Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Plasma levels of the neuron damage markers brain-derived tau and glial fibrillary acidic protein in Lyme neuroborreliosis: A longitudinal study","authors":"Mathilde Ørbæk ,&nbsp;Fernando Gonzalez-Ortiz ,&nbsp;Rosa M.M. Gynthersen ,&nbsp;Åse Bengaard Andersen ,&nbsp;Kubra Tan ,&nbsp;Ulf Andreasson ,&nbsp;Kaj Blennow ,&nbsp;Helene Mens ,&nbsp;Henrik Zetterberg ,&nbsp;Anne-Mette Lebech","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102459","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102459","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>A reliable blood biomarker for neuroborreliosis (NB) has yet to be identified. This study investigated levels of neuron damage markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and brain-derived tau (BD-tau) over six months of follow-up in patients with NB. The aim was to evaluate the potential of these biomarkers for monitoring treatment response and prognostic purposes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective longitudinal cohort study including plasma collected at diagnosis and approximately three- and six-months post diagnosis from adult NB patients enrolled at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet between 2018 and 2020.</div><div>BD-tau concentrations were measured in-house using the Single Molecule Array (Simoa) HD-X platform, while GFAP concentrations were assessed on the same platform utilizing the GFAP Discovery Kit. Changes in biomarker concentrations were analyzed using linear mixed models with an unstructured covariance pattern, with follow-up included as a categorical fixed effect.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 23 patients (median age: 63 years; male/female ratio: 16/7) with 56 plasma samples were analyzed; 12 patients had complete samples. GFAP and BD-tau levels showed minimal variation throughout the study period. Patients with persistent symptoms had GFAP concentrations that were 55 % higher at diagnosis compared to those who fully recovered, though this difference was not statistically significant (<em>p</em> = 0.09). No significant associations were observed between biomarker levels and treatment response or long-term outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This longitudinal study did not find BD-tau or GFAP to be effective blood biomarkers for monitoring treatment response or predicting outcomes in NB.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102459"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in ruminant ticks – Borrelia prevalence declines only in female, but not nymphal ticks feeding on cervids","authors":"Andrea Springer ,&nbsp;Gökben Özbakış-Beceriklisoy ,&nbsp;Anna-Katharina Topp ,&nbsp;Julia Probst ,&nbsp;Volker Fingerle ,&nbsp;Christina Strube","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102476","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102476","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne pathogen epidemiology involves vectors, in Europe mainly <em>Ixodes ricinus</em>, and vertebrate hosts. Ruminants are reservoirs for <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>, but not for <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato (s.l.), possibly clearing the infection from ticks. However, such clearance is epidemiologically relevant mainly in nymphal ticks. Of 1874 ticks collected from wildlife in the present study, 1535 <em>Ixodes</em> spp. (796 nymphs, 739 females) were tested by qPCR, with a proportion of 26.3% (nymphs: 24.5%, females: 28.3%) positive for <em>Borrelia</em> spp. and 87.4% for <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> (nymphs: 62.8%, females: 92.4%). In female <em>Ixodes</em> spp. from deer (N = 720), but not nymphs (N = 785), the <em>Borrelia</em> frequency declined significantly with increasing engorgement duration as inferred by the coxal index. <em>Borrelia</em> spp. differentiation revealed <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l. in nine and <em>B. miyamotoi</em> in one of ten successfully analysed ticks having engorged for &lt;48 hours, but only three <em>B. burgdorferi</em> s.l.- <em>vs.