Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102544
Gergő Keve , Tekla Varga , Márton Hoitsy , Kata Wermer , Sándor Hornok
The aim of this study was to assess the viability of an opportunistic population of Hyalomma rufipes, as evidence of reproduction had been documented in the southern part of Central Europe, specifically Hungary, in 2022. To assess the current situation, tick collections targeting various mammalian species were organized with the assistance of local veterinarians between September 2022 and May 2024. Over the study period, 1502 ticks were collected; however, none belonged to the Hyalomma genus. Dermacentor reticulatus dominated in our sample population (n = 963), followed by Ixodes ricinus (n = 436). Other species found in the area were: Haemaphysalis concinna (n = 45), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 38), Ixodes hexagonus (n = 13), Alloceraea inermis (n = 6), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.s. (n = 1). Two Hyalomma marginatum males were received from veterinarians between 2022 and 2024, although these were collected far from our study area. Our results suggests that the H. rufipes population recorded in 2022 did not persist.
{"title":"An assessment of the possible recent establishment of Hyalomma rufipes in Hungary","authors":"Gergő Keve , Tekla Varga , Márton Hoitsy , Kata Wermer , Sándor Hornok","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to assess the viability of an opportunistic population of <em>Hyalomma rufipes</em>, as evidence of reproduction had been documented in the southern part of Central Europe, specifically Hungary, in 2022. To assess the current situation, tick collections targeting various mammalian species were organized with the assistance of local veterinarians between September 2022 and May 2024. Over the study period, 1502 ticks were collected; however, none belonged to the <em>Hyalomma</em> genus. <em>Dermacentor reticulatus</em> dominated in our sample population (<em>n</em> = 963), followed by <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (<em>n</em> = 436). Other species found in the area were: <em>Haemaphysalis concinna</em> (<em>n</em> = 45)<em>, Dermacentor marginatus</em> (<em>n</em> = 38)<em>, Ixodes hexagonus</em> (<em>n</em> = 13), <em>Alloceraea inermis</em> (<em>n</em> = 6), and <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> s.s. (<em>n</em> = 1). Two <em>Hyalomma marginatum</em> males were received from veterinarians between 2022 and 2024, although these were collected far from our study area. Our results suggests that the <em>H. rufipes</em> population recorded in 2022 did not persist.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102544"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145004177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102545
M. Martinot , T. Lemmet , A. Barthel , P. Suntharasarma , M. Mohseni-Zadeh , G. Gregorowicz , P. Boyer , Y. Hansmann , V. Gerber
Tularemia is a bacterial zoonosis endemic to the Northern Hemisphere, transmitted through various modes and presenting with diverse clinical manifestations. In recent years, the number of notifications (tularemia is a reportable disease in France) have increased and the spectrum of clinical forms have changed. We conducted a retrospective study of tularemia incidence diagnosed in 2024 at two major hospitals in Alsace, a small region of Northeastern France. This study included 10 cases (7 men and 3 women; mean age = 52 years) reported in 2024. Clinical forms comprised six ulceroglandular or glandular cases, two oropharyngeal forms, and two pleuropulmonary forms including a fatal case in a 73-year-old immunocompromised patient.. Three patients reported recent tick bites, while two others had frequent tick exposure. In 9 of the 10 cases, tularemia was not initially suspected by primary care physicians, leading to delayed diagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and complications. Nationwide, 150 cases were reported in 2024, including 33 from the Northeastern region, of which 10 were our cases. Compared to other regions of France, cases in Alsace showed a higher proportion associated with tick-related transmission. Our findings reveal a peak in tularemia incidence in Alsace in 2024. Primary care physicians often failed to recognize tularemia, resulting in delayed treatment and complications—even in cases with typical glandular forms. Tularemia is an increasing zoonosis that may be under recognized among general practitioners. There is a need for increased awareness and education among healthcare providers and the public.
