Article
Parasitology
Vikas Taank, Frank A. Lattanzio, Hameeda Sultana, Girish Neelakanta
Summary: This study reports the presence of two anuses in a laboratory-reared I. scapularis nymph, confirming the rare occurrence of double anus in this species.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chantal B. F. Vogels, Doug E. Brackney, Alan P. Dupuis Ii, Rebecca M. Robich, Joseph R. Fauver, Anderson F. Brito, Scott C. Williams, John F. Anderson, Charles B. Lubelczyk, Rachel E. Lange, Melissa A. Prusinski, Laura D. Kramer, Jody L. Gangloff-Kaufmann, Laura B. Goodman, Guy Baele, Robert P. Smith, Philip M. Armstrong, Alexander T. Ciota, Simon Dellicour, Nathan D. Grubaugh
Summary: This study investigated the transmission patterns and ecology of Powassan virus, an emerging tick-borne virus. It was found that the virus is mainly transmitted by ticks and has a highly focal geographical distribution. The study also revealed a slowing down of virus spread in recent years, possibly due to the expansion of white-tailed deer and Ixodes scapularis tick populations.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Andrew Nuss, Arvind Sharma, Monika Gulia-Nuss
Summary: Ticks are obligate blood-sucking arthropods that are important vectors of pathogens affecting humans and animals worldwide. Despite the growing burden of tick-borne diseases, research on ticks has lagged due to challenges in applying genetic tools, such as CRISPR-Cas9, for stable genetic transformations. Successful germline editing with CRISPR-Cas9 in ticks has yet to be achieved.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
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
Veterinary Sciences
Benjamin Cull, Nicole Y. Burkhardt, Xin-Ru Wang, Cody J. Thorpe, Jonathan D. Oliver, Timothy J. Kurtti, Ulrike G. Munderloh
Summary: This study found that the endosymbiont Rickettsia buchneri in ticks can inhibit the infection and replication of tick-borne pathogens. The presence of R. buchneri was observed to reduce the growth of R. parkeri by a significant percentage in tick cells. This research suggests a potential role of R. buchneri in preventing other rickettsiae from colonizing ticks and being transmitted transovarially, which could have important implications for understanding rickettsial competition and vector competence.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
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
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Erin Hassett, Maria Diuk-Wasser, Laura Harrington, Pilar Fernandez
Summary: This study is important for understanding the risk of tick exposure and tick-preventative behavior among park visitors in Staten Island, New York City. The findings indicate a mismatch between areas with higher tick density and areas more frequently used by visitors. Additionally, visitors' tick prevention behaviors were closely related to their knowledge and perceived risk.
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
Immunology
Joy E. Chiu, Isaline Renard, Santosh George, Anasuya C. Pal, P. Holland Alday, Sukanya Narasimhan, Michael K. Riscoe, J. Stone Doggett, Choukri Ben Mamoun
Summary: This study found that a mutation in the Babesia microti mitochondrial cytochrome b gene confers resistance to an anti-Babesial drug, but reduces parasite fitness in the arthropod vector. Mutant parasites developing in the tick vector are genetically unstable, possibly leading to the reemergence of the wild-type allele during the nymphal stage. The presence of this mutation in Babesia microti parasites may be decreased by passage through the tick vector, but could persist in the environment if present when ticks feed.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Kylie D. Green, Hannah S. Tiffin, Jessica E. Brown, Edwin R. Burgess, Erika T. Machtinger
Summary: Tick control tubes are a host-targeted tick control method, but their effectiveness varies and may be influenced by rodent visitation. This study evaluated small mammal use of tick control tube cotton and found that the season was a key factor in mouse use of cotton.
Article
Immunology
Jaqueline Matias, Cheyne Kurokawa, Andaleeb Sajid, Sukanya Narasimhan, Gunjan Arora, Husrev Diktas, Geoffrey E. Lynn, Kathleen DePonte, Norbert Pardi, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Drew Weissman, Erol Fikrig
Summary: Guinea pigs exposed to Ixodes scapularis ticks develop acquired resistance to ticks, influenced by factors in tick saliva such as Salp14. Using Salp14 as a model antigen, mRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) show potential as a platform for studying tick immunity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ariane Dumas, Catherine Bouchard, L. Robbin Lindsay, Nicholas H. Ogden, Patrick A. Leighton
Summary: This study investigated local patterns of tick distribution in a newly endemic periurban nature park in Quebec, Canada, revealing spatial heterogeneity in tick densities influenced by factors such as host availability, habitat characteristics, and microclimatic conditions. Fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in tick densities and interannual variability in hotspot location were observed, with adult tick density highest in areas with moderate drainage. Microclimatic conditions played a significant role in influencing tick densities, including effects of weather at the time of tick sampling and seasonal microclimate at the site level.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Geoffrey E. Lynn, Jiri Cerny, Cheyne Kurokawa, Husrev Diktas, Jaqueline Matias, Andaleeb Sajid, Gunjan Arora, Kathleen DePonte, Sukanya Narasimhan, Erol Fikrig
Summary: Tick saliva and midgut proteins have been used for immunization against feeding ticks. The study found that cement extract from I. scapularis contains immunogenic components that can stimulate host resistance against tick feeding. These findings provide potential candidates for further evaluation and inclusion in an anti-tick vaccine.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dana C. Price, Julia R. Brennan, Nicole E. Wagner, Andrea M. Egizi
Summary: This study used Shotgun metagenome sequencing to compare the hologenome data from two tick samples collected within a single US county, and found intriguing variants in the data between the two sites. Despite the overall similarity in microbial species between the two samples, interesting polymorphisms were detected.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
A. C. Camire, A. L. Hatke, V. L. King, J. Millership, D. M. Ritter, N. Sobell, A. Weber, R. T. Marconi
Summary: This study compared antibody responses to key tick-borne and mammalian phase antigens induced by canine Lyme disease vaccines in North America, showing that while all vaccines elicited similar OspA antibody responses, only the Subunit-AC vaccine triggered a robust and broadly cross-reactive antibody response to diverse OspC proteins.
VETERINARY JOURNAL
(2021)