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Pathogens
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Tick-Borne Pathogens: Advanced Identification, Characterization, Transmission, and Prevalence Studies
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Tick-Borne Pathogens: Advanced Identification, Characterization, Transmission, and Prevalence Studies

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Ticks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 1751

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Sara Savić

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Immunology and Serology and Biochemistry, Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad", Novi Sad, Serbia
Interests: vector-borne diseases; ticks and tick-borne pathogens; diagnostics; prevalence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tick-borne pathogens are a class of microorganisms that can be transmitted to humans and animals through tick bites, including bacteria, viruses, Rickettsia, and parasites. These pathogens can cause a variety of diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, Lyme disease, typhus, tick-borne encephalitis, Q fever, etc., which represent significant threats to human health. In recent years, advancements in technology and the refinement of research methodologies have led to substantial progress in the identification, characterization, transmission, prevalence, pathogenic mechanisms, and host interactions of tick-borne pathogens. However, there remain considerable challenges in the research and control of these pathogens. For instance, several emerging diseases caused by tick-borne pathogens lack effective treatment options and vaccines, and the surveillance and control strategies for tick-borne diseases require enhancement. Most of the countries in Europe do not have any national programs for monitoring these diseases. Therefore, research efforts should be directed towards a deeper understanding of the biological characteristics of tick-borne pathogens and the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to safeguard the health of both human and animal populations.

In this Special Issue, we will focus on advanced research on the identification, characterization, transmission, prevalence, and host interactions of tick-borne pathogens. We hope that this Special Issue will provide researchers in the field of tick-borne pathogens with a platform to present their latest research results and facilitate further developments in the field.

Dr. Sara Savić
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ticks
  • tick-borne pathogens
  • identification
  • characterization
  • transmission
  • prevalence
  • host interactions
  • zoonoses

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1522 KiB  
Article
Clinical Cases of Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs During the Autumn-Winter Season in Poland
by Ismena Gałęcka, Zhuowei Ma, Xuenan Xuan and Remigiusz Gałęcki
Pathogens 2024, 13(12), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13121132 - 21 Dec 2024
Viewed by 688
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a growing threat to companion animals, especially dogs, due to the increasing abundance of tick populations in Europe, driven by climate change, urbanization, and the mobility of humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tick-borne [...] Read more.
Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a growing threat to companion animals, especially dogs, due to the increasing abundance of tick populations in Europe, driven by climate change, urbanization, and the mobility of humans and animals. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in clinically ill dogs suspected of having developed TBDs during the autumn-winter season, as well as to detect pathogens in ticks collected during the same period in the Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship in Poland. A total of 30 dogs with clinical symptoms of babesiosis and 45 ticks from dogs were acquired for this study. Clinical symptoms in dogs included elevated body temperature > 39.0 °C (73.3%), anemia (56.7%), thrombocytopenia (80%), and dark urine (53.3%). Co-infections with Babesia spp. were identified in two combinations (Babesia spp. and Mycoplasma spp. (n = 5), Babesia spp. and Borrelia spp. (n = 2)) and one co-infection with Anaplasma spp. and Borrelia spp., highlighting the complexity of TBD diagnosis and treatment. The analyzed tick species were Ixodes ricinus (86.7%; n = 39; 18 females and 21 males) and Dermacentor reticulatus (13.3%; n = 6; 4 females and 2 males). In I. ricinus, Babesia spp. were identified in 7.7% (3/39), Mycoplasma spp. in 7.7% (3/39), Borrelia in 25.6% (10/39), and Anaplasma spp. in 10.3% (4/39). In D.reticulatus, only two pathogens—Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma spp.—were detected, both only once (16.7%; 1/6). No significant differences were observed between the prevalence of the studied pathogens and tick species, sex, or developmental stage. This study emphasizes the year-round risk of TBDs in dogs, particularly during the autumn-winter months, and underscores the need for continuous vigilance in tick prevention, broad-spectrum diagnostics, and treatment strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Pathogens: Advanced Identification, Characterization, Transmission, and Prevalence Studies)
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14 pages, 3139 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Dynamics of Ticks and Tick-Borne Pathogens in Republic of Korea
by Sezim Monoldorova, Sungkyeong Lee, Seungri Yun, Sunho Park, Jong-Uk Jeong, Jiro Kim, In-Yong Lee, Hojong Jun, Chan-Ho Park, Hyeon-Seop Byeon, Mina Han, So-Youn Youn, Yun-Sang Cho, Young-Min Yun, Kwang-Jun Lee and Bo-Young Jeon
Pathogens 2024, 13(12), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13121079 - 8 Dec 2024
Viewed by 820
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are a public health problem and a significant burden on the livestock industry. The seasonal abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens strongly correlates with the prevalence of these diseases. To investigate the seasonal variation in ticks and tick-borne pathogens, ticks were [...] Read more.
Tick-borne diseases are a public health problem and a significant burden on the livestock industry. The seasonal abundance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens strongly correlates with the prevalence of these diseases. To investigate the seasonal variation in ticks and tick-borne pathogens, ticks were collected from Gangwon State, Korea, and the tick-borne pathogens Borrelia, Anaplasma, Babesia, and Theileria were examined. In total, 14,748 ticks were collected, comprising ticks from two genera and three species: Haemaphysalis longicornis, Haemaphysalis flava, and Ixodes nipponensis, with H. longicornis being the predominant species. Of 7445 ticks (455 pools) examined for pathogens, Theileria was detected in 61 pools, whereas Borrelia and Anaplasma were observed in 17 pools. H. longicornis nymphs and adults were collected beginning in April, with nymph numbers peaking in May and June and adult ticks peaking in June and July. In contrast, the larvae were collected in May and peaked in September. Tick-borne pathogens were detected in April, peaking in July and September. Borrelia, the causative agent of Lyme disease, exhibits a temporal association between its detection in ticks and its occurrence in humans. In conclusion, tick-borne diseases seem to be closely linked not only to changes in tick numbers throughout the seasons but also to the seasonal variations of the pathogens within them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tick-Borne Pathogens: Advanced Identification, Characterization, Transmission, and Prevalence Studies)
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