</em> six <em>B. miyamotoi</em>-positive and one coinfected tick among ten ticks with a longer engorgement. <em>Borrelia</em> copy numbers showed a U-shaped relationship with engorgement duration. Increasing <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> frequency during the rapid feeding phase in nymphs, and increasing copy numbers in females from deer confirmed their reservoir function. Of 101 <em>I. ricinus</em> from cattle, 4.0% were positive for <em>Borrelia</em>, whereby the species could not be determined, and 42.6% for <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>. In comparison, 13.8% and 11.9% of 428 questing ticks from the pastures were <em>Borrelia</em>- and <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>-positive, respectively. The results imply that feeding on cervids may not reduce <em>Borrelia</em> prevalence in nymphs, presumably due to the low overall blood volume ingested, insufficient for <em>Borrelia</em> clearance in this epidemiologically relevant stage. Further studies need to confirm that deer-fed nymphs contain infectious <em>Borrelia</em> and maintain the infection transstadially.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102476"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Rickettsia species phylotype G022 and Rickettsia tillamookensis in Ixodes pacificus nymphs and adults from Northern California","authors":"Erin Trent ,&nbsp;Andrea Swei ,&nbsp;Tina Feiszli ,&nbsp;Megan E.M. Saunders ,&nbsp;Jianmin Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks are known vectors of various pathogenic bacteria, including species of <em>Rickettsia</em>. Two novel <em>Rickettsia</em> species have been identified in adult <em>Ixodes pacificus: Rickettsia</em> species phylotype G022 in 2011 and <em>R. tillamookensis</em> in 2021. Currently, the pathogenic potential of these species found in <em>I. pacificus</em> remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of phylotype G022 and <em>R. tillamookensis</em> in <em>I. pacificus</em> nymphs across different mean annual temperature and relative humidity zones in California. Adult ticks were also tested for phylotype G022. Ticks were collected from multiple locations in seven northern California counties and tested by real-time PCR. The overall prevalence of phylotype G022 and <em>R. tillamookensis</em> in nymphs (<em>n</em> = 550) was 5.3 % (95 % CI = 3.7 %-7.5 %) and 1.6 % (95 % CI=0.8 %–3.3 %), respectively. The overall prevalence of phylotype G022 in adult <em>I. pacificus</em> (<em>n</em> = 720) was 9.0 % (95 % CI = 7.2 %-11.3 %). Phylotype G022 infects nymphal <em>I. pacificus</em> across a broad geographic range. The prevalence of phylotype G022 was higher in the 11.7–13.3 °C (53–56°F) temperature zone, at 6.4 % (95 % CI = 4.5 %-9.2 %), compared to the 13.9–15 °C (57–59°F) zone, where the prevalence was 0.8 % (95 % CI = 0.2 %-4.6 %). In contrast, the prevalence of <em>R. tillamookensis</em> did not show a statistically significant difference between the two temperature zones, with 1.9 % (95 % CI = 0.9 %-4.1 % in the 11.7–13.3 °C (53–56°F) zone and 0.9 % (95 % CI = 0.2 %-4.9 %) in the 13.9–15 °C (57–59°F) zone. The detection of phylotype G022 in both questing nymphs and adults of <em>I. pacificus</em> suggests that it is transmitted transstadially. qPCR testing revealed no coinfections of G022 and <em>R. tillamookensis</em> in any of the nymphs. Although <em>R. tillamookensis</em> exhibited a lower overall prevalence in nymphs compared to phylotype G022, both bacteria exhibited a similar geographic distribution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102463"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Linked empirical studies reveal the cumulative impact of acquired tick resistance across the tick life cycle","authors":"J.P. Owen ,&nbsp;A. Gibbs ,&nbsp;C.R. Jones ,&nbsp;J.L. Brunner ,&nbsp;K. Mason ,&nbsp;S.M. Noh ,&nbsp;G.A. Scoles","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Host defenses affect tick feeding success, and thus survival and reproduction, but defensive traits have rarely been studied relative to tick population dynamics. We explored the effects of anti-tick resistance of three natural hosts against <em>Dermacentor andersoni,</em> the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Larval ticks were fed on Deer mice (<em>Peromyscus maniculatus</em>) and Cottontail rabbits (<em>Sylvilagus nuttallii</em>), and nymph and adult ticks were fed on cattle (<em>Bos taurus</em>). We compared feeding success and fecundity of ticks fed on naïve (never infested by ticks) or exposed (one prior tick infestation) hosts. We used these measures to parameterize simulations of <em>D. andersoni</em> population growth in a discrete time, geometric population model to understand the population-level consequences of anti-tick resistance. Prior infestation triggered tick resistance in all three host species and impacted all tick life stages. On tick-exposed hosts, an average of 23 % fewer ticks reached adulthood and adult females produced 32 % fewer larvae. Modest effects of tick