Tick-Transmitted Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce the launch of a new Special Issue of Life on the highly relevant topic of "Tick-Transmitted Diseases”.

Ticks are obligatory and temporary blood-sucking ectoparasites of vertebrates. After insects, they are the second most common vector for pathogenic viruses, bacteria and protozoans, and are therefore of great medical and veterinary significance. By adaptation to different environmental conditions, ticks persist in most continents, from the Equator to subarctic areas. Because of climate change, the distribution range of many tick species, especially so-called generalist species that are involved in transmitting the most pathogens, has expanded. Additionally, progressive human exposure increases the probability of tick bites and the incidence of tick-borne diseases.

As disease vectors, ticks have been known since antiquity. However, the first association of ticks with microorganisms as disease agents occurred in the 19th century, when numerous pathogens were detected in different tick species. Since the first use of molecular methods for pathogen detection, the number of newly described species has grown annually. Ticks may be reservoirs of numerous non-pathogenic microorganisms. This constantly growing number of new microorganisms means that it is difficult to establish their medical and/or veterinary role. To better understand tick-borne diseases, studies of the 21st century have focused on the molecular descriptions of pathogen genomes, as well as pathogen–vector and pathogen–host interactions.

To date, studies on tick-borne pathogens have revealed new disease-causing species among previously non-pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, new areas of occurrence for known pathogen species have been certified, expanding the risk of infection. Therefore, the study of tick-borne pathogens is particularly relevant, with the abundance of known microorganisms transmitted by ticks acting as inspiration for further research.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the newest studies on tick-borne pathogens. We welcome submissions of original research papers and reviews from different disciplines, including microbiology, molecular biology, genetics, ecology, and medical sciences

Dr. Beata Wodecka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• tick-borne diseases
• bacteria
• viruses
• protozoans