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Zoonotic Diseases
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Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research
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Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research

A special issue of Zoonotic Diseases (ISSN 2813-0227).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 16706

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tetsuya Tanaka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Interests: tick biology; parasitology; innate immunity; protein functional chemistry; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Stephen K. Wikel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Sciences, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Frank H. Netter, M.D., School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT 06518, USA
Interests: immunology; ticks; tick-borne diseases; ectoparasites; parasitology; vector-borne diseases; zoonoses
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ticks and tick-borne infectious agents are increasing global threats to the well-being of humans, companion animals, livestock, and wildlife. Increased abundance of ticks and their changing geographic ranges will impact the transmission patterns and incidence of tick-borne diseases of medical and veterinary importance. Among arthropod vectors, ticks transmit the greatest diversity of pathogens to humans and livestock. Wildlife are the origin species of tick-transmitted infections of companion animals and livestock, and the tick-borne zoonoses of humans. Key to protecting human and veterinary public health are increased understanding of pathogen enzootic cycles, tick population dynamics, control interventions, and both tick and pathogen biology and crosstalk that impact pathogen transmission and establishment. One Health and EcoHealth approaches to these problems hold promise for developing better tick and pathogen control.

This Special Issue focused on “Advances in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research” aims to disseminate knowledge on the relationships of tick biology as related to viruses, rickettsiae, protozoans, and other infectious agents they transmit. An enhanced understanding in these areas is vital for combating tick infestation and tick-borne diseases, with diverse strategies ranging from tick population suppression to anti-tick and anti-pathogen vaccination topics of current research.  Topics may include emerging or resurging tick-borne zoonoses. Examples of themes that might be included are severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, Heartland and Bourbon viruses, Rickettsia parkeri, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis or Ehrlichia muris euclairensis, and an update of tick-borne encephalitis viruses or Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. These reviews will  provide examinations of the enzootic cycles of these pathogens; tick ecology and biology of emerging and resurging tick-borne pathogens; tick–host–pathogen interactions that impact successful blood feeding and pathogen transmission; and the scope of established and emerging control strategies.

We welcome contributions from clinicians and scientists from around the world on these important issues in human and  veterinary medicine.

Dr. Tetsuya Tanaka
Prof. Dr. Stephen K. Wikel
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. Zoonotic Diseases is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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

  • ticks
  • tick-borne diseases
  • virus
  • rickettsiae
  • protozoan parasites
  • transmission
  • vaccines
  • genetic modification
  • tick–host–pathogen interactions
  • tick and tick-borne disease control

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Review

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10 pages, 257 KiB  
Review
Role of Tick Commensal Bacteria in the Propagation of Emerging Infectious Diseases: Data Gaps and One Health Implications
by Uday Turaga and Steven M. Presley
Zoonotic Dis. 2024, 4(4), 283-292; https://doi.org/10.3390/zoonoticdis4040024 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 597
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites notorious for their role as vectors of pathogens that affect humans and animals, particularly relative to the propagation of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Two important factors facilitating the role of ticks in the propagation of EIDs are their [...] Read more.
Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites notorious for their role as vectors of pathogens that affect humans and animals, particularly relative to the propagation of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs). Two important factors facilitating the role of ticks in the propagation of EIDs are their potential for the development of resistance to acaricides and the expansion of nonindigenous tick species into new geographic regions. The acquisition of acaricide resistance enables tick populations to be less susceptible to vector control programs. Expansion of the geographic distribution of tick populations increases the likelihood of access to new host species as well as new pathogens. Understanding of the microbiome of ticks continues to evolve, providing critical insights into tick biology. The tick microbiome largely comprises endosymbionts, pathogenic organisms, and commensal bacteria. Endosymbionts are highly preserved and vertically transmitted in ticks from mother to offspring, and their role in the survival of ticks is well recognized. Similarly, the role of ticks as vectors of pathogens is well established. However, commensal bacteria in ticks are acquired from the environment and while ingesting a blood meal. Because many tick species spend most of their lifetime off the hosts, it can be assumed that the richness and diversity of commensal bacteria are highly variable and dependent on the ecosystem in which the tick exists. This mini-review identifies some of the critical data gaps relevant to the role of and influence of commensal bacteria on the vectorial capacity of ticks. As ticks move into new habitats, are locally acquired commensal bacteria playing a role in adaptation to the new habitat? Apart from the conventionally understood mechanisms of acaricide resistance in ticks, are the commensal bacteria influencing the development of acaricide resistance at the population level? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research)
45 pages, 1126 KiB  
Review
Revenge of the Tick: Tick-Borne Diseases and the Eye in the Age of Climate Change and Globalisation
by Xin Le Ng, Berdjette Y. Y. Lau, Cassandra X. C. Chan, Dawn K. A. Lim, Blanche X. H. Lim and Chris H. L. Lim
Zoonotic Dis. 2022, 2(4), 183-227; https://doi.org/10.3390/zoonoticdis2040017 - 9 Oct 2022
Viewed by 5950
Abstract
Climate change has contributed to changes in disease transmission. In particular, zoonoses such as tick-borne diseases are occurring in areas previously unsuitable for tick survival, with spread to non-endemic areas rising. Ophthalmic manifestations of tick-borne diseases are rare. Often overlooked, diagnosis requires awareness [...] Read more.
Climate change has contributed to changes in disease transmission. In particular, zoonoses such as tick-borne diseases are occurring in areas previously unsuitable for tick survival, with spread to non-endemic areas rising. Ophthalmic manifestations of tick-borne diseases are rare. Often overlooked, diagnosis requires awareness and a high level of suspicion, which may delay treatment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of ocular disease associated with ticks so that management protocols for patients can be designed and implemented. A narrative literature review was conducted. The current literature includes case series, case reports, and literature reviews. Ocular manifestations of tick-borne diseases include adnexal manifestations, conjunctivitis, keratitis, cranial nerve palsies, optic nerve disease, uveitis, exudative retinal detachment, and panophthalmitis, which may occur in isolation or as part of a systemic process. As there is no one constellation of ocular symptoms and signs diagnostic of tick-borne eye diseases, a systematic approach is recommended with particular attention to significant travel and exposure history. In this review, we identify significant risk factors and propose management strategies for afflicted patients to improve treatment outcomes while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Ophthalmologists and generalists will benefit from increased awareness of ocular manifestations of tick-borne diseases in the age of modern travel and climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research)
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21 pages, 483 KiB  
Review
Changing Geographic Ranges of Human Biting Ticks and Implications for Tick-Borne Zoonoses in North America
by Stephen K. Wikel
Zoonotic Dis. 2022, 2(3), 126-146; https://doi.org/10.3390/zoonoticdis2030013 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3932
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne pathogens are increasing public health threats due to emergence of novel pathogens, expanding geographic ranges of tick vectors, changing ecology of tick communities, as well as abiotic and biotic influences on tick–host–pathogen interactions. This review examines the major human-biting ixodid [...] Read more.
Ticks and tick-borne pathogens are increasing public health threats due to emergence of novel pathogens, expanding geographic ranges of tick vectors, changing ecology of tick communities, as well as abiotic and biotic influences on tick–host–pathogen interactions. This review examines the major human-biting ixodid tick species and transmitted pathogens of North America. Topics addressed include current and projected tick geographic ranges, potential risks for introduction of tick transmitted microbes into those regions, and drivers for these events. Health care providers, public health authorities, and the general public need to be aware of existing, resurging, and emerging tick and tick-borne disease threats. Knowing which ticks and tick-borne pathogens are present is foundational to understanding and responding to these threats. Dominant tick species and pathogens remain major foci of research, while limited attention has been directed to other human-biting ticks for decades, resulting in questions about current distributions, population sizes, and diversity of infectious agents they are capable of transmitting. Significant threats due to invasive ticks are considered. Recommendations are made for establishment of a sustained North America network for surveillance of ticks, characterization of their microbiomes and viromes, and for support of tick and tick-borne disease ecology research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research)

