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Vaccines
Special Issues
Advances in Vaccination Against Tick-Borne Pathogens
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Advances in Vaccination Against Tick-Borne Pathogens

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines against Tropical and other Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 2245

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Artur Sulik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Interests: central nervous system infections; tick-borne diseases; parasitic diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Kacper Toczylowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Interests: tick-borne diseases; meningitis; encephalitis; respiratory pathogens
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ticks are known to transmit a variety of microorganisms to both animals and humans. Among the most notable are Borrelia bacteria, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, and the Babesia parasite, which have increasingly drawn public attention. The diseases caused by these pathogens are expanding into new regions worldwide.

Currently, effective and safe vaccines are available for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), offering protection against this potentially severe disease. However, Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia bacteria, still lacks a registered vaccine, although promising developments are underway. The absence of a Lyme disease vaccine underscores the urgent need for ongoing research and innovation in vaccine development to better protect public health.

Recent research has provided valuable insights into various aspects of tick-borne disease prevention. Studies have explored the progress in Lyme disease vaccine development, examined breakthrough cases in TBE vaccination, and investigated other related topics.

This Special Issue is dedicated to preventing diseases transmitted by tick bites, emphasizing the importance of vaccine development and public health strategies. We encourage submissions on topics such as the molecular aspects of vaccine development, the immunogenicity and efficacy of vaccines, immune responses, coverage, and the public’s perception and acceptance of these vaccines. Contributions that address the challenges and opportunities in preventing tick-borne diseases are particularly welcome, as they can help shape future research and public health policies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Artur Sulik
Dr. Kacper Toczylowski
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tick-borne diseases
  • tick-borne encephalitis
  • Lyme disease
  • Lyme disease vaccine
  • ticks
  • immunization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3256 KiB  
Article
Identification of Potential Amblyomma americanum Antigens After Vaccination with Tick Extracellular Vesicles in White-Tailed Deer
by Adela Oliva Chávez, Julia Gonzalez, Cristina Harvey, Cárita de Souza Ribeiro-Silva, Brenda Leal-Galvan, Kelly A. Persinger, Sarah Durski, Pia U. Olafson and Tammi L. Johnson
Vaccines 2025, 13(4), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13040355 - 27 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objective: Anti-tick vaccines represent a promising alternative to chemical acaricides for the management of ticks on wildlife; however, little progress has been made to produce a vaccine effective in wild hosts that are critical for tick reproduction, such as the white-tailed deer ( [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Anti-tick vaccines represent a promising alternative to chemical acaricides for the management of ticks on wildlife; however, little progress has been made to produce a vaccine effective in wild hosts that are critical for tick reproduction, such as the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We recently tested Amblyomma americanum salivary and midgut extracellular vesicles as vaccine candidates in white-tailed deer, which resulted in on-host female tick mortality. The objective of this study was to identify the proteins recognized by the antibodies regenerated during these vaccinations to determine potential antigens for vaccine development for white-tailed deer. Methods: Using a proteomic approach, we characterized the cargo within salivary and midgut vesicles. Label-free quantitative proteomics were used to investigate significant changes in protein loading within extracellular vesicles in these two organs. The pre-vaccination and post-vaccination serum from three animals vaccinated with salivary and midgut vesicles and one control animal were used to identify proteins recognized by circulating antibodies. Results: We show that these salivary and midgut vesicles contain a “core-cargo” enriched in chaperones, small GTPases, and other proteins previously reported in small EVs. Label-free quantitative proteomics show significant differences in protein cargo between salivary and midgut vesicles (333 proteins out of 516). Proteomic analysis of immunoprecipitated proteins identified thirty antigens with potential for use in anti-tick vaccines, seven of which we have categorized as high priority. Conclusions: Proteins within tick salivary and midgut vesicles are recognized by antibodies from vaccinated white-tailed deer. These proteins can be further evaluated for their function and potential as vaccine candidates against ticks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Vaccination Against Tick-Borne Pathogens)
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13 pages, 1620 KiB  
Article
Barriers and Predictors of Lyme Disease Vaccine Acceptance: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland
by Dawid Lewandowski, Artur Sulik, Filip Raciborski, Milena Krasnodebska, Joanna Gebarowska, Aleksandra Stalewska and Kacper Toczylowski
Vaccines 2025, 13(1), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13010055 - 10 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Lyme disease (LD) is a major public health problem in Europe and the United States, with increasing incidence and not many prevention options. Vaccine hesitancy might be a significant barrier to successful vaccination campaigns having in mind previous vaccine development failures. This [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Lyme disease (LD) is a major public health problem in Europe and the United States, with increasing incidence and not many prevention options. Vaccine hesitancy might be a significant barrier to successful vaccination campaigns having in mind previous vaccine development failures. This study aimed to evaluate the public’s perception of LD vaccination in Poland, assess willingness to vaccinate, and identify factors influencing vaccination attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of children hospitalized at the University Children’s Hospital in Bialystok, Poland. The survey consisted of 29 questions regarding demographics, LD knowledge, vaccine attitudes, and perceived risks. Data were collected between January and December 2023 and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to identify predictors of respondents’ positive vaccination attitudes. Results: A total of 503 valid responses were analyzed. Most respondents (72.4%) showed positive attitudes towards vaccination, while 18.5% were neutral and 9.1% were negative. Trust in health experts emerged as an important predictor of vaccination acceptance (OR 22.84; p < 0.001). More than 80% of participants recognized an LD vaccine as necessary, and 64.21% believed it would reduce their concerns about LD. Willingness to vaccinate was influenced by general positive vaccine attitudes, recognized danger of LD, and belief in the vaccine’s ability to ease fears. Notably, 40.8% of respondents were uncertain about vaccine risks, with this group tending to be younger, less educated, and expressing lower trust in medical professionals. Conclusions: Public perception of LD in Poland indicates a high acceptance of a potential LD vaccine. Still, addressing vaccine hesitancy remains critical, particularly among undecided or neutral respondents. Building trust in healthcare professionals and addressing safety worries are important to increasing future LD vaccine use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Vaccination Against Tick-Borne Pathogens)
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