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- Title
Tick-Borne Co-Infections: Challenges in Molecular and Serologic Diagnoses.
- Authors
Sanchez-Vicente, Santiago; Tokarz, Rafal
- Abstract
Co-infections are a poorly understood aspect of tick-borne diseases. In the United States alone, nineteen different tick-borne pathogens have been identified. The majority of these agents are transmitted by only two tick species, Ixodes scapularis and Amblyomma americanum. Surveillance studies have demonstrated the presence of multiple pathogens in individual ticks suggesting a risk of polymicrobial transmission to humans. However, relatively few studies have explored this relationship and its impact on human disease. One of the key factors for this deficiency are the intrinsic limitations associated with molecular and serologic assays employed for the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases. Limitations in the sensitivity, specificity and most importantly, the capacity for inclusion of multiple agents within a single assay represent the primary challenges for the accurate detection of polymicrobial tick-borne infections. This review will focus on outlining these limitations and discuss potential solutions for the enhanced diagnosis of tick-borne co-infections.
- Subjects
UNITED States; MOLECULAR diagnosis; TICK-borne diseases; IXODES scapularis; DIAGNOSIS; MIXED infections; RICKETTSIAL diseases; TICK infestations
- Publication
Pathogens, 2023, Vol 12, Issue 11, p1371
- ISSN
2076-0817
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/pathogens12111371