Impact of climate change on co-feeding transmission.

Abstract

Abstract Tick-borne pathogen co-feeding transmission is a non-systemic transmission in the tick-host enzootic cycle, through which the host provides a bridge between co-feeding susceptible and infected ticks to facilitate pathogen transmission. Co-feeding transmission requires co-feeding of susceptible ticks in close (both spatially and temporally) proximity to other infected ticks on the bridging host; hence, the contribution of co-feeding transmission to tick-borne pathogen transmission in the tick-host enzootic cycle is highly affected by environmental conditions. This expert opinion focuses on co-feeding transmission and infestation dynamics of ticks under changing climate conditions.