{"title":"Unusual increase in tularemia incidence in Alsace, Northeastern France in 2024","authors":"M. Martinot , T. Lemmet , A. Barthel , P. Suntharasarma , M. Mohseni-Zadeh , G. Gregorowicz , P. Boyer , Y. Hansmann , V. Gerber","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tularemia is a bacterial zoonosis endemic to the Northern Hemisphere, transmitted through various modes and presenting with diverse clinical manifestations. In recent years, the number of notifications (tularemia is a reportable disease in France) have increased and the spectrum of clinical forms have changed. We conducted a retrospective study of tularemia incidence diagnosed in 2024 at two major hospitals in Alsace, a small region of Northeastern France. This study included 10 cases (7 men and 3 women; mean age = 52 years) reported in 2024. Clinical forms comprised six ulceroglandular or glandular cases, two oropharyngeal forms, and two pleuropulmonary forms including a fatal case in a 73-year-old immunocompromised patient.. Three patients reported recent tick bites, while two others had frequent tick exposure. In 9 of the 10 cases, tularemia was not initially suspected by primary care physicians, leading to delayed diagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and complications. Nationwide, 150 cases were reported in 2024, including 33 from the Northeastern region, of which 10 were our cases. Compared to other regions of France, cases in Alsace showed a higher proportion associated with tick-related transmission. Our findings reveal a peak in tularemia incidence in Alsace in 2024. Primary care physicians often failed to recognize tularemia, resulting in delayed treatment and complications—even in cases with typical glandular forms. Tularemia is an increasing zoonosis that may be under recognized among general practitioners. There is a need for increased awareness and education among healthcare providers and the public.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102545"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144931931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102534
Khalid Boussaine, Philippine Chartier, Alison Cartereau, Daniel Auguin, Emiliane Taillebois, Steeve H Thany
ACh is known to be an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of several arthropod species. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are involved in rapid neurotransmission and are the target of compounds used as acaricides. In the present review, we discuss recent data on the study of the functional properties of tick neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes present in the synganglion. Several nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits have been characterized in tick species. We show that despite difficulties expressing functional receptors in heterologous systems, recent advances using the microtransplantation of tick synganglion membranes in Xenopus oocytes, and electrophysiological recordings of native neurons help to understand the pharmacological properties of tick nicotinic receptors. In addition, molecular modeling studies provide new criteria in the study of ligand-receptor interactions.
{"title":"New insight into the tick neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: from molecular to pharmacological studies.","authors":"Khalid Boussaine, Philippine Chartier, Alison Cartereau, Daniel Auguin, Emiliane Taillebois, Steeve H Thany","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102534","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ACh is known to be an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of several arthropod species. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are involved in rapid neurotransmission and are the target of compounds used as acaricides. In the present review, we discuss recent data on the study of the functional properties of tick neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes present in the synganglion. Several nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits have been characterized in tick species. We show that despite difficulties expressing functional receptors in heterologous systems, recent advances using the microtransplantation of tick synganglion membranes in Xenopus oocytes, and electrophysiological recordings of native neurons help to understand the pharmacological properties of tick nicotinic receptors. In addition, molecular modeling studies provide new criteria in the study of ligand-receptor interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"102534"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144823037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-29DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102541
Sara L. Gandy , Faye V. Brown , Nicola J. Jones , Sarah M. Biddlecombe , Georgia Kirby , Colin J. Johnston , Kayleigh M. Hansford , Alexander G.C. Vaux , Ternenge T. Apaa , Nicholas Johnson , Jolyon M. Medlock
Large ungulate grazers can manage habitats via conservation grazing, a practice using livestock to control vegetation growth, which has many ecological benefits but has the potential to provide additional hosts for ticks and consequently have an impact on tick-borne disease risk. Cattle and sheep are suspected to be transmission hosts for several tick-transmitted pathogens, so the presence of livestock could increase disease hazard. However, some ungulate species do not transmit other pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), so conservation grazing could reduce prevalence of these pathogens, and thus environmental disease hazard, by diverting ticks from feeding on transmission hosts. To better understand these dynamics, we used a paired experiment in the New Forest in southern England. Questing ticks were collected at 20 sites between 2021 and 2023. Ten sites were inside “inclosures” (New Forest term for fenced woodlands to exclude livestock) and the remaining ten were not fenced, which permitted livestock grazing. Grazing led to significantly shorter ground vegetation and fewer questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs. We tested 2974 nymphs for multiple pathogens and determined there were no significant differences in nymphal infection prevalence or density of infected nymphs for B. burgdorferi s.l. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum between sites. However, we found that the density of infected nymphs for Borrelia garinii and Borrelia valaisiana was lower where there was grazing. In this study, we show that conservation grazing by ponies and cattle could lower tick density, probably by affecting the vegetation understory, and could potentially lower disease hazard for some genospecies of B. burgdorferi s.l. but not A. phagocytophilum.
