How does Tick-Borne Parasite Ecology Influence Disease Transmission between Ticks and Bovine Hosts?

壁虱和壁虱传播疾病是全世界农民和家畜福利的一个严重问题。在撒哈拉以南非洲，这是一个特别令人担忧的问题，在那里，多种壁虱传播的寄生虫共同出现。最重要的伤寒包括由血源性寄生虫Cowdria、Anadium、Theileria和Babesia spp.引起的伤寒。这些疾病分别导致赤水病、牛无浆体病、东海岸热和心水病，从它们广泛的地理分布和经济影响来看，这些疾病具有重要意义。最近开发的诊断方法使人们能够详细描述发生在一系列扁虱和宿主物种中的寄生虫，包括野生动物和牲畜。在这项工作中，我们将在流行病学背景下应用这些方法来了解宿主内寄生虫群落的结构及其对疾病传播的影响。具体地说，我们将与克鲁格国家公园和南非比勒陀利亚大学的合作者合作，调查扁虱生态在构建非洲水牛和牛的寄生虫群落中的作用。

Ticks and tickborne diseases (TBDs) represent a serious issue to farmers and the welfare of livestock worldwide. They are a particular concern in sub-Saharan Africa where multiple tick-borne parasites co-occur. The most significant TBDs include those caused by blood-borne parasites Cowdria, Anaplasma, Theileria, and Babesia, spp.. These cause TBDs of redwater, bovine anaplasmosis, East Coast fever, and heartwater, respectively, and are significant based on their wide geographic distribution and economic impact. Recently developed diagnostic methods have allowed detailed characterisation of the parasites that occur in a range of tick and host species, including both wildlife and livestock. In this work, we will apply these methods in an epidemiological context to understand the mechanisms structuring parasite communities within host and their consequences for disease transmission. Specifically, we will work with collaborators in Kruger National Park and University of Pretoria, South Africa, to investigate the role of tick ecology in structuring parasite communities in African buffalo and cattle.