Tick-Borne Disease–Associated Thrombocytopenia

Vectors are living organisms that transmit infectious diseases from an infected animal to humans or another animal. Biological vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, and sand flies carry pathogens that multiply within their bodies prior to delivery to a new host. The increased prevalence of Vector-Borne Diseases (VBDs) such as Aedes-borne dengue, Chikungunya (CHIKV), Zika (ZIKV), malaria, Tick-Borne Disease (TBD), and scrub typhus has a huge impact on the health of both humans and livestock worldwide. In particular, zoonotic diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks place a considerable burden on public health. Vaccines, drugs, and vector control methods have been developed to prevent and treat VBDs and have prevented millions of deaths. However, development of such strategies is falling behind the rapid emergence of VBDs. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to fighting VBDs must be considered immediately. In this review, I focus on the challenges posed by emerging outbreaks of VBDs and discuss available drugs and vaccines designed to overcome this burden. Research into promising drugs needs to be upgraded and fast-tracked, and novel drugs or vaccines being tested in in vitro and in vivo models need to be moved into human clinical trials. Active preventive tactics, as well as new and upgraded diagnostics, surveillance, treatments, and vaccination strategies, need to be monitored constantly if we are to manage VBDs of medical importance.

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Tick-Borne Disease

Clinical Infectious Disease ◽

10.1017/cbo9780511722240.118 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 845-848

Author(s):

Steven C. Buckingham

Keyword(s):

Tick Borne Disease

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The Distribution and economic Importance of Ixodes ricinus (L.) in Wales and the Welsh Border Counties with special Reference to N.W. Cardiganshire

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300027760 ◽

1951 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 469-485 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

G. Owen Evans

Keyword(s):

Ixodes Ricinus ◽

Tick Infestation ◽

Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽

Economic Importance ◽

Relative Area ◽

Grazing Land ◽

Nardus Stricta ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

The Common ◽

Cattle And Sheep

Ixodes ricinus is the common tick infesting farmstock in Wales. Dermacentor reticulatus is recorded on cattle and sheep on two farms in N. Cardiganshire.I. ricinus is widely distributed in the four major grassland zones of N.W. Cardiganshire. The most extensive areas of tick infestation are found on the marginal and hill farms. In lowland areas, except on extensive stretches of marshland, infested pastures are confined to isolated tracts of badly managed or poorly drained land. Infested grazings are invariably “rough” and contain one of the following plants as dominant: Festuca spp., Agrostis spp., Molinia caerulea, Nardus stricta, Pteris aquilina or Juncus spp. The degree of infestation of cattle depends on the relative area of the available grazing land colonised by the tick. Continuous stocking of infested pastures results in heavy infestations and vice versa.Bovine piroplasmosis is the major tick-borne disease in N.W. Cardiganshire and predominates in the lowland districts. Outbreaks of the disease on marginal and hill farms are generally infrequent. Reasons are suggested for this phenomenon. Tick pyaemia is confined to lambs on hill grazings. The incidence of this disease is low.The distribution of the tick in Wales and the border counties of Hereford and Salop shows a general relationship to areas of rough grazing. The tick is widespread in the western counties and is almost absent in the border counties. Radnorshire and Breconshire are interesting in that they have few infested farms in relation to the extensive nature of the “rough” grazing. A survey has also been conducted of the incidence of bovine piroplasmosis in Wales.

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Human Coinfection withBorrelia burgdorferiandBabesia microtiin the United States

Journal of Parasitology Research ◽

10.1155/2015/587131 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Kristen L. Knapp ◽

Nancy A. Rice

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Lyme Disease ◽

Causative Agent ◽

Ixodes Scapularis ◽

Immunological Response ◽

The United States ◽

Babesia Microti ◽

Current State ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

Multiple Pathogens

Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, andBabesia microti, a causative agent of babesiosis, are increasingly implicated in the growing tick-borne disease burden in the northeastern United States. These pathogens are transmitted via the bite of an infected tick vector,Ixodes scapularis, which is capable of harboring and inoculating a host with multiple pathogens simultaneously. Clinical presentation of the diseases is heterogeneous and ranges from mild flu-like symptoms to near-fatal cardiac arrhythmias. While the reason for the variability is not known, the possibility exists that concomitant infection with bothB. burgdorferiandB. microtimay synergistically increase disease severity. In an effort to clarify the current state of understanding regarding coinfection withB. burgdorferiandB. microti, in this review, we discuss the geographical distribution and pathogenesis of Lyme disease and babesiosis in the United States, the immunological response of humans toB. burgdorferiorB. microtiinfection, the existing knowledge regarding coinfection disease pathology, and critical factors that have led to ambiguity in the literature regarding coinfection, in order to eliminate confusion in future experimental design and investigation.

