoney, M. Deane Bowers, Adrian L. Carper, Peri A. Mason, Mike B. Teglas, Angela M. Smilanich 2022, Ecology & Evolution Volume12, Issue3
Preying dangerously: black widow spider venom resistance in sympatric lizards Vicki L. Thill, Haley A. Moniz, Mike B. Teglas, McKenzie J. Wasley and Chris R. Feldman 2022, Bioscience 49, 557-568
Borreliosis transmission from ticks to humans associated with desert tortoise burrows: examples of tick-borne relapsing fever in the Mojave Desert, 21(8). Bechtel, M. J., Drake, K. K., Esque, T. C., Teglas, M. B., Foster, J. T., & Nieto, N. C. 2021, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic DiseasesVol. 21, No. 8
Lost in a sagebrush sea: comparative genetic assessment of an isolated montane population of Tamias amoenus KC Bell, J Van Gunst, MB Teglas, J Hsueh, MD Matocq 2021, Journal of Mammalogy, gyaa166
What is in commercial cat and dog food? The case for mercury and ingredient testing. Dunham-Cheatham S.M., Klingler K., Peacock M., Teglas M.B., Gustin MS. 2019, Science of The Total Environment, Vol 684, pg. 276-280
Ecological niche modeling and distribution of Ornithodoros hermsi associated with tick-borne relapsing fever in western North America. Sage, K. M., Johnson, T. L., Teglas, M. B., Nieto, N. C., Schwan, T. G. 2017, PLoS Neglected Tropic Diseases, 11(10).
Parasite prevalence and community diversity in sympatric and allopatric populations of two woodrat species (Neotoma, Sigmodontinae). Bechtel, M., Teglas, M., Murphy, P., Matocq, M. 2015, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 51, 162-172
Assessment of a fluorescent antibody test for the detection of antibodies against epizootic bovine abortion. Blanchard, M., Anderson, M., Hoar, B., Blanchard, P., Yeargan, B., Teglas, M. B., Belshaw, M., Stott, J. 2014, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 26(5), 622-630.
Hematologic and IgG responses of heifers experimentally infected with the agent of epizootic bovine abortion evaluation of heifers experimentally infected with the agent of epizootic bovine abortion (foothill abortion). Coker, M. R., Rauw, W. M., Nieto, N. C., Thain, D., Teglas, M. B. 2012, Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 41(3), 344-352.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus: Rafinesque, 1917) are sylvatic hosts for relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and B. Coriaceae). Neito, N., Teglas, M. B., Stewart, K., Wasley, T., Wolff, P. L. 2012, Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, 12(2), 99-105.
The emergence and maintenance of vector-borne diseases in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Nieto, N., Khan, K., Ullah, G., Teglas, M. B. 2012, Frontiers in Systems Biology, 3(250), 1-7.
Growth, Root Formation and Nutrient Value of Triticale Plants Fertilized with Biosolids. Rauw, W. M., Teglas, M. B., Chandra, S., Forister, M. L. 2012, Scientific World Journal, 2012, 7. doi:10.1100/2012/467052
Detection of relapsing fever spirochetes (Borrelia hermsii and Borrelia coriaceae) in free-ranging mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) from Nevada, United States Nieto, N. C., Teglas, M. B., Stewart, K. M., Wasley, T., Wolff, P. L. 2011, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. Vol. 12, No. 2: 99-105
Co-infection of Relapsing Fever Spirochetes with the Agent of Epizootic Bovine Abortion in the Tick Vector, Ornithodoros coriaceus Teglas, M. B., Mapes, S., Hodzic, E., Nieto, N. C. 2011, Medical and Veterinary Entomology, 25(3), 337-343.
Co-infection of Relapsing Fever Spirochetes with the Agent of Epizootic Bovine Abortion in the Tick Vector, Ornithodoros coriaceus. Teglas, M. B., Mapes, S., Hodzic, E., Nieto, N. C. 2011, Medical and Veterinary Entomology.
Co-phylogenetic analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and its vectors, Ixodes spp. ticks. Foley, J., Nieto, N., Foley, P., Teglas, M. B. 2008, Experimental and Applied Acarology, 45(3-4), 155-170.
Identification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the argasid tick Ornithodoros coriaceus. Kirchoff, V., Peacock, M. M., Teglas, M. B. 2008, Molecular Ecology Notes, 8(2), 446-448.
Lay or Popular Publications
Management Alternatives To Minimize Foothill Abortion. Oliver, M., Nader, G., Maas, J., Blanchard, M., Stott, J., Teglas, M. B., Bushnell, R. 2013, The Progressive Rancher, July/August, 20-23.