Andrew Spielman
Encyclopedia
Andrew Spielman, Sc.D. was a prominent American
public health entomologist
and Professor of Tropical Public Health in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health
(HSPH).
Spielman was a world-renowned expert in the vector-borne illnesses malaria
, Lyme disease
, babesiosis
and in the ways in which they are transmitted by mosquito
es and ticks. He was a major figure in the modern history of public health entomology
.
in the malaria lab at Johns Hopkins University
in 1952, serving thereafter as a public health entomologist in the U.S. Navy (he left the service as a Lieutenant Commander).
After George Healy, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control, helped diagnose a second case of human babesiosis on Nantucket in 1973, Spielman traveled to the island for a series of visits to investigate the outbreaks of the disease which usually affects animals, destroying (like its relative malaria) their red blood cells.
Although a handful of human cases had been reported worldwide, babesiosis was not previously known as an established human disease. On Nantucket, he trapped voles and mice
and picked ticks from the animals' hides. He then shifted to laboratory work, successfully infecting hamster
s with the babesia protozoan through the bites of infected deer tick
s (Ixodes dammini, a species he named).
By this approach, he was able to identify the tick responsible for what he called “Nantucket fever" (it was not Dermacentor variabilis, the dog tick, as alleged by other investigators) and to point to the white-footed mouse
as the pathogen's reservoir. (Later, deer ticks were shown to be the vector of Lyme disease.)
In later years, he was granted an official title of Professor of Tropical Public Health under which he organized numerous symposia and consulted with governments, NGOs and corporations about the control of vector-borne diseases. He headed HSPH’s research laboratory of Public Health Entomology and directed a training program in Emerging Infectious Diseases
for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers. At Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he directed the Malaria Epidemiology Program within the Center for International Development.
Spielman was beloved as mentor to two generations of students and postdoctoral fellows whom he encouraged in his special brand of combined lab and fieldwork, the latter including a boyish excitement for intrepid adventures such as spelunking and climbing cliffs.
Spielman had three children (David, Deborah, and Sue) by his wife Judy; he had seven grandchildren (Madeline, Jacob, and Maya Beeders, Sara, Julia, Samantha, and Alex Spielman) at his death. Madeline, his eldest granddaughter, is currently a student at the prestigious University of Washington and is aiming to follow in his footsteps. Coby Beeders is in High School and is an active member in Model UN and mock trials. Maya is a attending Newton School for Children and is fostering a talent for finger painting.
In 1979, Spielman officially proclaimed the Nantucket version of the deer tick a separate species, naming it Ixodes dammini after Gustave Dammin, a prominent pathologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital
, because he had helped him with the research and was a property owner on Nantucket (Dammin's wife came from one of Nantucket's most prominent families).
Spielman built his case for I. dammini being a separate species from Ixodes scapularis
on the observations that the two ticks had very distinct ranges (I. dammini in the Northeast, I. scapularis in the South) and that I. dammini was morphologically different, especially at the nymphal stage. He also marshaled DNA
evidence to make his case.
Spielman fought a protracted, but probably ultimately losing, battle for I. damminis identity as a separate species.
Siding with researchers in Georgia, the editors of the Journal of Medical Entomology
officially ruled that, taxonomically
, I. dammini is identical to I. scapularis and that the two species should be "synonymized" under Ixodes scapularis. Spielman disagreed, he asserted that maintaining I. damminis separate identity is key to understanding the ecology
and epidemiology
of tick-borne diseases.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
public health entomologist
Medical entomology
The discipline of medical entomology, or public health entomology, and also veterinary entomology is focused upon insects and arthropods that impact human health. Veterinary entomology is included in this category, because many animal diseases can "jump species" and become a human health threat,...
and Professor of Tropical Public Health in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
(HSPH).
Spielman was a world-renowned expert in the vector-borne illnesses malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, Lyme disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
, babesiosis
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia are thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe...
and in the ways in which they are transmitted by mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es and ticks. He was a major figure in the modern history of public health entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
.
Youth, education and military service
Spielman earned an Sc. D.Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
in the malaria lab at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 1952, serving thereafter as a public health entomologist in the U.S. Navy (he left the service as a Lieutenant Commander).
Career
Spielman became a member of the faculty at HSPH in 1959, where he divided his time between the lab and the field.After George Healy, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control, helped diagnose a second case of human babesiosis on Nantucket in 1973, Spielman traveled to the island for a series of visits to investigate the outbreaks of the disease which usually affects animals, destroying (like its relative malaria) their red blood cells.
Although a handful of human cases had been reported worldwide, babesiosis was not previously known as an established human disease. On Nantucket, he trapped voles and mice
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
and picked ticks from the animals' hides. He then shifted to laboratory work, successfully infecting hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
s with the babesia protozoan through the bites of infected deer tick
Deer Tick
Deer Tick is an American indie folk band from Providence, Rhode Island led by guitarist and singer-songwriter John McCauley. Deer Tick's music has been described as a combination of folk, blues, and country.-History:...
s (Ixodes dammini, a species he named).
By this approach, he was able to identify the tick responsible for what he called “Nantucket fever" (it was not Dermacentor variabilis, the dog tick, as alleged by other investigators) and to point to the white-footed mouse
White-footed mouse
White-footed Mouse is a rodent native to North America. It ranges from Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the Maritime Provinces to the southwest USA and Mexico. It is also known as the Woodmouse, particularly in Texas.Adults are in length, not counting the tail, which can add another . A young adult...
as the pathogen's reservoir. (Later, deer ticks were shown to be the vector of Lyme disease.)