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Carios kelleyi (Acari: Ixodida: Argasidae) Infected With Rickettsial Agents Documented Infesting Housing in Kansas, United States

Journal of Medical Entomology ◽

10.1093/jme/tjab069 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Robyn M Nadolny ◽

Ashley C Kennedy ◽

James M Rodgers ◽

Zachary T Vincent ◽

Hannah Cornman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

United States ◽

Health Center ◽

Human Disease ◽

Multilocus Sequence Typing ◽

The United States ◽

Rickettsia Species ◽

History Of ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

Blood Meals

Abstract During September–December 2018, 25 live ticks were collected on-post at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in a home with a history of bat occupancy. Nine ticks were sent to the Army Public Health Center Tick-Borne Disease Laboratory and were identified as Carios kelleyi (Cooley and Kohls, 1941), a species that seldom bites humans but that may search for other sources of blood meals, including humans, when bats are removed from human dwellings. The ticks were tested for numerous agents of human disease. Rickettsia lusitaniae was identified by multilocus sequence typing to be present in two ticks, marking the first detection of this Rickettsia agent in the United States and in this species of tick. Two other Rickettsia spp. were also detected, including an endosymbiont previously associated with C. kelleyi and a possible novel Rickettsia species. The potential roles of C. kelleyi and bats in peridomestic Rickettsia transmission cycles warrant further investigation.

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Mixed Infection of Tick-borne Haemo-parasites in Water Buffalo and Associated Pathological Responses and Treatment

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.b-4450 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pankaj Kumar ◽

Prabhas Kumar ◽

Rama Krishna Roy ◽

Rashmi Rekha Kumari ◽

Abhay Kumar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Water Buffaloes ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

Associated Risk Factors ◽

Good Productivity ◽

And Oxidative Stress ◽

Production Losses

Background: Water buffaloes are important milch species of tropical and subtropical countries. In general, they are considered to more resistant to diseases compared to crossbred cattle. However, a recent problem of tick-borne diseases in the water buffaloes by the field veterinarians and farmers causing production losses was observed. The study was conducted to explore the spectrum of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) infections in buffaloes and analyze the associated risk factors. Methods: Acute-phase response, cytokine and oxidative stress in infected buffaloes with TBDs were evaluated and compared with the negative buffaloes (control) to elucidate their role in pathogenesis and outcome of infection. The study was undertaken in 107 tick-infested water buffaloes. The conventional Giemsa stained blood smear (GSBS) based confirmation and classification of infection of haemo-parasites were made. The statistical model was used to understand their relevance with TBDs. Conclusion: Tick-borne disease in water buffaloes must be looked upon seriously to maintain good productivity. The buffaloes are often accompanied by low and un-yielding clinical symptoms due to associated co-infections of haemo-parasites. Our study showed that the buffaloes had a high prevalence (47.66%) of haemo-parasites transmitted by the ticks associated with co-infections and a low level of parasitemia. Most buffaloes responded symptomatically with the different modalities administered. Production parameter was not restored post 15 days of treatment. Oxidative stress is one of the important mechanisms of production losses in infected buffaloes.

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Questing ixodid ticks on the vegetation of sable antelope and multi-herbivore enclosures in Thabazimbi

Journal of the South African Veterinary Association ◽

10.4102/jsava.v86i1.1243 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 86 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

André C. Uys ◽

Ivan G. Horak ◽

Alan Harrison

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Ixodid Tick ◽

Tick Control ◽

Ixodid Ticks ◽

Seasonal Abundance ◽

First Year ◽

Potential Vector ◽

The Face ◽

Tick Borne Disease ◽

Grassland Habitats

This survey of ixodid ticks was the first to compare the species composition and population dynamics of free-living ticks in intensive, sable antelope breeding enclosures, now commonplace in commercial wildlife ranching in South Africa, with those of multi-herbivore enclosures. The species composition, abundance and seasonal abundance of questing ixodid ticks on the vegetation in intensive breeding enclosures for sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), on which strategic tick control is practised, were compared with those of ticks in a multi-species herbivore enclosure surrounding the breeding enclosures in which no tick control is practised. A total of eight ixodid tick species were collected by drag-sampling the woodland and grassland habitats in each enclosure type monthly from July 2011 to July 2013. Rhipicephalus decoloratus, a potential vector of fatal tick-borne disease in sable antelopes, was the most abundant, accounting for 65.4% of the total number of ticks collected in the sable enclosures, whilst representing only 25.4% of number of ticks collected in the multi-species herbivore enclosure. Rhipicephalus decoloratus and R. evertsi evertsi were more abundant than R. appendiculatus (both p < 0.05) and Amblyomma hebraeum (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). Rhipicephalus decoloratus larvae were collected throughout the year, with peak collections in November 2012 and October to December 2013 in the sable enclosures; and in April/May 2012 and February/April 2013 in the multi-species herbivore enclosure. More R. decoloratus were recovered in the second year than in the first year in the grassland habitat of the sable enclosures (V = 7.0, p < 0.05) possibly as a result of acaricide resistance. The apparent temporal over-abundance of R. decoloratus in sable antelope breeding enclosures, in the face of strategic tick control, is of concern and requires further investigation.

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