Editorial: Tick and Tick-Borne Pathogens: Molecular and Immune Targets for Control Strategies
Abid Ali, Albert Mulenga, Itabajara da Silva Vaz
Abstract
Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of domestic animals, humans, and wildlife. Ticks can be found in areas around the world ranging from the Arctic to tropical regions, and are known for their negative impact. They are capable of transmitting a wide range of pathogens including protozoa, viruses, and bacteria including spirochetes and rickettsia. The resulting diseases can potentially cause major production losses in livestock, thereby reducing farming incomes, increasing cost to consumers, and threatening trade between regions and/or world markets. Climate change has an impact on the distribution of ticks and tick-borne pathogens because tick species select a set of ecological conditions and biotopes that determine their geographic distributions and outline risk areas for their associated pathogens' transmission. In particular, arthropod vectors such as ticks, are vulnerable to these climatic changes as their population, survival, and development depend on factor like vegetation, availability of a host, photoperiod, moister and climatic conditions. Tick density, distribution, and their capability of pathogen transmission are thus effected (Ali et al.; Gerardi et al.).