A single tick bite can have debilitating consequences. Lyme disease is the most common disease carried by ticks in the United States, and the number of those afflicted is growing steadily. If left untreated, the diseases carried by ticks-known as tick-borne diseases-can cause severe pain, fatigue, neurological problems, and other serious health problems. The Institute of Medicine held a workshop October 11-12, 2010, to examine the state of the science in Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Pathogens transmitted among humans, animals, or plants by insects and arthropod vectors have been responsible for significant morbidity and mortality throughout recorded history. Such vector-borne diseases â€" including malaria, dengue, yellow fever, and plague â€" together accounted for more human disease and death in the 17th through early 20th centuries than all other causes combined. Over the past three decades, previously controlled vector-borne diseases have resurged or reemerged in new geographic locations, and several newly identified pathogens and vectors have triggered disease outbreaks in plants and animals, including humans. Domestic and international capabilities to detect, identify, and effectively respond to vector-borne diseases are limited. Few vaccines have been developed against vector-borne pathogens. At the same time, drug resistance has developed in vector-borne pathogens while their vectors are increasingly resistant to insecticide controls. Furthermore, the ranks of scientists trained to conduct research in key fields including medical entomology, vector ecology, and tropical medicine have dwindled, threatening prospects for addressing vector-borne diseases now and in the future. In June 2007, as these circumstances became alarmingly apparent, the Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a workshop to explore the dynamic relationships among host, pathogen(s), vector(s), and ecosystems that characterize vector-borne diseases. Revisiting this topic in September 2014, the Forum organized a workshop to examine trends and patterns in the incidence and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in an increasingly interconnected and ecologically disturbed world, as well as recent developments to meet these dynamic threats. Participants examined the emergence and global movement of vector-borne diseases, research priorities for understanding their biology and ecology, and global preparedness for and progress toward their prevention, control, and mitigation. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

It is vital to understand ticks and tick-borne pathogens as well as their impact on humans. This book is intended for students in parasitology, biologists, parasitologists involved in molecular diagnostics of tick-borne diseases, practicing veterinarians, and for others who may require information on ticks and tick-borne diseases. Here we have put together a collection of chapters focused on different aspects of ticks and tick-borne diseases mainly to provide the reader with novel information in the field, but not the basic generalised information provided by many textbooks. This book includes topics such as high-throughput technologies in diagnosis, discovery of novel tick vaccines, identification of new pathogens transmitted by ticks, and new epidemiological information of certain well-known ticks and tick-borne diseases. These chapters were authored by parasitologists from all over the world, giving an insight to the reader about significant ticks and tick-borne diseases prevalent in those particular geographical regions with the local expert's point of view. Each of the chapters has separate reference lists, making it easier for the reader to find additional reading material related to their topic of interest.

Ticks of Trinidad and Tobago: An Overview explores tick species prevalent in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), their distribution, associated pathogens, their effects on the host, and control methods. The book also reviews the basic biology of ticks. Ticks are known to parasitize a wide range of hosts including mammals, reptiles and birds. These parasites are of veterinary and public health significance since they are responsible for the spread of a number of pathogens to humans and animals. Worldwide, ticks are responsible for billions of dollars in losses in the livestock industry annually due to the effects of these pathogens. Based on review of the literature from more than five decades, twenty-three species of both hard and soft tick have been discovered on the twin-island republic with a greater number of species in Trinidad. Tick genera observed and recorded included Argas, Ornithodoros, Amblyomma, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Ixodes, and Rhipicephalus species. The tick species found in Trinidad and Tobago parasitize both wild and domestic species. Hosts include bats, fowl, equids, wild and domestic ruminants, birds, rodents, marsupials, and a variety of reptiles such as toads, tortoises, and snakes. Based on geographical location, most tick species discovered in T&T have also been recorded in other Caribbean islands in the archipelago, North, Central and South America. Both soft and hard tick species found in T&T have also been implicated in a number of blood-borne pathogens including Borrelia, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Hepatozoon, Rickettsia, and Anaplasma. Examines the biology of tick species on hosts endemic to Trinidad and Tobago Provides pictorial keys Facilitates identification, prevention, and control of tick-borne diseases in the tropical region Assists with diagnosing tick-borne diseases

Spanning two volumes, this is the most comprehensive work on tick biology and tick-borne diseases.