Discovery and Surveillance of Tick-Borne Pathogens

• Published in: Journal of medical entomology Vol. 58; no. 4; pp. 1525 - 1535
• Main Authors: Tokarz, Rafal, Lipkin, W. Ian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Entomological Society of America 01.07.2021; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Arachnids; microbiome; Microbiomes; Next-generation sequencing; pathogen discovery; Pathogenic microorganisms; Pathogens; Phylogeny; SPECIAL COLLECTION: THE RISE OF TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISE; Special Collection: The Rise of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases; Tick-borne diseases; New York; China; next-generation sequencing; microbiome; pathogen discovery
• ISSN: 0022-2585; 1938-2928
• DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa269

Within the past 30 yr molecular assays have largely supplanted classical methods for detection of tick-borne agents. Enhancements provided by molecular assays, including speed, throughput, sensitivity, and specificity, have resulted in a rapid increase in the number of newly characterized tick-borne agents.The use of unbiased high throughput sequencing has enabled the prompt identification of new pathogens and the examination of tick microbiomes.These efforts have led to the identification of hundreds of new tick-borne agents in the last decade alone. However, little is currently known about the majority of these agents beyond their phylogenetic classification. Our article outlines the primary methods involved in tick-borne agent discovery and the current status of our understanding of tick-borne agent diversity.