Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Perner, Matej Kucera, Helena Frantova, Veronika Urbanova, Petr Kopacek, Radek Sima
Summary: It has been shown that targeting tRNA amino acid synthetases with drugs can be an effective strategy for treating various parasitic diseases. This study examines tRNA synthetases as potential drug targets in ticks. The knock-down of these synthetases in ticks resulted in a significant negative impact on their feeding process. The findings suggest that tRNA synthetases may serve as attractive anti-tick targets and selective inhibitors can be designed. Additionally, impaired ticks were still capable of transmitting Borrelia afzelii, leading to systemic infection in mice.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mette Frimodt Hansen, Pelle Korsbaek Sorensen, Anja Elaine Sorensen, Karen Angeliki Krogfelt
Summary: The perceived seriousness of tick bites and Lyme borreliosis significantly predicts the adoption of protective measures against ticks. The perceived likelihood of getting a tick bite or Lyme borreliosis also predicts the adoption of protection, although the impact is small.
Article
Parasitology
Djamel Tahir, Btissam Asri, Leon Nicolaas Meyer, Alec Evans, Thomas Mather, Byron Blagburn, Reinhard K. Straubinger, Valerie Choumet, Frans Jongejan, Marie Varloud
Summary: The ex vivo feeding technique using DPP showed high efficacy in blocking the acquisition of Borrelia burgdorferi and killing ticks, without exposing animals to pathogens or vectors. This method could be a promising approach for tick control and disease prevention.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Kenta Sasaki, Masaru Honma, Minoru Nakao, Mizuki Sasaki, Yoshio Hashimoto, Akemi Ishida-Yamamoto, Kentaro Yoshii
Summary: This study in Hokkaido collected and tested ticks feeding on humans for TBEV, but no positive results were found in the specimens. However, monitoring for the occurrence of TBE remains important, as there is an increase in human tick bites by the potential TBEV vector, I. ovatus, even in the northern and eastern areas of Hokkaido.
JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY
(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
Infectious Diseases
Alexandra N. Cumbie, Erin L. Heller, Zachary J. Bement, Anna Phan, Eric L. Walters, Wayne L. Hynes, Holly D. Gaff
Summary: The interaction between hosts and ticks plays a crucial role in the ecology of vector-borne diseases, with birds potentially playing a role in the maintenance and dispersal of Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., the main causative agent of Lyme disease in the southeastern United States.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Franz Rubel, Hans Dautel, Ard M. Nijhof, Olaf Kahl
Summary: This article presents a high-resolution city map showing the distribution of 12 tick species in the metropolitan area of Berlin, Germany. It includes 10 ixodid tick species and 2 soft tick species. The map provides a basis for further research on the impact of climate change and land use on ticks and tick-borne diseases.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
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
Infectious Diseases
Kayleigh M. Hansford, Emma L. Gillingham, Alexander G. C. Vaux, Benjamin Cull, Liz McGinley, Matthew Catton, Benedict W. Wheeler, Barbara Tschirren, Jolyon M. Medlock
Summary: Understanding the effects of local habitat and landscape connectivity on tick presence, nymph density, and Borrelia spp. prevalence is crucial for assessing the risk of Lyme borreliosis. This multi-city study collected data in three urban areas in southern England and found that distance to woodland was negatively associated with tick presence and nymph density, especially in spring and summer. Bird-related Borrelia genospecies dominated and may play an important role in tick feeding and infection in urban green spaces. The overall prevalence of Borrelia spp. in nymphs was 2.8%, similar to rural areas in the UK. The low density of infected nymphs suggests a low risk of Lyme borreliosis transmission, but more research is needed to incorporate tick bite data in urban settings.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2023)
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)
Article
Entomology
Jolyon M. Medlock, Alexander G. C. Vaux, Sara Gandy, Benjamin Cull, Liz McGinley, Emma Gillingham, Matthew Catton, Steven T. Pullan, Kayleigh M. Hansford
Summary: This study investigated the density of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected Ixodes ricinus nymphs (DIN) across a Lyme disease-endemic landscape in southern England from 2013-2017. The results showed variations in nymph density (DON), nymph infection prevalence (NIP), and DIN across different natural habitats, with the highest DIN in woodland edge and high biodiversity woodlands. The study also discussed the potential impacts of scrub vegetation and bird/gamebirds on tick infection rates.
MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Molly McVicar, Isabella Rivera, Jeremiah B. Reyes, Monika Gulia-Nuss
Summary: Lyme disease, transmitted by the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus), is the most important vector-borne disease in the US. This tick species is well adapted to the coastal areas of California, Oregon, and Washington. It carries various pathogens, but our understanding of its ecology and transmission of these pathogens is still limited.
Article
Microbiology
Kaitlyn N. Santiago, Tanya Kozlik, Elizabeth S. Liedhegner, Rebecca A. Slick, Michael W. Lawlor, Dean T. Nardelli
Summary: We investigated the effects of Treg cells on B. burgdorferi infection in BALB/c mice, which have a different immune response compared to C57BL/6 mice. Depletion of Treg cells before infection caused increased joint swelling at low infection doses, but did not significantly affect histopathology. Mice with higher borrelial load in their hearts and higher levels of serum interleukin-10 were observed when Treg cells were depleted before infection with a higher dose. Multiple animal models are necessary to understand the role of Treg cells in the host response to B. burgdorferi due to the variability in Lyme disease presentation in humans.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Katherine Leavey, Rachel K. MacKenzie, Sue Faber, Vett K. Lloyd, Charlotte Mao, Melanie K. B. Wills, Isabelle Boucoiran, Elizabeth C. Cates, Abeer Omar, Olivia Marquez, Elizabeth K. Darling
Summary: This study investigated the impact of Lyme disease on both parents and their offspring during pregnancy. The findings suggest that Lyme disease may pose a range of health issues for both pregnant women and infants.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Agnieszka Pawelczyk, Malgorzata Bednarska, Adrianna Hamera, Emilia Religa, Milena Poryszewska, Ewa J. Mierzejewska, Renata Welc-Faleciak
Summary: Lyme borreliosis is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe. A study in Poland over 4 years found that the majority of ticks removed from humans were Ixodes ricinus, with a high prevalence of Borrelia species. Babesia infection was relatively low, but often co-infected with Borrelia.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Dolores Genne, Marika Rossel, Anouk Sarr, Florian Battilotti, Olivier Rais, Ryan O. M. Rego, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: The study demonstrates that co-infection and competition between pathogen strains within the host tissues can have significant effects on their transmission success, affecting infection prevalence and bacterial abundance. The ability of different strains to establish infection in host tissues is closely correlated with their transmission success to the tick vector.
Article
Microbiology
Jenny Wachter, Craig Martens, Kent Barbian, Ryan O. M. Rego, Patricia Rosa
Summary: This study characterized the methylomes of various Borrelia species involved in Lyme disease, revealing new sequence motifs methylated by plasmid-encoded restriction/modification enzymes. Contrary to previous findings, no consistent differences in gene expression were found among isogenic derivatives lacking certain restriction/modification enzymes, suggesting a need for further study to understand the epigenetic impact of methylation on gene expression in these bacteria. Knowledge of the motifs recognized and methylated by these enzymes will aid in genetic investigations of these important human pathogens.
Article
Microbiology
Thomas M. Hart, Alan P. Dupuis, Danielle M. Tufts, Anna M. Blom, Simon R. Starkey, Ryan O. M. Rego, Sanjay Ram, Peter Kraiczy, Laura D. Kramer, Maria A. Diuk-Wasser, Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis, Yi-Pin Lin
Summary: The research identified species-level differences in bacterial transmission of Lyme disease, which are influenced by the tick blood meal, vertebrate defense mechanisms, and a polymorphic bacterial protein, CspA. The study showed that CspA enables bacterial transmission to specific vertebrates by inactivating the vertebrate complement in a species-specific manner. This species-specific complement evasion mechanism likely emerged through convergent evolution during the last glacial maximum, shaping the host-pathogen associations in Lyme disease infection.
