Article
Immunology
Adela Chlastakova, Barbora Kascakova, Jan Kotal, Helena Langhansova, Michail Kotsyfakis, Ivana Kuta Smatanova, Lucas Tirloni, Jindrich Chmelar
Summary: Serpins are serine protease inhibitors widely distributed in ticks, and Iripin-1 is a serpin found in I. ricinus tick saliva. Iripin-1 inhibits coagulation and immune response by suppressing the activity of proteases. In addition, it reduces immune cell migration and inflammatory response. The structure of Iripin-1 has been determined using X-ray crystallography.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Zbigniew Zajac, Aleksandra Sedzikowska, Weronika Maslanko, Aneta Wozniak, Joanna Kulisz
Summary: Ecological corridors are zones of natural vegetation that connect with other vegetation strips to provide migration routes for animals and plants. Research conducted in the Wieprz River ecological corridor in eastern Poland found that the habitats within this corridor are preferred by Dermacentor reticulatus ticks.
Article
Immunology
Jamil N. Kanji, Abraam Isaac, Daniel Gregson, Monika Mierzejewski, Danny Shpeley, Pauline Tomlin, Michael Groeschel, L. Robbin Lindsay, Lisa Lachance, Kinga Kowalewska-Grochowska
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed tick species and quantity recovered from humans in Alberta over a 19-year period, and conducted molecular testing for pathogens associated with Ixodes scapularis and I. pacificus. Dermacentor ticks were the most common, followed by Ixodes and Amblyomma. The risk of tick-borne pathogen exposure, such as Lyme disease, in Alberta remains low.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Mary B. Jacobs, Britton J. Grasperge, Lara A. Doyle-Meyers, Monica E. Embers
Summary: The uptake of the Lyme disease spirochete by its tick vector is dependent on chemical signals in the tick's saliva and the responsive phenotype of the Borrelia burgdorferi in the mammalian host. This study examined the migration of B. burgdorferi towards tick saliva and identified that host-adapted spirochetes have a greater preference for tick saliva compared to cultured spirochetes. These findings provide insights into the relationship between growth conditions and phenotype of B. burgdorferi in relation to vector acquisition.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Andrea Springer, Alexander Lindau, Julia Probst, Marco Drehmann, Katrin Fachet, Dorothea Thoma, H. Rose Vineer, Madeleine Noll, Gerhard Dobler, Ute Mackenstedt, Christina Strube
Summary: A citizen science study conducted in Germany provides an update on the distribution of Dermacentor ticks, particularly Dermacentor reticulatus. The study found that D. reticulatus has expanded its range throughout Germany, while D. marginatus remains limited to southwestern Germany. Most D. reticulatus ticks were found on dogs, while D. marginatus ticks were mainly discovered on hoofed animals and humans. Further research is needed to investigate the spread of Babesia canis and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) by D. reticulatus in Germany.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Muhammad Nadeem Abbas, Adela Chlastakova, Mohamed Amine Jmel, Evangelia Iliaki-Giannakoudaki, Jindrich Chmelar, Michail Kotsyfakis
Summary: Tick saliva contains serpins that play a crucial role in tick-host interactions by inhibiting host hemostasis processes and modulating host immune responses. Research suggests that tick serpins have the potential to be candidates for drug and vaccine development.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Rohit Sharma, Duncan W. Cozens, Philip M. Armstrong, Douglas E. Brackney
Summary: The study shows that non-Ixodes tick species can effectively acquire POWV II by feeding on viremic hosts, maintain infection through molting, and successfully transmit the virus to naive hosts at comparable rates across all three species.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Zbigniew Zajac, Joanna Kulisz, Aneta Wozniak, Katarzyna Bartosik, Angelique Foucault-Simonin, Sara Moutailler, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: This study investigated the presence of tick species in the Western Carpathians, Poland and examined the impact of environmental factors on tick occurrence and activity, the prevalence of vectored pathogens, and tick hosts as reservoir organisms. The results showed that only two species of ticks were found in the study area, with temperature significantly affecting tick activity and the number of Ixodes ricinus nymphs varying with altitude. The main hosts for ticks were rodents, and the ticks collected from vegetation were often infected with various pathogens.
Article
Entomology
Julia Gonzalez, Dina M. Fonseca, Alvaro Toledo
Summary: People frequently use parks and forested areas for outdoor activities. This study monitored the seasonal dynamics of ticks in forest/meadow and forest/path ecotones in Middlesex County, New Jersey. The most abundant tick species collected was Haemaphysalis longicornis, an invasive tick species. The presence of anthropophilic ticks suggests the need for specific control approaches, and the high numbers of H. longicornis collected highlight the importance of monitoring its expansion as a potential vector of diseases.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Anna Barbiero, Tommaso Manciulli, Michele Spinicci, Iacopo Vellere, Maria Grazia Colao, Gian Maria Rossolini, Alessandro Bartoloni, Didier Raoult, Lorenzo Zammarchi
Summary: This study reports ten cases of SENLAT in Tuscany, Italy, with symptoms including scalp eschar and cervical lymphadenopathy. The difficulty of microbiological diagnosis and previous antibiotic treatment administration hindered the identification of the causative agent.
Review
Immunology
Stepan S. Denisov, Ingrid Dijkgraaf
Summary: Ticks secrete immunomodulatory proteins into their saliva to bypass or suppress the host's immune system, with a diverse arsenal of closely related proteins using gene duplication. Studying these proteins can help understand tick-host relationships and provide potential candidates for drug development.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohamed Amine Jmel, Hajer Aounallah, Chaima Bensaoud, Imen Mekki, Jindrich Chmelar, Fernanda Faria, Youmna M'ghirbi, Michalis Kotsyfakis
Summary: Protease inhibitors are regulatory proteins found in all kingdoms that play crucial roles in controlling proteases, with potential applications in human disease treatment and agriculture. PIs from tick salivary glands have unique pharmacological properties and are promising candidates for drug development, progressing to preclinical and clinical trials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
Blazena Vargova, Natalia Pipova, Miroslav Banas, Igor Majlath, Piotr Tryjanowski, Lukasz Jankowiak, Viktoria Majlathova
Summary: Ticks are important vectors of pathogens and understanding their behavior is crucial for preventing disease transmission. This study described the behavior of D. reticulatus ticks using laboratory assays and identified several specific behavioral units and their frequencies.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Giovanni Sgroi, Roberta Iatta, Riccardo Paolo Lia, Nicola D'Alessio, Ranju Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj, Vincenzo Veneziano, Domenico Otranto
Summary: A study in southern Italy investigated the prevalence of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in wild boars and their ticks, finding that wild boars are commonly infested by ticks, with some ticks carrying SFG Rickettsia species. The study emphasizes the importance of integrated management for wild boar population control and prevention of zoonotic pathogen transmission.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Kathryn T. Duncan, Meriam N. Saleh, Kellee D. Sundstrom, Susan E. Little
Summary: The study confirmed through morphological and molecular identification that the predominant Dermacentor species found on pets in the United States is Dermacentor variabilis, with higher prevalence in Rocky Mountain states. These data support the interpretation that D. variabilis is the major species associated with pets throughout the United States.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)