{"title":"The role of large ungulate grazers on Ixodes ricinus and tick-borne pathogens in the New Forest - a case study for future rewilded landscapes","authors":"Sara L. Gandy , Faye V. Brown , Nicola J. Jones , Sarah M. Biddlecombe , Georgia Kirby , Colin J. Johnston , Kayleigh M. Hansford , Alexander G.C. Vaux , Ternenge T. Apaa , Nicholas Johnson , Jolyon M. Medlock","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large ungulate grazers can manage habitats via conservation grazing, a practice using livestock to control vegetation growth, which has many ecological benefits but has the potential to provide additional hosts for ticks and consequently have an impact on tick-borne disease risk. Cattle and sheep are suspected to be transmission hosts for several tick-transmitted pathogens, so the presence of livestock could increase disease hazard. However, some ungulate species do not transmit other pathogens such as <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato (s.l.), so conservation grazing could reduce prevalence of these pathogens, and thus environmental disease hazard, by diverting ticks from feeding on transmission hosts. To better understand these dynamics, we used a paired experiment in the New Forest in southern England. Questing ticks were collected at 20 sites between 2021 and 2023. Ten sites were inside “inclosures” (New Forest term for fenced woodlands to exclude livestock) and the remaining ten were not fenced, which permitted livestock grazing. Grazing led to significantly shorter ground vegetation and fewer questing <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> nymphs. We tested 2974 nymphs for multiple pathogens and determined there were no significant differences in nymphal infection prevalence or density of infected nymphs for <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. and <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> between sites<em>.</em> However, we found that the density of infected nymphs for <em>Borrelia garinii</em> and <em>Borrelia valaisiana</em> was lower where there was grazing. In this study, we show that conservation grazing by ponies and cattle could lower tick density, probably by affecting the vegetation understory, and could potentially lower disease hazard for some genospecies of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. but not <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102541"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144912776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102535
Gergő Keve , Attila D. Sándor , Sándor Hornok
Hyalomma marginatum and Hyalomma rufipes are tick species of high medical importance, primarily due to their ability to transmit the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. While H. marginatum is endemic in Southern Europe, H. rufipes maintains viable populations exclusively in Africa. Nevertheless, adult specimens of both tick species are frequently detected in non-endemic regions of Europe. This phenomenon is primarily driven by bird migration, during which these two-host ticks can be transported over great distances. To enhance our understanding of the role of birds in the dispersal of Hyalomma ticks and their potential contribution to the passive transmission of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, this mini review was compiled. By synthesizing relevant articles, the summary aims to contribute to a more precise understanding of the phenomenon. According to our findings, the relationship between bird-transported Hyalomma species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is highly complex from an eco-epidemiological perspective. A better understanding of the direct association between migratory birds and the virus, as well as the mechanisms of viral persistence and transmission, is essential for developing effective risk assessment strategies.