Article
Entomology
Serhii Filatov, Jan Erhart, Ryan O. M. Rego
Summary: This article reports a case of infestation of a long-term laboratory colony of soft ticks, Ornithodoros moubata, by mites that were identified as Tyrophagus fanetzhangorum using the COI gene. The possible nature of the interaction between these two acarines is also discussed.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Kanae Sato-Takada, Anne M. Flemming, Maarten J. Voordouw, Anthony P. Carr
Summary: The study found that the prevalence of persistent GI signs in post-parvo dogs was significantly higher compared to control dogs. Markers of disease severity at the time of hospital admission, such as neutropenia, low body temperature, and treatment with an antiemetic medication, were significant risk factors for persistent GI signs in post-parvo dogs.
BMC VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher B. Zinck, Prasobh Raveendran Thampy, Ryan O. M. Rego, Dustin Brisson, Nicholas H. Ogden, Maarten Voordouw
Summary: This study compared the infection prevalence and spirochete abundance of different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi in a rodent host. The results showed variations in tissue infection and spirochete load among strains, with differences observed between male and female mice. Furthermore, the study suggests that laboratory-based estimates of pathogen abundance can predict the strain composition of this tick-borne pathogen in nature.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Brooklyn Bourgeois, Cody Koloski, Alexandra Foley-Eby, Christopher B. Zinck, Georgia Hurry, Nathalie Boulanger, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: The abundance of Borrelia burgdorferi can be increased by treating infected mice with topical corticosteroids. There is a sex-specific effect of the treatment, with male mice showing a higher abundance of the spirochete in the skin compared to female mice.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Serhii Filatov, Filip Dycka, Jan Sterba, Ryan O. M. Rego
Summary: We developed a new method to assess the protein composition in the saliva of Ornithodoros moubata, a tick species that is a main vehicle for pathogen transmission. The method involves collecting saliva samples using an artificial membrane feeding technique and analyzing them using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method identified various proteins in the saliva samples and can detect proteins even when as few as 6 ticks fed on the diet. The findings suggest that these proteins may have important roles at the tick-host interface and in the vector-pathogen interactions.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Ryan O. M. Rego, Job E. Lopez, Alejandro Cabesas-Cruz
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Martin Strnad, Natalie Rudenko, Ryan O. M. Rego
Summary: This review discusses the various well-defined and possible novel strategies and virulence mechanisms used by B. burgdorferi to evade obstacles during colonization and infection by tick vectors and mammalian hosts.
Article
Microbiology
Christopher B. Zinck, Prasobh Raveendram Thampy, Eva-Maria E. Uhlemann, Hesham Adam, Jenny Wachter, Danae Suchan, Andrew D. S. Cameron, Ryan O. M. Rego, Dustin Brisson, Catherine Bouchard, Nicholas H. Ogden, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: This study examined the relationship between pathogen load in host tissues and lifetime host-to-tick transmission (HTT) using 11 field-collected strains of B. burgdorferi. The laboratory-based estimates of HTT were able to predict the frequencies of these strains in wild I. scapularis populations.
Article
Microbiology
Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Apolline Maitre, Ryan O. M. Rego, Radek Sima, Stefania Porcelli, Sabine Rakotobe, Angelique Foucault-Simonin, Sara Moutailler, Vaidas Palinauskas, Juste Azelyte, Ladislav Simo, Dasiel Obregon, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
Summary: Research has found that infection with Borrelia afzelii causes changes to the microbiota composition, diversity, and structure in ticks. Anti-microbiota vaccines can alter the tick microbiota's ability to be infected by Borrelia and decrease the pathogen's load. Network analysis is a suitable tool for identifying properties of the vector microbiota associated with infection-refractory states.
Article
Microbiology
Dolores Genne, Whitney Jiricka, Anouk Sarr, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: Vector-borne pathogens can establish multiple-strain infections in both the host and the vector, but the impact of multiple-strain infections in the vector on strain-specific transmission to naive hosts is unclear.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Strnad, L. Hain, Y. Oh, P. Hinterdorfer, M. Vancova, R. Rego