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20 pages, 2929 KiB  
Brief Report
Tick-Borne Diseases in America’s National Parks: Observations and Recommendations for Improved Public Health
by Sarah P. Maxwell
Zoonotic Dis. 2024, 4(3), 214-233; https://doi.org/10.3390/zoonoticdis4030019 - 9 Sep 2024
Viewed by 874
Abstract
National parks provide visitors access to hiking, camping, and the outdoors. These activities are associated with an increased risk of tick exposure. This brief report is observational, depicting case reports using raw data, and is not intended to analyze or establish risk but [...] Read more.
National parks provide visitors access to hiking, camping, and the outdoors. These activities are associated with an increased risk of tick exposure. This brief report is observational, depicting case reports using raw data, and is not intended to analyze or establish risk but rather to examine geographic areas for potential future research and to identify disparities between canine and human disease reports within the same location. Locally vs. travel-acquired data are not provided by most public health departments in the U.S. Therefore, multimodal data analyses are needed for an improved understanding of disease risk. With data limitations in mind, observations from human and canine comparisons, in addition to tick presence, in this report include (1) tick-borne diseases are reported at most national park areas in the U.S., with the highest case reports in park areas located in Maine and Minnesota; (2) the average total tick-borne diseases combined (i.e., Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis) for park areas allowing dogs is 15.34%. In comparison, the average for national parks without dogs is 8.7%, indicating the need for further study to assess human activity with pets, considering geography and ecology as potential explanatory factors; (3) canine data do not align with human data in many national park geographic areas; and (4) Ixodes scapularis presence overlaps with human and canine disease. Using multimodal data can assist with assessing risk when travel vs. local acquisition is unknown. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research)
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6 pages, 970 KiB  
Brief Report
Tick-Borne Disease Risk and Exposure among Vulnerable Populations in Perceived Non-Endemic Regions
by Kevin Thomas, Chris Brooks, Connie L. McNeely and Sarah P. Maxwell
Zoonotic Dis. 2022, 2(3), 111-116; https://doi.org/10.3390/zoonoticdis2030011 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2638
Abstract
Migrant and seasonal workers in the United States, among others in rural agricultural communities, may be at an elevated risk for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). This research included a survey of over 250 such workers, both women and men, in 13 locations across five [...] Read more.
Migrant and seasonal workers in the United States, among others in rural agricultural communities, may be at an elevated risk for tick-borne diseases (TBDs). This research included a survey of over 250 such workers, both women and men, in 13 locations across five eco-systems in Texas, which is generally perceived as a non-endemic state. Employing a modified Horowitz Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome Questionnaire, a range of data was collected regarding living conditions, such as sleeping outside, along with queries about tick exposure, tick bite encounters, illnesses, and prior TBD diagnoses. Findings revealed that 67% of the respondents who scored highest on symptom severity suggestive of a TBD reported sleeping outdoors (compared to 29% of the lowest scoring), with 78% of the likely-to-highly-likely group also recalling tick-bite encounters (compared to 20% of the lowest scoring). Approximately 28% of those who reported severe symptoms also indicated previous Lyme disease diagnoses. This research serves as an initial investigation into the living conditions associated with increased risk of TBDs among vulnerable populations. It underscores the need for further assessments of TBD risk relative to vulnerable populations even in perceived non-endemic regions and highlights the paucity of actionable data as a critical public health issue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Tick and Tick-Borne Diseases Research)
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