{"title":"A review on the role of birds as disseminators of ticks, with special emphasis on Hyalomma species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus","authors":"Gergő Keve , Attila D. Sándor , Sándor Hornok","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Hyalomma marginatum</em> and <em>Hyalomma rufipes</em> are tick species of high medical importance, primarily due to their ability to transmit the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus. While <em>H. marginatum</em> is endemic in Southern Europe, <em>H. rufipes</em> maintains viable populations exclusively in Africa. Nevertheless, adult specimens of both tick species are frequently detected in non-endemic regions of Europe. This phenomenon is primarily driven by bird migration, during which these two-host ticks can be transported over great distances. To enhance our understanding of the role of birds in the dispersal of <em>Hyalomma</em> ticks and their potential contribution to the passive transmission of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, this mini review was compiled. By synthesizing relevant articles, the summary aims to contribute to a more precise understanding of the phenomenon. According to our findings, the relationship between bird-transported <em>Hyalomma</em> species and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is highly complex from an eco-epidemiological perspective. A better understanding of the direct association between migratory birds and the virus, as well as the mechanisms of viral persistence and transmission, is essential for developing effective risk assessment strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102535"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144906667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102540
Jun Ni , Liyan Fu , Jian Xiao , Chenxuan Li , Xiaoli Wu , Zhi Yuan , Jun Wang , Shuang Tang , Fei Deng , Shu Shen
Ticks transmit diverse viral pathogens to hosts during blood-feeding via saliva secretion. This study characterized viral compositions in salivary glands and saliva from adults of four tick species (Ixodes persulcatus, Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis longicornis, and Haemaphysalis concinna) collected in China. Meta-transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct viromes across species, with Flaviviridae dominant in R. microplus, Nairoviridae in H. concinna and I. persulcatus, and Phenuiviridae in H. longicornis and I. persulcatus. Among 27 viruses detected in salivary glands, 14 were identified in saliva, indicating horizontal transmission potential. Viruses with higher abundance (transcripts per thousand bases per million, TPM) in salivary glands were more likely to be secreted in saliva. Genomic sequences of eight viruses, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Jingmen tick virus (JMTV), Songling virus (SGLV), Wetland virus (WELV), Beiji nairovirus (BJNV), Mukawa virus (MKWV), and Wuhan tick virus 2 (WHTV2), which are associated with human diseases or possess spillover potentials, were fully assembled from salivary glands and confirmed in saliva. Notably, SFTSV in H. longicornis; MKWV, Sichuan tick hepe-like virus, and Jilin luteo-like virus 2 in I. persulcatus; and JMTV in R. microplus showed significantly increased abundance in saliva, indicating an enhanced secretion of these viruses into saliva. Conversely, TBEV, BJNV, and Sara tick phlebovirus in I. persulcatus, SGLV and WELV in H. concinna, and WHTV2 in R. microplus exhibited reduced salivary abundance despite glandular presence. These findings demonstrate differential secretion capabilities of tick-borne viruses (TBVs) from glands to saliva, advancing understanding of horizontal transmission risks for pathogens affecting human health.
{"title":"Metagenomic evidence of viral secretion from tick salivary glands to saliva: implications for potential horizontal transmission","authors":"Jun Ni , Liyan Fu , Jian Xiao , Chenxuan Li , Xiaoli Wu , Zhi Yuan , Jun Wang , Shuang Tang , Fei Deng , Shu Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102540","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102540","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks transmit diverse viral pathogens to hosts during blood-feeding via saliva secretion. This study characterized viral compositions in salivary glands and saliva from adults of four tick species (<em>Ixodes persulcatus, Rhipicephalus microplus, Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>, and <em>Haemaphysalis concinna</em>) collected in China. Meta-transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct viromes across species, with <em>Flaviviridae</em> dominant in <em>R. microplus, Nairoviridae</em> in <em>H. concinna</em> and <em>I. persulcatus</em>, and <em>Phenuiviridae</em> in <em>H. longicornis</em> and <em>I. persulcatus</em>. Among 27 viruses