resistance at each life stage had strong cumulative effects across the tick life cycle. Simulated tick population dynamics revealed that mean population growth (<span><math><mi>λ</mi></math></span>) is reduced 68 % when the life cycle is completed on hosts with prior tick exposure. Simulated populations feeding on exposed hosts were more likely to decline (<span><math><mi>λ</mi></math></span>&lt;1) under conditions of low off-host survival and host-finding. This suggests acquired tick resistance may interact with environmental conditions and host availability to affect tick population dynamics. These data shed new light on naturally occurring biotic factors that may affect tick abundance and tick-borne pathogen transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102460"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143671412","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ehrlichia ruminantium (Ehrlichiaceae) infection rates and genotyping in Amblyomma species from southern Africa","authors":"Andeliza Smit ,&nbsp;Fernando C. Mulandane ,&nbsp;Stephane H. Wójcik ,&nbsp;Choolwe Malabwa ,&nbsp;Gourgelia Sili ,&nbsp;Stephen Mandara ,&nbsp;Kaïssa Plaisir Pineau ,&nbsp;Sylvie Lecollinet ,&nbsp;Antoni Exbrayat ,&nbsp;Valérie Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Hannah Rose Vineer ,&nbsp;Zinathi Dlamkile ,&nbsp;Wilhelm H. Stoltsz ,&nbsp;Damien F. Meyer ,&nbsp;Darshana Morar-Leather ,&nbsp;Benjamin L. Makepeace ,&nbsp;Luis Neves","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks are haematophagous ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals. With their vast geographical distribution and aptitude as vectors of a large variety of pathogens, they are ranked amongst the top two arthropod families of veterinary and medical concern. <em>Amblyomma</em>, the third largest genus in the Ixodidae, is important in southern Africa due to its vector competence for <em>Ehrlichia ruminantium</em> and other pathogens. <em>Ehrlichia ruminantium,</em> the causative agent of heartwater, a potentially lethal disease in ruminants, is classified as a notifiable disease by the World Organisation for Animal Health. <em>Amblyomma</em> species ticks were collected in five southern African countries from livestock and wildlife. They were morphologically identified to species level with taxonomic keys, and species identity was confirmed with molecular assays. Preliminary screening for <em>E. ruminantium</em> was conducted by targeting the pCS20 gene fragment. Genotyping of 39 <em>E. ruminantium</em> positives was obtained using Ampliseq technology. In total, 7,734 <em>Amblyomma</em> ticks were collected and identified as belonging to four species: <em>Amblyomma eburneum, Amblyomma hebraeum, Amblyomma pomposum</em> and <em>Amblyomma variegatum. Ehrlichia ruminantium</em> infection rates per country ranged from 7.1 % to 34.1 %. The genotyping analysis indicated the clustering of our sequences with strains Gardel, Welgevonden, Um Banein, Springbokfontein 4 and 2, Kwanyanga, and Blaauwkrans. The Ampliseq analysis was not effective in differentiating between strains found in southern Africa. This large study documents the genetic diversity and prevalence of <em>E. ruminantium</em> in ticks across southern Africa, highlighting implications for disease control and vaccine development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102462"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new spotted fever group Rickettsia genotype in Haemaphysalis leporispalustris from Maine, USA","authors":"Guang Xu ,&nbsp;Elissa Ballman ,&nbsp;Nolan Stamborski ,&nbsp;Eric L. Siegel ,&nbsp;Patrick Pearson ,&nbsp;Stephen M. Rich","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102465","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102465","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses are increasingly recognized worldwide as threats to public health. <em>Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri</em>, and <em>Rickettsia rickettsii</em> subspecies <em>californica</em> cause spotted fever rickettsioses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These disease agents are transmitted to humans by various tick vectors in the United States. There is growing concern that other tick species, such as <em>Haemaphysalis leporispalustris</em>, may also transmit new and potentially unrecognized SFG rickettsial pathogens. In this study, we found that 6.1 % of 296 questing <em>H. leporispalustris</em> ticks (21 larvae, 260 nymphs, 9 males, and 6 females) collected from 38 towns across nine counties in Maine, USA, were positive for <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. Further multilocus sequence typing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that this is a new <em>Rickettsia</em> genotype (<em>Rickettsia</em> sp. ME2023) belonging to the SFG group and close to <em>Candidatus</em> Rickettsia lanei. Tick vectors and rickettsial species associated with SFG rickettsioses in New England warrant further investigation. Additionally, the role of <em>H. leporispalustris</em> in pathogen enzootic cycles and transmission requires further study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102465"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143642381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk factors for tick infestation and equine Piroplasmosis infection among draught horses in France","authors":"C. Nadal ,&nbsp;C. Chanet ,&nbsp;C. Delaunay ,&nbsp;Pierre-Hugues Pitel ,&nbsp;M. Marsot ,&nbsp;S.I. Bonnet","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102468","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102468","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Equine piroplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasites <em>Babesia caballi</em> and <em>Theileria equi</em>, is endemic in Europe's Mediterranean basin, creating significant health and economic challenges for the equine sector. With no available vaccine, an eco-epidemiological approach is essential in order to identify and implement effective preventive measures. With this aim in view, we identified risk factors associated with <em>B. caballi</em> and <em>T. equi</em> infections and tick infestation for draught horses in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, known for its high piroplasmosis seroprevalence. During the spring of 2021, blood samples from 146 horses and ticks from both hosts and pastures were collected across 38 farms, then analysed using PCR to determine parasite prevalence. Environmental and meteorological data, along with information on management practices and individual horse characteristics, were collected on-site and from national databases. The results showed significant spatial variability in <em>T. equi</em> and <em>B. caballi</em> prevalence in horses, ranging from 25.7 % [95 % CI: 13.1 – 43.6] to 83.7 % [95 % CI: 69.8 – 92.2] and from 0 % [95 % CI: 0.0 – 26.8] to 26.5 % [95 % CI: 15.4 – 41.3], respectively. Among 1046 collected ticks, 3 % carried either a species of <em>Babesia</em> or <em>Theileria</em> and were identified as <em>Dermacentor marginatus, Dermacentor reticulatus</em> or <em>Ixodes ricinus.</em> We showed a stronger link between the environment and tick exposure for <em>T. equi</em> infections, while <em>B. caballi</em> infections were more closely associated with individual horse characteristics and management practices. Key risk factors for tick infestation included environmental conditions (temperature, rainfall, vegetation cover, altitude, etc.) and the presence of wild animals in pastures. These findings provide a valuable foundation on which to develop targeted prevention and control strategies to protect horses in enzootic regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 3","pages":"Article 102468"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143637518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determining the photic chronotype in locomotor activity and levels of endogenous control in the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)","authors":"Joseph Giulian ,&nbsp;Natalia Toporikova ,&nbsp;Jessica Petko ,&nbsp;Nadia Ayoub ,&nbsp;Thomas C. Jones ,&nbsp;Darrell Moore","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>It is an open question whether the activity of host-seeking ticks is under endogenous circadian control or arises entirely as an exogenous response to external stimuli. We experimentally evaluated the chronotype of locomotor activity in individual unfed adult <em>Dermacentor variabilis.</em> Two major activity peaks in locomotor activity arose in response to an evenly split 24-hour photic cycle. Most individuals had either a chronotype with exclusively nocturnal activity or with both nocturnal and diurnal activity components. Our results indicate that diurnal behavior has an endogenous basis but suggest that nocturnal behavior is driven by an exogenous response to the photic cycle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 2","pages":"Article 102461"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143592122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ferritin1-mediated ferroptosis participates in granular acini degeneration of Haemaphysalis longicornis salivary glands","authors":"Dongqi Yuan ,&nbsp;Songqin Chen ,&nbsp;Yongzhi Zhou,&nbsp;Jie Cao,&nbsp;Houshuang Zhang,&nbsp;Yanan Wang,&nbsp;Jinlin Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks (<em>Haemaphysalis longicornis</em>) transmit pathogens to their hosts through their salivary glands during blood-feeding. The salivary glands of adult parthenogenetic <em>H. longicornis</em> undergo degeneration post-engorgement. