Genetic Diversity in Ticks and Transmitted Pathogens

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Ticks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 8079

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
2. IVRI-Eastern Regional Centre, 37, Belgachia Road, Kolkata 700037, West Bengal, India
Interests: acaricide resistance characterization; tick vaccines; antitick natural products; tick borne diseases; diagnostics

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Guest Editor
Division of Genetics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
Interests: tick vaccines; bovine immunology; host-pathogen interactions; bio-entrepreneurship; acaricide resistance; diagnostics

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Guest Editor
1. SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
2. Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
Interests: infectious diseases; systems biology of host-vector-pathogen interactions; gene regulation; pathogenesis; functional genomics; evolution and immunology; ticks and tick-borne diseases; intracellular bacteria (Rickettsia, Mycobacteria, Brucella); vaccinology; biotechnology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The incidence of tick-borne diseases affecting human and animal health worldwide is increasing rapidly and cases are regularly being reported from new areas. To face this challenge, researchers are trying to develop sustainable technologies such as vaccines, rational drug design, and methods of implementing of paratransgenesis under field conditions. Among the bottlenecks faced is the high level of genetic diversity within tick species, as well as the pathogens they transmit. Overcoming the latter will be key in the development of effective cross-protective vaccines against ticks and pathogens. Currently, modern tools are available to bridge this gap and they have been used with some success to control vectors and infectious diseases in non-tick models. However, an effective cross-protective vaccines targeting tick vector and/or pathogen remains to be registered and commercialized.

Recently, MDPI launched a Special Issue of Pathogens on “Genetic Diversity in Ticks and Transmitted Pathogens” to cover the research topics targeting basic scientific questions in order to develop suitable and effective control strategies. Potential topics include genetic diversity in economically important tick vector species, and transmitted pathogens such as Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Borrelia, Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and flaviviruses. Topics related to development of cross-protective transmission blocking vaccines and other control interventions are also included. We also hope that the inclusion of strategies to technologies developed for non-model organisms in ticks and tick-borne diseases will also be welcomed to set the way forward.

Advances in this research area requires multidisciplinary and international collaborations for the application of latest technologies focused on tick–host–pathogen interactions together with applied parasitology, phylo- and population genetics, microbiology, epidemiology and climate change.

Dr. Srikanta Ghosh
Prof. Dr. Christine Maritz-Olivier
Prof. Dr. Jose de la Fuente
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • tick-borne diseases
  • tick-borne pathogens
  • tick–host–pathogen interactions
  • vaccines
  • genetic diversity

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1327 KiB  
Article
Transovarial Transmission of Anaplasma marginale in Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Ticks Results in a Bottleneck for Strain Diversity
by Sofía de la Fournière, Eliana Carolina Guillemi, Martina Soledad Paoletta, Agustina Pérez, Dasiel Obregón, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Néstor Fabián Sarmiento and Marisa Diana Farber
Pathogens 2023, 12(8), 1010; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12081010 - 2 Aug 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1731
Abstract
Anaplasma marginale is an obligate intraerythrocytic bacterium of bovines, responsible for large economic losses worldwide. It is mainly transmitted by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks and, despite mounting evidence suggesting transovarial transmission, the occurrence of this phenomenon remains controversial. We evaluated the vector competence [...] Read more.
Anaplasma marginale is an obligate intraerythrocytic bacterium of bovines, responsible for large economic losses worldwide. It is mainly transmitted by Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus ticks and, despite mounting evidence suggesting transovarial transmission, the occurrence of this phenomenon remains controversial. We evaluated the vector competence of R. microplus larvae vertically infected with A. marginale to transmit the bacterium to a naïve bovine. A subgroup of engorged female ticks collected from an A. marginale-positive animal was dissected and the presence of the pathogen in its tissues was confirmed. A second subgroup of ticks was placed under controlled conditions for oviposition. After confirming the presence of A. marginale in the hatched larvae, an experimental infestation assay was conducted. Larvae were placed on an A. marginale-free splenectomized calf. The bacterium was detected in the experimentally infested bovine 22 days post-infestation. We analyzed the A. marginale diversity throughout the transmission cycle using the molecular marker MSP1a. Different genotypes were detected in the mammalian and arthropod hosts showing a reduction of strain diversity along the transmission process. Our results demonstrate the vertical transmission of A. marginale from R. microplus females to its larvae, their vector competence to transmit the pathogen, and a bottleneck in A. marginale strain diversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity in Ticks and Transmitted Pathogens)
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Review

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31 pages, 2793 KiB  
Review
Perception of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Worldwide
by José de la Fuente, Agustín Estrada-Peña, Marta Rafael, Consuelo Almazán, Sergio Bermúdez, Abdelbaset E. Abdelbaset, Paul D. Kasaija, Fredrick Kabi, Foluke Adedayo Akande, Dorcas Oluwakemi Ajagbe, Timothy Bamgbose, Srikant Ghosh, Azhahianambi Palavesam, Penny H. Hamid, Charlotte L. Oskam, Siobhon L. Egan, Amanda Duarte-Barbosa, Olcay Hekimoğlu, Matias P. J. Szabó, Marcelo B. Labruna and Ananta Dahaladd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Pathogens 2023, 12(10), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12101258 - 19 Oct 2023
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5136
Abstract
In this comprehensive review study, we addressed the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting human and animal health worldwide. Data and perspectives were collected from different countries and regions worldwide, including America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. [...] Read more.
In this comprehensive review study, we addressed the challenge posed by ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) with growing incidence affecting human and animal health worldwide. Data and perspectives were collected from different countries and regions worldwide, including America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. The results updated the current situation with ticks and TBD and how it is perceived by society with information bias and gaps. The study reinforces the importance of multidisciplinary and international collaborations to advance in the surveillance, communication and proposed future directions to address these challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity in Ticks and Transmitted Pathogens)
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