detected in salivary glands, 14 were identified in saliva, indicating horizontal transmission potential. Viruses with higher abundance (transcripts per thousand bases per million, TPM) in salivary glands were more likely to be secreted in saliva. Genomic sequences of eight viruses, including severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Jingmen tick virus (JMTV), Songling virus (SGLV), Wetland virus (WELV), Beiji nairovirus (BJNV), Mukawa virus (MKWV), and Wuhan tick virus 2 (WHTV2), which are associated with human diseases or possess spillover potentials, were fully assembled from salivary glands and confirmed in saliva. Notably, SFTSV in <em>H. longicornis</em>; MKWV, Sichuan tick hepe-like virus, and Jilin luteo-like virus 2 in <em>I. persulcatus</em>; and JMTV in <em>R. microplus</em> showed significantly increased abundance in saliva, indicating an enhanced secretion of these viruses into saliva. Conversely, TBEV, BJNV, and Sara tick phlebovirus in <em>I. persulcatus</em>, SGLV and WELV in <em>H. concinna</em>, and WHTV2 in <em>R. microplus</em> exhibited reduced salivary abundance despite glandular presence. These findings demonstrate differential secretion capabilities of tick-borne viruses (TBVs) from glands to saliva, advancing understanding of horizontal transmission risks for pathogens affecting human health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102540"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102539
Cody W. Koloski , Hesham Adam , Azka Siddiqa , Brooklyn Bourgeois , Neil B. Chilton , Monika Gulia-Nuss , Maarten J. Voordouw
Background
In North America, the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (ss) causes Lyme disease and is transmitted by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Acquisition and transmission of B. burgdorferi ss occur during blood feeding, which is done by three tick stages, larvae, nymphs, and adults. Sex-specific differences in tick body size and blood feeding behaviour may influence transmission of tick-borne pathogens. However, sex-specific molecular markers are needed for sex determination of immature ticks. The objective of this study was to determine whether tick sex influences the acquisition and abundance of B. burgdorferi ss in immature I. scapularis ticks.
Methods
Uninfected or B. burgdorferi-infected larvae and nymphs were fed on B. burgdorferi-infected or uninfected lab mice and allowed to moult into the next stage. The sex of immature and adult ticks was determined using sex-specific PCR. The presence and abundance of B. burgdorferi in ticks were determined using 23S rRNA qPCR, and the amount of tick tissue was determined using tick calreticulin qPCR.
Results
There was no difference in acquisition of B. burgdorferi between immature male and female I. scapularis. In engorged larvae, the spirochete load was 45.7 % higher in female larvae compared to male larvae, and this difference was significant. In 4-week-old unfed nymphs, the spirochete load was 7.4 % higher in female nymphs compared to male nymphs, but this difference was not significant. In engorged larvae, the tick calreticulin gene content was similar between the sexes, whereas in unfed nymphs, the calreticulin gene content was 12.6 % higher in females than males, suggesting that female nymphs are larger. In adult ticks, female ticks weighed more, had higher calreticulin gene content, and higher spirochete loads than adult male ticks. Future studies should investigate whether tick sex influences the vector competence of Ixodes ticks for other tick-borne pathogens.
{"title":"Sexual dimorphism of the Lyme disease bacterium in its tick vector – Abundance of Borrelia burgdorferi is higher in female than male Ixodes scapularis larvae","authors":"Cody W. Koloski , Hesham Adam , Azka Siddiqa , Brooklyn Bourgeois , Neil B. Chilton , Monika Gulia-Nuss , Maarten J. Voordouw","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102539","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102539","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In North America, the tick-borne spirochete <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto (ss) causes Lyme disease and is transmitted by the blacklegged tick, <em>Ixodes scapularis</em>. Acquisition and transmission of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> ss occur during blood feeding, which is done by three tick stages, larvae, nymphs, and adults. Sex-specific differences in tick body size and blood feeding behaviour may influence transmission of tick-borne pathogens. However, sex-specific molecular markers are needed for sex determination of immature ticks. The objective of this study was to determine whether tick sex influences the acquisition and abundance of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> ss in immature <em>I. scapularis</em> ticks.