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying salivary gland degeneration of <em>H. longicornis</em> is conducive to identifying novel targets for preventing and controlling these widespread vectors. In this study, we investigated the salivary glands of adult parthenogenetic <em>H. longicornis</em> to elucidate the relationship between ferroptosis, iron-dependent cell death, <em>H. longicornis</em> ferritin 1 (HlFer1) and salivary gland degeneration post-attachment and post-engorgement. Fluorescence microscopy, revealed increased iron accumulation, reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and decreased mitochondrial cristae in the granular acini of <em>H. longicornis</em> salivary glands post-engorgement. The results of a qPCR analysis indicated that HlFer1, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin (TRF), and high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) expression elevated in <em>H. longicornis</em> salivary glands post-attachment and post-engorgement. <em>In vitro</em> culture of <em>H. longicornis</em> salivary glands showed that erastin promotes ferroptosis, while ferrostatin-1 blocks this process. RNA interference (RNAi) targeting HlFer1 promoted ferroptosis in salivary gland granular acini. In conclusion, we demonstrated that HlFer1-induced ferroptosis is a key molecular mechanism underlying the salivary gland granular acini degeneration of <em>H. longicornis</em>. Our findings are important for developing novel preventive measures against <em>H. longicornis</em> as a disease vector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 2","pages":"Article 102464"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143577745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rodent-targeted fluralaner baiting reduces the density of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected questing Ixodes scapularis ticks in a peri-urban setting in southern Canada","authors":"Jérôme Pelletier ,&nbsp;Jean-Philippe Rocheleau ,&nbsp;Catherine Bouchard ,&nbsp;Geneviève Baron ,&nbsp;Heather Coatsworth ,&nbsp;Antonia Dibernardo ,&nbsp;Christopher Fernandez-Prada ,&nbsp;Nicholas H. Ogden ,&nbsp;Liliana Potes ,&nbsp;Patrick A. Leighton ,&nbsp;Cécile Aenishaenslin","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102467","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102467","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lyme disease (LD) is a threat to public health in southern regions of Canada. In response, we used a One Health approach to design an integrated intervention in a high-incidence LD community in southern Québec aiming to increase preventive behaviours in the population and reduce the density of <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>-infected <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> ticks in the environment. The environmental component involved distributing fluralaner baits to rodents around residential properties and public trails from 2019 to 2023. Effectiveness was measured by changes in the density of questing nymphs (DON) and the prevalence of <em>B. burgdorferi</em>-infected nymphs (NIP). Treated areas were compared to areas located between 0 and 250 m from treatment locations and to untreated areas located &gt;250 m away. The DON was reduced by 39 % (95 % confidence interval [95 % CI] = 1 - 62 %) in treated areas when compared to untreated areas in 2021 and 2022. Over this same period, in areas between 0 and 250 m, the DON was lower when closer to bait stations (<em>P</em> = 0.001). The treatment significantly reduced the NIP in treated area in 2020 (Odds ratio [OR] = 0.87 [95 % CI 0.08 - 0.98]), 2021 (OR = 0.85 [95 % CI 0.26 - 0.97], and 2022 (OR = 0.88 [95 % CI 0.12 - 0.98]), and in areas between 0 and 250 m in 2020 (OR = 0.87 [0.08 - 0.98]) and 2021 (OR = 0.84 [95 % CI 0.25 - 0.97]). This study confirms the potential of rodent-targeted fluralaner baiting for reducing the density of infected questing nymphs in peri‑urban environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"16 2","pages":"Article 102467"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143620946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}