Parasite adaptation is thought to play an important role in the dynamics and epidemiology of many emerging diseases, but almost nothing is known about the processes involved. Ticks are second only to mosquitoes in their global importance as disease vectors and they transmit numerous pathogens of medical and veterinary interest. These “vertebrate-tick-micropathogen” systems represent pertinent models to examine the evolution and implications of vector adaptation which may be of particular importance for the evolution of the microparasites they carry. In this context, my research project aims to answer the following questions; 1) How readily de ticks adapt to their host environments? 2) How does divergence in the vector affect the distribution of micropathogens? 3) What is the relative importance of the arthropod vector versus the vertebrate host in the evolution and epidemiology of vector-borne diseases?
These questions are addressed using two complimentary systems: the seabird ticks Ixodes uriae vector of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., the pathogen responsible for human Lyme disease and Ornithodoros maritimus, a potential vector of relapsing fever Borrelia. Although the epidemiologies of both Lyme disease and relapsing fever have been widely studied in terrestrial ecosystems, the prevalence and spatial distribution of the associated bacteria in the marine ecosystem have been largely neglected. This project aims to advance our understanding of the overall importance of seabirds as Borrelia reservoirs and of their potential role in the evolution and global dissemination of such disease agents.
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