de la Fuente Jose, Estrada-Pena Agustin, Venzal Jose M, Kocan Katherine M, Sonenshine Daniel E
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
Front Biosci. 2008 May 1;13:6938-46. doi: 10.2741/3200.
Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) transmit a wide variety of pathogens to vertebrates including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminthes. Tick-borne pathogens are believed to be responsible for more than 100,000 cases of illness in humans throughout the world. Ticks are considered to be second worldwide to mosquitoes as vectors of human diseases, but they are the most important vectors of disease-causing pathogens in domestic and wild animals. Infection and development of pathogens in both tick and vertebrate hosts are mediated by molecular mechanisms at the tick-pathogen interface. These mechanisms, involving traits of both ticks and pathogens, include the evolution of common and species-specific characteristics. The molecular characterization of the tick-pathogen interface is rapidly advancing and providing new avenues for the development of novel control strategies for both tick infestations and their associated pathogens.
蜱虫（蜱螨亚纲：硬蜱科）可将多种病原体传播给脊椎动物，包括病毒、细菌、原生动物和蠕虫。据信，蜱传病原体在全球导致了超过10万例人类疾病。蜱虫被认为是仅次于蚊子的全球第二大人畜共患病传播媒介，但它们是家畜和野生动物致病病原体的最重要传播媒介。蜱虫和脊椎动物宿主中病原体的感染与发育是由蜱-病原体界面的分子机制介导的。这些涉及蜱虫和病原体特征的机制包括共同特征和物种特异性特征的演变。蜱-病原体界面的分子特征正在迅速发展，为蜱虫侵袭及其相关病原体的新型控制策略开发提供了新途径。
