Vector-borne infectious diseases

One Health in practice: Multi-season survey of ixodid tick species collected from domestic dogs in Chad

This study surveys tick species on domestic dogs in Chad to assess disease risk and biodiversity, finding high tick diversity and associations with pathogens.

A conserved interaction between the effector Sca4 and host endocytic machinery suggests additional roles for Sca4 during rickettsial infection

Urban greenspace connectivity drive shifts in host assemblages and tick-borne pathogen infection

The paper examines how urban greenspace connectivity affects host communities and tick-borne pathogen infection prevalence in fragmented habitats.

Critical role of Babesia bovis spherical body protein 3 in ridge formation on infected red blood cells

This study identifies SBP3 as essential for ridge formation on Babesia bovis-infected red blood cells, linking it to cytoadhesion and pathogenesis of cerebral babesiosis.

Species distribution modeling of the castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758), under current and future climates, with a special focus on Ukraine and Latvia

This study models the future distribution of Ixodes ricinus ticks under climate change, predicting habitat expansion in some regions and contraction in others, with implications for Lyme disease control.

Impaired humidity sensing reduces tick survival by preventing water homeostasis

This study shows that impaired humidity sensing in ticks reduces survival by disrupting water homeostasis, particularly under variable environmental conditions.

Exploring the dynamic ticks-camel-pathogens interaction

This study investigates tick-host-pathogen interactions, identifying tick species, host preferences, novel tick variants, and host-derived attractants, revealing camels as reservoir hosts and ticks as vectors for pathogens.

Spatiotemporal dynamic models of Amblyomma americanum questing activity in the Central Great Plains

This study models the spatiotemporal dynamics of Amblyomma americanum questing activity using longitudinal sampling, randomization tests, and presence-absence modeling to improve understanding of tick-borne disease risk.

Effects of Inosine-5'-Monophosphate Dehydrogenase (IMPDH/GuaB) Inhibitors on Borrelia burgdorferi Growth in Standard and Modified Culture Conditions

This study shows that IMPDH inhibitors reduce Borrelia burgdorferi growth in modified culture conditions, with 6-Chloropurine riboside being more effective than mycophenolic acid.

Molecular Mechanisms of Coxiella burnetii Formalin Fixed Cellular Vaccine Reactogenicity Evaluated in an Established Mouse Model

This study identifies the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying reactogenicity of the Coxiella burnetii vaccine in a mouse model, showing the role of antibodies, CD4+ T cells, and IFN-gamma.

Ixodes ricinus nymphs prefer blood with Borrelia infection and low corticosteroid concentration

This study shows Ixodes ricinus nymphs prefer blood with Borrelia infection and low corticosteroid levels over other host blood or higher stress hormone concentrations.

Development of inducible promoter and CRISPRi plasmids functional in Rickettsia rickettsii.

This paper develops an inducible promoter and CRISPRi plasmid system for Rickettsia rickettsii to enable controlled gene expression and targeted gene silencing.

Exploring midgut expression dynamics: longitudinal transcriptomic analysis of adult female Amblyomma americanum midgut and comparative insights with other hard tick species

The paper analyzes the longitudinal transcriptome of A. americanum midgut during feeding stages and compares it with other tick species to identify conserved transcripts and dynamic expression patterns.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Hyalomma marginatum vertebrate hosts in the EU

This study systematically reviews and meta-analyzes Hyalomma marginatum host interactions in Europe, finding a preference for horses and certain bird families, with environmental factors influencing distribution.

Structure of a human monoclonal antibody in complex with Outer surface protein C (OspC) of the Lyme disease spirochete, Borreliella burgdorferi

This study determines the structure of a human monoclonal antibody in complex with OspC from Borreliella burgdorferi, revealing its epitope and interaction mechanism.

Climate drives geographic variation in individual Peromyscus leucopus immunity against zoonotic disease.

The paper examines how climate influences immune gene expression in Peromyscus leucopus mice, showing warmer, wetter sites have higher resistance to Borrelia burgdorferi.

Changes in the transcriptome and long non-coding RNAs but not the methylome occur in human cells exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi

This study examines the transcriptome and methylome changes in human cells exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi, finding transcriptomic changes but no methylation changes.

Analysis of Amblyomma americanum microRNAs in response to Ehrlichia chaffeensis infection and their potential role in vectorial capacity

This study identifies differentially expressed miRNAs in Amblyomma americanum ticks infected with Ehrlichia chaffeensis and shows that inhibiting these miRNAs reduces pathogen load.

DnaA modulates gene expression and morphology of the Lyme Disease spirochete

This study shows that DnaA modulates cell length, replication rate, and gene expression in Borrelia burgdorferi, affecting its morphology and virulence.

Development and Validation of a multi-target TaqMan qPCR method for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato

This paper develops and validates a multi-target TaqMan qPCR method to detect Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato with high sensitivity and specificity across different sample types.

Detection of pathogenic bacteria in ticks from Isiolo and Kwale counties of Kenya using metagenomics.

This study uses metagenomics to detect pathogenic bacteria in ticks from Kenya, identifying Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, and other bacteria with potential human health implications.

HEMATO-CHEMICAL VARIATIONS- A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR BABESIA, THEILERIA AND ANAPLASMA INFECTIONS IN CAPTIVE HOG DEER (AXIS PORCINUS)

This study identifies hemato-chemical parameter changes in hog deer infected with Theileria, Babesia, and Anaplasma to develop diagnostic tools for early detection of these parasites.

Molecular epidemiological study of Scrub Typhus in residence, farm and forest habitats from Yunnan Province, China

The paper investigates scrub typhus prevalence in different habitats in Yunnan, China, finding higher infection rates in residential and farm areas compared to forests.

Genome sequences of four Ixodes species expands understanding of tick evolution

The paper presents genome sequences of four Ixodes species, revealing gene family amplifications and evolutionary patterns in ticks.

Genetic manipulation of an Ixodes scapularis cell line

This paper demonstrates genetic modification of a tick cell line using CRISPR-Cas9 and ectopic expression, showing increased infection by Anaplasma phagocytophilum after disrupting the IMD pathway.

Development of a sequence-based in silico OspA typing method for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato

This paper develops an in silico sequence-based method for OspA typing of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato using next-generation sequencing data, identifying new OspA variants and introducing a novel nomenclature system.

Validation of a heat-inducible Ixodes scapularis HSP70 promoter and developing a tick-specific 3xP3 promoter sequence in ISE6 cells

The paper validates a heat-inducible promoter from Ixodes scapularis and develops a tick-specific 3xP3 promoter for inducible gene expression in ISE6 cells.

Single-cell transcriptome analysis of the early immune response in the lymph nodes of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice

This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze the early immune response in lymph nodes of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected mice, identifying B cell proliferation, immunoglobulin class switching, and changes in gene expression associated with extrafollicular immunity.

Ixodes ricinus tick bacteriome alterations based on a climatically representative survey in Hungary

The paper analyzes the bacteriome composition of Ixodes ricinus ticks across different climatic conditions and developmental stages, finding significant differences in bacterial genera between females and nymphs.

Spotted fever group rickettsiae were the dominant pathogens in parasitic Rhipicephalus microplus in Yunnan Province, China*

The paper identifies Spotted fever group rickettsiae as the dominant pathogen in Rhipicephalus microplus ticks in Yunnan Province, China, using 16S rRNA sequencing and PCR.