Understanding pathogen survival and transmission by arthropod vectors to prevent human disease

Many endemic poverty-associated diseases, such as malaria and leishmaniasis, are transmitted by arthropod vectors. Pathogens must interact with specific molecules in the vector gut, the microbiota, and the vector immune system to survive and be transmitted. The vertebrate host, in turn, is infected...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2022-09, Vol.377 (6614), p.eabc2757-eabc2757
Main Authors: Barillas-Mury, Carolina, Ribeiro, José M. C., Valenzuela, Jesus G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aedes aegypti
Animal diseases
Animal health
Animals
Antibodies
Arthropods
Biology
Biomarkers
Blood
CRISPR
Cytology
Dengue fever
Determinants
Disease control
Disease transmission
Epidemiology
Epithelial cells
Epithelium
Exosomes
Exposure
Feeding
Gene expression
Gene silencing
Genomes
Genomics
Homology
Immune response
Immune system
Immunomodulation
Infections
Infectious diseases
Inflammation
Insect bites
Insects
Intestinal microflora
Invertebrates
Localization
Midgut
Mosquitoes
Natural populations
Nematodes
Pathogens
Perturbation
Populations
Proteins
Protozoa
Reviews
Saliva
Secretions
Structure-function relationships
Ticks
Vector-borne diseases
Vectors
Vectors (Biology)
Vertebrates
Viruses
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Summary:Many endemic poverty-associated diseases, such as malaria and leishmaniasis, are transmitted by arthropod vectors. Pathogens must interact with specific molecules in the vector gut, the microbiota, and the vector immune system to survive and be transmitted. The vertebrate host, in turn, is infected when the pathogen and vector-derived factors, such as salivary proteins, are delivered into the skin by a vector bite. Here, we review recent progress in our understanding of the biology of pathogen transmission from the human to the vector and back, from the vector to the host. We also highlight recent advances in the biology of vector-borne disease transmission, which have translated into additional strategies to prevent human disease by either reducing vector populations or by disrupting their ability to transmit pathogens. Vanquishing vexing vectors Many major human and animal diseases are transmitted by blood-feeding insects and ticks. Because pathogens are ingested when these vectors feed, interactions with the vector’s gut microbiome, midgut secretions, and epithelial cells are key factors in the transmission of disease. Barillas-Mury et al . review recent research bolstering our understanding of how pathogens interact with both vectors and their microbiomes, as well as with vector-derived factors and vertebrate hosts after vector bites. The authors also discuss how these advances are being translated into next-generation strategies to control natural vector populations and informing the development of biomarkers of vector exposure. —STS A review discusses how molecular and genetic tools provide insights into the biology of disease transmission by arthropod vectors. BACKGROUND Many endemic human and animal diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa, or nematodes are transmitted by blood-feeding insects or ticks. Because pathogens are ingested with the blood meal, their interactions with the vector’s gut microbiome, midgut secretions, and epithelial cells are key determinants of disease transmission. Most pathogens must infect the vector and multiply to be transmitted, and this amplification greatly increases their chances of infecting a new vertebrate host. Accordingly, how pathogens survive or invade the midgut, and their interactions with the invertebrate immune system, are areas of great interest in vector biology. Blood-feeding arthropods secrete saliva while probing for blood, and saliva from many different vectors has been shown to have antihemo
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.abc2757