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

蜱和蜱传疾病（tbd）是全世界农民和牲畜福利面临的一个严重问题。在多种蜱传寄生虫同时发生的撒哈拉以南非洲，这是一个特别令人关切的问题。最重要的tds包括由血源性寄生虫考德里亚、无形体、伊氏杆菌和巴贝斯虫引起的tds。它们分别引起红水、牛无形体病、东海岸热和心水的tbd，并且由于其广泛的地理分布和经济影响而具有重要意义。最近开发的诊断方法可以详细描述发生在一系列蜱虫和宿主物种（包括野生动物和牲畜）中的寄生虫的特征。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机制及其对疾病传播的影响。具体来说，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，调查蜱虫生态学在非洲水牛和牛体内寄生虫群落结构中的作用。

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.