Article
Biology
Anne L. Sapiro, Beth M. Hayes, Regan F. Volk, Jenny Y. Zhang, Diane M. Brooks, Calla Martyn, Atanas Radkov, Ziyi Zhao, Margie Kinnersley, Patrick R. Secor, Balyn W. Zaro, Seemay Chou
Summary: This study longitudinally defined the global transcriptomic landscape of Bb inside nymphal Ixodes scapularis ticks during a transmitting bloodmeal. It identified 192 Bb genes that substantially change expression during the bloodmeal, many of which encode proteins located in the cell envelope or proteins of unknown function. Mass spectrometry was used to identify candidate tick proteins that physically interact with Bb.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ariane Dumas, Catherine Bouchard, Antonia Dibernardo, Pierre Drapeau, L. Robbin Lindsay, Nicholas H. Ogden, Patrick A. Leighton
Summary: Ixodes scapularis ticks are expanding their range in northeastern North America, bringing with them pathogens of public health concern. This study found that birds and rodents are reservoir hosts for the ticks, with ground-foraging bird species and species inhabiting open habitat being more susceptible to infestation and transmission of Borrelia bacteria.
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)
Review
Immunology
Jannelle Couret, Samantha Schofield, Sukanya Narasimhan
Summary: This review focuses on environmental factors that influence tick biology and tick-pathogen interactions, highlighting the impact of temperature, humidity, and environmental microbiota on tick parasitism and the transmission of tick-borne diseases.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Erik Foster, James Burtis, Jennifer L. Sidge, Jean Tsao, Jenna Bjork, Gongping Liu, David F. Neitzel, Xia Lee, Susan Paskewitz, Diane Caporale, Rebecca J. Eisen
Summary: The geographic range of the blacklegged tick and its associated human pathogens has expanded, increasing the risk for tick-borne diseases. Understanding the time and location of potential exposure to infected ticks is crucial for prevention and diagnosis. Monitoring infection prevalence in ticks aids in assessing risk, but setting a fixed threshold is not feasible due to variability. Reducing repeated sampling does not significantly impact estimates of average infection prevalence.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Marta Wozinska, Kacper Toczylowski, Dawid Lewandowski, Ewa Bojkiewicz, Artur Sulik
Summary: This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices against tick-borne diseases (TBDs) among residents in northeastern Poland. The results showed that the internet and doctors were the main sources of knowledge, and participants had moderate knowledge and attitudes towards TBDs. However, there were misconceptions regarding Lyme borreliosis (LB) transmission, symptoms, and management. Higher risk perceptions were associated with the adoption of preventive behaviors. Healthcare professionals played a crucial role in communicating knowledge about TBDs.
Article
Parasitology
Sara Gandy, Elizabeth Kilbride, Roman Biek, Caroline Millins, Lucy Gilbert
Summary: Through a long-term deer exclosure experiment, it was found that high deer density can impact the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in ticks, with higher deer density leading to higher tick density but lower prevalence, possibly due to the dilution effect and ecological cascade mechanisms.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Kamalika Samanta, Jose F. Azevedo, Nisha Nair, Suman Kundu, Maria Gomes-Solecki
Summary: In recent years, Lyme disease has spread to previously nonendemic areas. Through laboratory observations, we found that infected I. scapularis nymphal ticks can retain their host-seeking behavior and maintain a sufficient infection rate under optimal environmental conditions, effectively transmitting the Lyme disease pathogen. This study is important for understanding and modeling the expansion of Lyme disease into nonendemic regions due to climate change.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Sukanya Narasimhan, Nallakkandi Rajeevan, Morven Graham, Ming-Jie Wu, Kathleen DePonte, Solenne Marion, Orlanne Masson, Anya J. O'Neal, Joao H. F. Pedra, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Erol Fikrig
Summary: This study reveals that changes in tick microbiome composition do not significantly affect the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The spirochetes may utilize an intracellular exit route during migration, helping them avoid the influence of microbiota in the midgut lumen.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juraj Koci, Sandhya Bista, Payal Chirania, Xiuli Yang, Chrysoula Kitsou, Vipin Singh Rana, Ozlem Buyuktanir Yas, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Utpal Pal
Summary: I. scapularis ticks produce multiple orthologs for the widely studied tick gut protein Bm86, termed as Is86, which features at least three identifiable regions with EGF-like domains. Immunization with specific recombinant EGF antigens in murine hosts marginally reduced spirochete loads in the skin during B. burgdorferi infection, but the impact of EGF immunization on tick engorgement and pathogen survival in the vector is limited. Further investigations of Is86 and other tick antigens would enrich our understanding of tick biology and contribute to the development of anti-tick measures.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jeff Hamik, Travis J. J. Bourret, Halie Smith, Molly Herman, Rachael Birn, Tammy Dawdy, Mona J. J. Zuffante, Matthew A. A. Donahue
Summary: In August 2021, two cases of Lyme disease were reported in Nebraska, with patients having local exposure to wooded areas. Epidemiological investigations confirmed that the two patients were exposed to ticks in adjacent wooded sites. Environmental investigations collected 12 ticks, identified as black-legged ticks, and found that 58.3% of them tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., the bacterium causing Lyme disease. This study documents the presence of I. scapularis ticks and the occurrence of local transmission of Lyme disease in Nebraska for the first time, highlighting the need for continued surveillance and monitoring.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Christine E. Conte, Jessica E. Leahy, Allison M. Gardner
Summary: Active forest management, including timber harvests, can influence tick density and infection prevalence in forests. Recent harvesting was found to reduce nymphal and adult blacklegged tick presence, alter understory microclimate conditions, and decrease capture rates of small mammal species parasitized by immature ticks. Harvesting may offer sustainable tools to inhibit entomological risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Lauriane Duplaix, Victoria Wagner, Salima Gasmi, L. Robbin Lindsay, Antonia Dibernardo, Karine Thivierge, Christopher Fernandez-Prada, Julie Arsenault
Summary: A study conducted in Quebec from 2010 to 2017 revealed that cats and dogs are at risk of exposure to blacklegged ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The majority of ticks collected were adult females and partially engorged, with a higher prevalence of infections with B. burgdorferi and A. phagocytophilum.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Entomology
Lucy Gilbert
Summary: Ticks are widespread and carry pathogens, impacting by climate change; tick-borne disease systems are complex with diverse drivers, modeling can help understand changes; future research should focus on assessing the resilience of ticks and tick-borne pathogens to climate change.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ENTOMOLOGY, VOL 66, 2021
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Zhenhua Ji, Miaomiao Jian, Peng Yue, Wenjing Cao, Xin Xu, Yu Zhang, Yingyi Pan, Jiaru Yang, Jingjing Chen, Meixiao Liu, Yuxin Fan, Xuan Su, Shiyuan Wen, Jing Kong, Bingxue Li, Yan Dong, Guozhong Zhou, Aihua Liu, Fukai Bao
Summary: This study conducted a meta-analysis to examine the infection rate of B. burgdorferi in hard-bodied ticks in Asia. The results showed that Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, and Dermacentor may be the most common tick species carrying B. burgdorferi in the region.