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
2020-2022: Interim Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
2017-present: Professor, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
2016-present: Microbiology (VMPM 501)
2007-present: Graduate Student Seminar Series (VMPM 604)
2007-2018: Molecular Viology (VMPM 608)
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.
2021: Fellow of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
2020-2021: Selection to the Emerging Leaders Academy, Iowa State University
2018 - 2022: 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:
Nunez-Avellaneda D, Cetina-Trejo RC, Zamudio-Moreno E, Baak-Baak C, Cigarroa-Toledo N, Reyes-Solis G, Ortega-Pacheco A, Suzán G, Tandugu C, García-Rejón JE, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C. Evidence of Zika virus infection in pigs and mosquitoes, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021, 27(2):574-577.
Tangudu CS, Charles J, Nunez-Avellaneda D, Hargett AM, Brault AC, Blitvich BJ. Chimeric Zika viruses containing structural protein genes of insect-specific flaviviruses cannot replicate in vertebrate cells due to entry and post-translational restrictions. Virology. 2021. 26;559:30-39.
Nunez-Avellaneda D, Tangudu C, Barrios-Palacios J, Machain-Williams C, Alarcón-Romero L, Zubillaga-Guerrero MI, Nunez-Avellaneda S, McKeen LA, Canche-Aguilar I, Loaeza-Díaz L, Blitvich BJ. Co-circulation of all four dengue viruses and Zika virus in Guerrero, Mexico, 2019. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2021. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2742.
Talavera-Aguilar LG, Murrieta RA, Kiem S, Cetina-Trejo RC; Baak-Baak CM, Ebel GD, Blitvich BJ, Machain-Williams C. Infection, dissemination, and transmission efficiencies of Zika virus in Aedes aegypti after serial passage in mosquito or mammalian cell lines or alternating passage in both cell types. Parasit Vectors. 2021. 14(1):261.
Charles J, Tangudu CS, Nunez-Avellaneda D, Brault AC, Blitvich BJ. The host range restriction of bat-associated No Known Vector flaviviruses occurs post-entry. J. Gen Virol. 2021. 102(9):001647.
Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Garza-Hernandez JA, Rodríguez-Alarcón CA, Adame-Gallegos JR, Beristain-Ruiz DM, Barajas-López IN, González-Peña R, Baylon-Jaquez D, Camacho-Perea A, Vega-Durán A, Rubio-Tabares E, Rivera-Barreno R, Montelongo-Ponce C, Tangudu CS, Blitvich BJ. Detection of antibodies to Lokern, Main Drain, St. Louis encephalitis and West Nile viruses in vertebrate animals in Chihuahua, Guerrero and Michoacán, Mexico. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2021. (11):884-891.
Nunez-Avellaneda D, Tangudu C, Barrios-Palacios J, Salazar MI, Machain-Williams C, Cisneros-Pano J, McKeen LA, Blitvich BJ. Chikungunya in Guerrero, Mexico, 2019 and evidence of gross under-reporting in the region. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2021. 105(5):1281-1284.
Peinado SA, Aliota MT, Blitvich BJ, Bartholomay LC. Biology and transmission dynamics of Aedes flavivirus. J Med Entom. 2022. 59(2):659-666.
Nunez-Avellaneda D, Villagómez FR, Villegas-Pineda JC, Barrios-Palacios J, Salazar MI, Machain-Williams C, Blitvich BJ. Evidence of coinfections between SARS-CoV-2 and select arboviruses in Guerrero, Mexico, 2020-2021. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022. 106(3):896-899.
Baak-Baak CM, Cigarroa-Toledo N, Pinto-Castillo JF, Cetina-Trejo RC, Torres-Chable O, Blitvich BJ, Garcia-Rejon JE. Cluster analysis of dengue morbidity and mortality in Mexico from 2007 to 2020: implications for the probable case definition. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2022. 106(5)1515-1521.
Tangudu CS, Hargett AM, Blitvich BJ. Evidence that untranslated genomic sequences are key determinants of insect-specific flavivirus host restriction. Virology. 2022. 574:102-114.
Tangudu CS, Hargett AM, Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Smith RC, Blitvich BJ. Isolation of a novel rhabdovirus and detection of multiple novel viral sequences in Culex species mosquitoes in the United States. Arch Virol. 2022. 167(12):2577-2590.
Machain-Williams C, Reyes-Solis GC, Blitvich BJ, Laredo-Tiscareño V, Dzul-Rosado AR, Kim S, AbuBakar S. Evaluation of an Immunoglobulin E capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the early diagnosis of dengue. Viral Immunol. 2023. 36(2):101-109.
Postler TS, Beer M, Blitvich BJ, Bukh J, de Lamballerie X, Drexler JF, Imrie A, Kapoor A, Karganova GG, Lemey P, Lohmann V, Simmonds P, Smith DB, Stapleton JT, Kuhn JH. Renaming of the genus Flavivirus to Orthoflavivirus and extension of binomial species names within the family Flaviviridae. Arch Virol. 2023. 168(9):224.
Tangudu CS, Hargett AM, Mitrisin BC, Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Blitvich BJ. Production of a chimeric flavivirus that contains the major structural glycoprotein genes of T’Ho virus in the genetic background of Zika virus. Virol. J. 2023. 20 (1), 197.
Hall DR, Johnson RM, Kwon H, Ferdous Z, Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Blitvich BJ, Brackney DE, Smith RC. Mosquito immune cells enhance dengue and Zika virus dissemination in Aedes aegypti. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024
Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Garza-Hernandez JA, Tangudu CS, Dankaona W, Rodríguez-Alarcón CA, Adame-Gallegos JR, De Luna Santillana EJ, Huerta-Jiménez H, Gonzalez-Peña R, Rivera-Martínez A, Rubio-Tabares E, Beristain-Ruiz DM, Blitvich BJ. Discovery of novel viruses in Culicoides biting midges in Chihuahua, Mexico. (Under review)
Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Garza-Hernandez JA, Tangudu CS, Dankaona W, Rodríguez-Alarcón CA, Gonzalez-Peña R, Adame-Gallegos JR, Beristain-Ruiz DM, Barajas-López IN, Hargett AM, Munderloh UG, Blitvich BJ. Detection of multiple novel viruses in Argasid and Ixodid ticks in Mexico. (Under review)