Editorial: Advances in Tick-Borne Diseases

Omid Teymournejad^1*Aditya Kumar Sharma^1*Deepak Kumar²

• ¹University of Illinois, Chicago, United States
• ²University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, United States

Tick-borne diseases have a long history, which begin with Victor Babes description of Texas cattle fever in 1888 caused by the protozoan parasite Babesia bigemina and transmitted by the tick Rhipicephalus annulatus [1]. In 1893, Theobald Smith and Frederick Kilborne provided the first experimental proof of tick-mediated transmission by demonstrating that Rhipicephalus annulatus ticks transmitted a protozoan parasite Babesia bigemina to cattle, establishing our foundational understanding about vector-borne disease [1]. In 1906, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni), was identified as the first recognized tick-borne rickettsial disease, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of vector biology research [2; 3]. cereus LTG-1 or purified BcEnhancin degraded the glycan-rich peritrophic matrix in the tick gut, which reduce B. afzelii load. Additionally, qRT-PCR data revealed that myd88 and peritrophin 1 genes were upregulated after 48 h of administration of recombinant BcEnhancin. Both genes are linked to immune system and peritrophic matrix in the tick gut respectively. These findings highlight the tick gut microbiome's role in shaping vector competence and offer new insights into the interactions among Borrelia, ticks, and their resident microbes. Lastly, the editorial concludes with the study by Duan et al., who investigated tick-borne bacteria and their associated infections in Arxan, Inner Mongolia, China, by analyzing 282 Ixodes persulcatus, 13 Dermacentor silvarum ticks, and 245 human blood samples. Using 16S rDNA sequencing and species-specific PCR, the authors detected Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (89%) and Borrelia garinii (17%) as the most prevalent pathogens in I. persulcatus, with 13% coinfection. In human samples, B. garinii (4.9%), Rickettsia slovaca (0.82%), and Coxiella burnetii (0.41%) were detected, with seroprevalence for spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) and B. burgdorferi at 5.71% and 13.47%, respectively. The study confirmed B. garinii transmission from ticks to humans and reported the first detection of B. miyamotoi (7%) in ticks and R. slovaca (0.82%) in humans in Arxan, highlighting the need for ongoing surveillance.Overall, we believe that collection of research articles featured in this special issue advance our understanding of tick-borne diseases by elucidating pathogen biology, vector competence, and host immune responses. From predictive models for SFTS treatment to innovative vaccine strategies for Francisella tularensis and insights into tick microbiome interactions, these findings pave the way for improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and prevention strategies. As tick-borne diseases continue to emerge and expand due to environmental and climatic changes, sustained research and surveillance are critical to mitigate their global public health impact.Figure1-Flowchart illustrating a brief history of tick-borne diseases and content of the editorial.