In later years, he was granted an official title of Professor of Tropical Public Health under which he organized numerous symposia and consulted with governments, NGOs and corporations about the control of vector-borne diseases. He headed HSPH’s research laboratory of Public Health Entomology and directed a training program in Emerging Infectious Diseases
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Emerging Infectious Diseases is a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is in the public domain and is published monthly by the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases...
for doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers. At Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he directed the Malaria Epidemiology Program within the Center for International Development.
Personal life
A mosquito expert with a productive career as a tick researcher, Spielman said this was not such a paradox: "I am not a mosquito specialist. I am not a tick specialist. I am a transmission specialist".Spielman was beloved as mentor to two generations of students and postdoctoral fellows whom he encouraged in his special brand of combined lab and fieldwork, the latter including a boyish excitement for intrepid adventures such as spelunking and climbing cliffs.
Spielman had three children (David, Deborah, and Sue) by his wife Judy; he had seven grandchildren (Madeline, Jacob, and Maya Beeders, Sara, Julia, Samantha, and Alex Spielman) at his death. Madeline, his eldest granddaughter, is currently a student at the prestigious University of Washington and is aiming to follow in his footsteps. Coby Beeders is in High School and is an active member in Model UN and mock trials. Maya is a attending Newton School for Children and is fostering a talent for finger painting.
Accomplishments and legacy
- Spielman was author of more than 360 publications on the arthropodArthropodAn arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
-borne diseases malaria, dengue, babesiosis, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosisEhrlichiosisEhrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease of dogs usually caused by the organism Ehrlichia canis. Ehrlichia canis is the pathogen of animals. Humans can become infected by E. canis and other species after tick exposure. German Shepherd dogs are thought to be particularly affected by the disease, other...
, eastern equine encephalitis, West Nile encephalitis, and filariasisFilariasisFilariasis is a parasitic disease and is considered an infectious tropical disease, that is caused by thread-like nematodes belonging to the superfamily Filarioidea, also known as "filariae"....
.- First description of the life cycles and ecology of the agents of human babesiosisBabesiosisBabesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia are thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe...
and Lyme disease - Elucidation of the role of salivaSalivaSaliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
and its production in vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes in transmitting diseases - The first uses of growth regulators to interfere with normal mosquito development to aid mosquito control
- The exploration of the possibility that roosting birds play a key part in perpetuating the viruses that cause eastern equine encephalitisEquine EncephalitisEquine encephalitis may be caused by several viruses:* Eastern equine encephalitis virus* Western equine encephalitis virus*West Nile virus* Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus...
and West Nile encephalitisEncephalitisEncephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Symptoms include headache, fever, confusion, drowsiness, and fatigue...
. - Led the Phase IIPhase IIPhase II may refer to:* Phase II clinical trial* Drug metabolism Phase II* Star Trek: Phase II, a planned Star Trek television series that eventually evolved into Star Trek: The Motion Picture...
testing of the SmithKline Beecham Lyme disease vaccine among residents of Nantucket, Martha's VineyardMartha's VineyardMartha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, and Block IslandBlock IslandBlock Island is part of the U.S. state of Rhode Island and is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately south of the coast of Rhode Island, east of Montauk Point on Long Island, and is separated from the Rhode Island mainland by Block Island Sound. The United States Census Bureau defines Block...
.
- First description of the life cycles and ecology of the agents of human babesiosis
Ixodes dammini
Ixodes dammini, is responsible not only for the emergence of babesiosis in the U.S., but for a whole new group of tick-borne diseases, the best known of which is Lyme disease.In 1979, Spielman officially proclaimed the Nantucket version of the deer tick a separate species, naming it Ixodes dammini after Gustave Dammin, a prominent pathologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...
, because he had helped him with the research and was a property owner on Nantucket (Dammin's wife came from one of Nantucket's most prominent families).
Spielman built his case for I. dammini being a separate species from Ixodes scapularis
Ixodes scapularis
Ixodes scapularis is commonly known as the deer tick or blacklegged tick , and in some parts of the USA as the bear tick. It is a hard-bodied tick of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States...
on the observations that the two ticks had very distinct ranges (I. dammini in the Northeast, I. scapularis in the South) and that I. dammini was morphologically different, especially at the nymphal stage. He also marshaled DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
evidence to make his case.
Spielman fought a protracted, but probably ultimately losing, battle for I. damminis identity as a separate species.
Siding with researchers in Georgia, the editors of the Journal of Medical Entomology
Journal of Medical Entomology
The Journal of Medical Entomology is a peer-review scientific journal published by the Entomological Society of America....
officially ruled that, taxonomically
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
, I. dammini is identical to I. scapularis and that the two species should be "synonymized" under Ixodes scapularis. Spielman disagreed, he asserted that maintaining I. damminis separate identity is key to understanding the ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
of tick-borne diseases.
Publications
- Spielman, Andrew and Michael D'Antonio (2001), Mosquito: A Natural History of Our Most Persistent and Deadly Foe, HyperionHyperion (publisher)Hyperion Books is a general-interest book publishing part of the Disney-ABC Television Group, a division of The Walt Disney Company, established in 1991. Hyperion publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction books for adults under the following imprints: ABC Daytime Press, ESPN Books,...
.
External links
- Video of Andrew Spielman Discussing Malaria Free to view video by the Vega Science Trust.