Department of Animal Pathology, University of Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 26;20(3):2206. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032206.
The panorama of ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBP) is complex due to the many interactions among vertebrates, vectors, and habitats, occurring at different scales. At a broad spatial range, climate and host availability regulate most tick processes, including questing activity, development, and survival. At a local scale, interactions are obscured by a high indeterminacy, making it arduous to record in field surveys. A solid modelling framework could translate the local/regional empirical findings into larger scales, shedding light on the processes governing the circulation of TBP. In this opinion paper, we advocate for a re-formulation of some paradigms in the research of these outstanding cycles of transmission. We propose revisiting concepts that faced criticisms or lacked solid support, together with the development of a conceptual scheme exploring the circulation of TBP under a range of conditions. We encourage (i) an adequate interpretation of the niche concept of both ticks and vertebrate/reservoir hosts interpreting the (a)biotic components that shape the tick's niche, (ii) an assessment of the role played by the communities of wild vertebrates on the circulation of pathogens, and (iii) the development of new approaches, based on state-of-the-art epidemiological concepts, to integrate findings and modelling efforts on TBP over large regions.
由于脊椎动物、媒介和栖息地之间存在着许多相互作用，且这些相互作用发生在不同的尺度上，因此蜱虫和蜱传病原体（TBP）的情况非常复杂。在广阔的空间范围内，气候和宿主的可利用性调节着大多数蜱虫的过程，包括寻偶活动、发育和生存。在局部尺度上，由于高度的不确定性，相互作用被掩盖，使得在实地调查中难以记录。一个可靠的建模框架可以将局部/区域的经验发现转化为更大的尺度，从而揭示控制 TBP 循环的过程。在这篇观点文章中，我们提倡重新制定这些杰出的传播周期研究中的一些范式。我们建议重新审视那些受到批评或缺乏坚实支持的概念，同时制定一个概念框架，探索在一系列条件下 TBP 的循环。我们鼓励（i）充分解释蜱虫和脊椎动物/宿主这两个宿主的生态位概念，解释塑造蜱虫生态位的（非生物）组成部分，（ii）评估野生动物群落在病原体循环中所扮演的角色，以及（iii）基于最新的流行病学概念，开发新的方法，将关于 TBP 的发现和建模工作整合到广大区域。