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Uninfected or <em>B. burgdorferi</em>-infected larvae and nymphs were fed on <em>B. burgdorferi</em>-infected or uninfected lab mice and allowed to moult into the next stage. The sex of immature and adult ticks was determined using sex-specific PCR. The presence and abundance of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> in ticks were determined using <em>23S rRNA</em> qPCR, and the amount of tick tissue was determined using tick <em>calreticulin</em> qPCR.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There was no difference in acquisition of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> between immature male and female <em>I. scapularis</em>. In engorged larvae, the spirochete load was 45.7 % higher in female larvae compared to male larvae, and this difference was significant. In 4-week-old unfed nymphs, the spirochete load was 7.4 % higher in female nymphs compared to male nymphs, but this difference was not significant. In engorged larvae, the tick <em>calreticulin</em> gene content was similar between the sexes, whereas in unfed nymphs, the <em>calreticulin</em> gene content was 12.6 % higher in females than males, suggesting that female nymphs are larger. In adult ticks, female ticks weighed more, had higher <em>calreticulin</em> gene content, and higher spirochete loads than adult male ticks. Future studies should investigate whether tick sex influences the vector competence of <em>Ixodes</em> ticks for other tick-borne pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102539"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-16DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102538
Kate M. Barnett , Caroline K. Maki , William L. Nicholson , Charles Ben Beard , Gilbert J. Kersh , Johanna S. Salzer
In this Opinion, the authors investigated peer-reviewed publications on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy, since its first description in the literature in 2009 to October 2024 to understand academic discipline and geographic affiliation of associated authors. We raise the issue of disproportionate contribution between medical disciplines and ecology/entomology disciplines and emphasize the positive future impacts of increased collaboration between the fields to address current gaps in our fundamental knowledge of this unique tick-borne disease.
{"title":"Opinion: Ecologists and entomologists wanted! An open invitation to alpha-gal syndrome research","authors":"Kate M. Barnett , Caroline K. Maki , William L. Nicholson , Charles Ben Beard , Gilbert J. Kersh , Johanna S. Salzer","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this Opinion, the authors investigated peer-reviewed publications on alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), also known as red meat allergy, since its first description in the literature in 2009 to October 2024 to understand academic discipline and geographic affiliation of associated authors. We raise the issue of disproportionate contribution between medical disciplines and ecology/entomology disciplines and emphasize the positive future impacts of increased collaboration between the fields to address current gaps in our fundamental knowledge of this unique tick-borne disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102538"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102536
Gabriele Margos , Brian Stevenson , Richard Birtles , Alexander Gofton , Emilie Talagrand-Reboul , Markus Goeker , Volker Fingerle
In 2014, it was proposed (validly published in 2015) that the genus Borrelia be divided into two genera, with a new genus Borreliella holding species of the Lyme borreliosis group of spirochetes and the genus Borrelia retaining all other species. As borrelias are medically important bacteria and as concerns about this taxonomic proposal were raised, this genus split was controversial. In particular, the accuracy of the genetic signatures used to support the division of the genus has been questioned, particularly as new taxa have markedly increased the diversity of the genus in recent years. Restoration of the genus Borrelia to its original form was therefore proposed as an emendation in 2018.
However, some databases adhere to the policy of using the last validly published name of a genus as the correct name and, hence, fail to recognize a reversion to a previous taxonomy and to previously validly published names (homotypic synonyms). We therefore propose to lower the genus Borreliella in rank to a subgenus. This will create a validly published name newer than the genus name Borreliella that can then be used by databases and provides a means of formally referring to the same group without implying necessary changes of species names. Applying the underused subgenus category instead of splitting an already monophyletic genus into several genera could be a preferable solution for other bacterial groups, too.
