Hromníková Dominika, Furka Daniel, Furka Samuel, Santana Julio Ariel Dueñas, Ravingerová Táňa, Klöcklerová Vanda, Žitňan Dušan
Department of Molecular Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84506 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Ilkovičova 6, 84104 Bratislava, SK Slovakia.
Biologia (Bratisl). 2022;77(6):1533-1554. doi: 10.1007/s11756-021-00966-9. Epub 2022 Mar 9.
Ticks represent important vectors and reservoirs of pathogens, causing a number of diseases in humans and animals, and significant damage to livestock every year. Modern research into protection against ticks and tick-borne diseases focuses mainly on the feeding stage, i.e. the period when ticks take their blood meal from their hosts during which pathogens are transmitted. Physiological functions in ticks, such as food intake, saliva production, reproduction, development, and others are under control of neuropeptides and peptide hormones which may be involved in pathogen transmission that cause Lyme borreliosis or tick-borne encephalitis. According to current knowledge, ticks are not reservoirs or vectors for the spread of COVID-19 disease. The search for new vaccination methods to protect against ticks and their transmissible pathogens is a challenge for current science in view of global changes, including the increasing migration of the human population.
• Tick-borne diseases have an increasing incidence due to climate change and increased human migration• To date, there is no evidence of transmission of coronavirus COVID-19 by tick as a vector• To date, there are only a few modern, effective, and actively- used vaccines against ticks or tick-borne diseases• Neuropeptides and their receptors expressed in ticks may be potentially used for vaccine design.
蜱虫是重要的病原体传播媒介和宿主，每年会导致人类和动物患上多种疾病，并给牲畜造成重大损失。现代针对蜱虫及蜱传疾病的防护研究主要集中在取食阶段，即蜱虫从宿主身上吸食血液的时期，而病原体就是在这一过程中传播的。蜱虫的生理功能，如食物摄取、唾液分泌、繁殖、发育等，受神经肽和肽类激素的调控，这些物质可能参与导致莱姆病或蜱传脑炎的病原体传播。根据目前的认知，蜱虫并非新冠病毒疾病传播的宿主或媒介。鉴于全球变化，包括人口迁移增加，寻找新的蜱虫及其可传播病原体的疫苗接种方法是当前科学面临的一项挑战。
• 由于气候变化和人类迁移增加，蜱传疾病的发病率不断上升• 迄今为止，没有证据表明蜱虫可作为新冠病毒的传播媒介• 迄今为止，针对蜱虫或蜱传疾病的现代、有效且广泛应用的疫苗仅有几种• 蜱虫中表达的神经肽及其受体可能有潜力用于疫苗设计。
