There are approximately twenty species of hard (ixodid) ticks worldwide that frequently affect human populations, many of which are associated with serious, sometimes fatal disease(s). When a tick travel souvenir is presented in the clinic, the risk must be immediately assessed by identifying the tick in question, ascertaining its disease vector status and determining if there has been the opportunity for the transfer of potential pathogens. This short review on identification of disease vector ticks and aspects of blood feeding and disease transmission includes the results of an examination of 59 specimens removed from UK domestic travellers and international travellers between 2002 and 2010. Sixteen tick species belonging to six genera were recorded and almost all showed evidence of blood feeding, which appears to contradict the view that because of their size, adult ticks are found early and therefore present an insignificant risk.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2011.01.002 | DOI Listing |
Cardiovasc Toxicol
January 2025
RAK College of Medical Sciences, RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
The rapid development and deployment of mRNA and non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have played a pivotal role in mitigating the global pandemic. Despite their success in reducing severe disease outcomes, emerging concerns about cardiovascular complications have raised questions regarding their safety. This systematic review critically evaluates the evidence on the cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 vaccines, assessing both their protective and adverse impacts, while considering the challenges posed by the limited availability of randomized controlled trial (RCT) data on these rare adverse events.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Microbiol
January 2025
Unit of Microbiology and Immunology, ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Medical Complex, Indira Nagar, Puducherry, 605006, India.
In recent years, there has been a global threat from emerging vector-borne diseases (VBD), despite the implementation of several vector control programs. Considering the benefits of bacterial pesticides, the present study aimed to isolate potential mosquitocidal bacteria from the various soil types collected from the Kasaragod (12.5°N, 75.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMed Vet Entomol
January 2025
Department of Chemistry and Biology, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Caxias, Brazil.
Land use and cover changes lead to fragmentation of the natural habitats of sand flies and modify the epidemiological profile of leishmaniasis. This process contributes to the infestation of adjacent rural settlements by vector sand fly species with different degrees of adaptation, promoting leishmaniasis outbreaks. This study aimed to assess land use and cover changes over a 12-year period and investigate the diversity and abundance of sand fly assemblages in the rural area of Codó, Maranhão State, Brazil.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProteins
January 2025
Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India.
Vector-borne diseases pose a severe threat to human life, contributing significantly to global mortality. Understanding the structure-function relationship of the vector proteins is pivotal for effective insecticide development due to their involvement in drug resistance and disease transmission. This study reports the structural and dynamic features of D1-like dopamine receptors (DARs) in disease-causing mosquito species, such as Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles gambiae, and Anopheles stephensi.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
January 2025
Diptera Section, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Background: The detection of multiple bluetongue virus serotypes, increasing trend in livestock density, rich biological diversity with high endemism, and the status of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a popular tourist destination underscore the need for a faunistic survey of medically and veterinary significant vector species, specifically Culicoides, in this region. Moreover, scattered information on Indian Culicoides species complicates the planning and implementation of preventive measures for pathogens transmitted by these vectors. This study aims to provide the first comprehensive account of the Culicoides fauna in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, along with an updated checklist of Indian Culicoides species and their state-wise distribution.
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