{"title":"Proposing a subgenus Borreliella","authors":"Gabriele Margos , Brian Stevenson , Richard Birtles , Alexander Gofton , Emilie Talagrand-Reboul , Markus Goeker , Volker Fingerle","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102536","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102536","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2014, it was proposed (validly published in 2015) that the genus <em>Borrelia</em> be divided into two genera, with a new genus <em>Borreliella</em> holding species of the Lyme borreliosis group of spirochetes and the genus <em>Borrelia</em> retaining all other species. As borrelias are medically important bacteria and as concerns about this taxonomic proposal were raised, this genus split was controversial. In particular, the accuracy of the genetic signatures used to support the division of the genus has been questioned, particularly as new taxa have markedly increased the diversity of the genus in recent years. Restoration of the genus <em>Borrelia</em> to its original form was therefore proposed as an emendation in 2018.</div><div>However, some databases adhere to the policy of using the last validly published name of a genus as the correct name and, hence, fail to recognize a reversion to a previous taxonomy and to previously validly published names (homotypic synonyms). We therefore propose to lower the genus <em>Borreliella</em> in rank to a subgenus. This will create a validly published name newer than the genus name <em>Borreliella</em> that can then be used by databases and provides a means of formally referring to the same group without implying necessary changes of species names. Applying the underused subgenus category instead of splitting an already monophyletic genus into several genera could be a preferable solution for other bacterial groups, too.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102536"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102537
Medha Pandey , J. Alan Clark , Nicholas P. Piedmonte , Christine P. Zolnik , Justin R. Pool , Thomas J. Daniels , Evon Hekkala
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti are common tick-borne pathogens of medical and veterinary concern in the United States and are transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis). The range expansion of ticks and their pathogens depends on the movements of vertebrate hosts, including birds. Flight grants birds high mobility – giving them the potential to rapidly expand the range of ticks and their pathogens, thus impacting human, wildlife, and livestock risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases. We examined the prevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, A. phagocytophilum, and Ba. microti in bird-borne I. scapularis larvae over the last decade and the relative importance of specific bird species in their maintenance in the environment. Engorged I. scapularis larvae collected from birds in 2010 and 2019 were tested for pathogens using qPCR. Annual prevalences of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, A. phagocytophilum, and Ba. microti significantly differed between years (P < 0.05), changing from 17.2 %, 9.7 %, and 0 % in 2010 to 33.8 %, 2.9 %, and 5.1 % in 2019, respectively. Bird species significantly predicted B. burgdorferi sensu stricto infection with the American robin (Turdus migratorius), Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), and northern house wren (Troglodytes aedon) yielding ticks with high infection prevalences. Migratory and resident bird species may play important roles in the environmental maintenance of tick-borne pathogens and their range expansion in various ways, and further assessments of these pathogen-vector-host interactions are needed.
{"title":"Changes in the prevalence of three disease-causing pathogens in bird-borne blacklegged ticks: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti","authors":"Medha Pandey , J. Alan Clark , Nicholas P. Piedmonte , Christine P. Zolnik , Justin R. Pool , Thomas J. Daniels , Evon Hekkala","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Babesia microti</em> are common tick-borne pathogens of medical and veterinary concern in the United States and are transmitted by the blacklegged tick (<em>Ixodes scapularis</em>). The range expansion of ticks and their pathogens depends on the movements of vertebrate hosts, including birds. Flight grants birds high mobility – giving them the potential to rapidly expand the range of ticks and their pathogens, thus impacting human, wildlife, and livestock risk of exposure to tick-borne diseases. We examined the prevalence of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, A. phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Ba. microti</em> in bird-borne <em>I. scapularis</em> larvae over the last decade and the relative importance of specific bird species in their maintenance in the environment. Engorged <em>I. scapularis</em> larvae collected from birds in 2010 and 2019 were tested for pathogens using qPCR. Annual prevalences of <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto<em>, A. phagocytophilum,</em> and <em>Ba. microti</em> significantly differed between years (<em>P</em> < 0.05), changing from 17.2 %, 9.7 %, and 0 % in 2010 to 33.8 %, 2.9 %, and 5.1 % in 2019, respectively. Bird species significantly predicted <em>B. burgdorferi</em> sensu stricto infection with the American robin (<em>Turdus migratorius</em>), Carolina wren (<em>Thryothorus ludovicianus</em>), and northern house wren (<em>Troglodytes aedon</em>) yielding ticks with high infection prevalences. Migratory and resident bird species may play important roles in the environmental maintenance of tick-borne pathogens and their range expansion in various ways, and further assessments of these pathogen-vector-host interactions are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 5","pages":"Article 102537"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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