Vector-host interactions in disease transmission.
Tick-borne spirochetes include borreliae that cause Lyme disease and relapsing fever in humans. They survive in a triangle of parasitic interactions between the spirochete and its vertebrate host, the spirochete and its tick vector, and the host and the tick. Until recently, the significance of vect...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2000
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| _version_ | 1797103586361999360 |
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| author | Nuttall, P Paesen, G Lawrie, C Wang, H |
| author_facet | Nuttall, P Paesen, G Lawrie, C Wang, H |
| author_sort | Nuttall, P |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Tick-borne spirochetes include borreliae that cause Lyme disease and relapsing fever in humans. They survive in a triangle of parasitic interactions between the spirochete and its vertebrate host, the spirochete and its tick vector, and the host and the tick. Until recently, the significance of vector-host interactions in the transmission of arthropod-borne disease agents has been overlooked. However, there is now compelling evidence that the pharmacological activity of tick saliva can have a profound effect on pathogen transmission both from infected tick to uninfected host, and from infected host to uninfected tick. The salivary glands of ticks provide a pharmacopoeia of anti-inflammatory, anti-haemostatic and anti-immune molecules. These include bioactive proteins that control histamine, bind immunoglobulins, and inhibit the alternative complement cascade. The effect of these molecules is to provide a privileged site at the tick-host interface in which borreliae and other tick-borne pathogens are sheltered from the normal innate and acquired host immune mechanisms that combat infections. Understanding the key events at the tick vector-host interface, that promote spirochete infection and transmission, will provide a better understanding of the epidemiology and ecology of these important human pathogens. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:22:09Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:f30d9cf1-e19e-48ad-aead-2ef99e806f35 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T06:22:09Z |
| publishDate | 2000 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:f30d9cf1-e19e-48ad-aead-2ef99e806f352022-03-27T12:09:00ZVector-host interactions in disease transmission.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:f30d9cf1-e19e-48ad-aead-2ef99e806f35EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2000Nuttall, PPaesen, GLawrie, CWang, HTick-borne spirochetes include borreliae that cause Lyme disease and relapsing fever in humans. They survive in a triangle of parasitic interactions between the spirochete and its vertebrate host, the spirochete and its tick vector, and the host and the tick. Until recently, the significance of vector-host interactions in the transmission of arthropod-borne disease agents has been overlooked. However, there is now compelling evidence that the pharmacological activity of tick saliva can have a profound effect on pathogen transmission both from infected tick to uninfected host, and from infected host to uninfected tick. The salivary glands of ticks provide a pharmacopoeia of anti-inflammatory, anti-haemostatic and anti-immune molecules. These include bioactive proteins that control histamine, bind immunoglobulins, and inhibit the alternative complement cascade. The effect of these molecules is to provide a privileged site at the tick-host interface in which borreliae and other tick-borne pathogens are sheltered from the normal innate and acquired host immune mechanisms that combat infections. Understanding the key events at the tick vector-host interface, that promote spirochete infection and transmission, will provide a better understanding of the epidemiology and ecology of these important human pathogens. |
| spellingShingle | Nuttall, P Paesen, G Lawrie, C Wang, H Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title | Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title_full | Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title_fullStr | Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title_short | Vector-host interactions in disease transmission. |
| title_sort | vector host interactions in disease transmission |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nuttallp vectorhostinteractionsindiseasetransmission AT paeseng vectorhostinteractionsindiseasetransmission AT lawriec vectorhostinteractionsindiseasetransmission AT wangh vectorhostinteractionsindiseasetransmission |