Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Central America and the Caribbean: A One Health Perspective

Abstract

Ticks have complex life cycles which involve blood-feeding stages found on wild and domestic animals, with humans as accidental hosts. At each blood-feeding stage, ticks can transmit and/or acquire pathogens from their hosts. Therefore, the circulation of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), especially the zoonotic ones, should be studied in a multi-layered manner, including all components of the chain of infections, following the ‘One Health’ tenets. The implementation of such an approach requires coordination among major stakeholders (such as veterinarians, physicians, acarologists, and researchers) for the identification of exposure and infection risks and application of effective prevention measures. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge on the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases in Central America and the Caribbean and the challenges associated with the implementation of ‘One Health’ surveillance and control programs in the region.

Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses in Central America: The Research and Public Health Disparity among Socioeconomic Lines

“…Central America has a history of various infectious diseases impacting large numbers of people, notably many neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and dengue [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Despite the wide range of potential hosts and suitable tropical habitat for ticks in this region, information on tick-borne disease risk, including SFGR, risk factors, ecology, and epidemiology, is limited [ 15 , 16 ]. Fifteen tick-borne pathogens have been documented in the Central America and Caribbean region, approximately half of which are in the SFGR group [ 15 ].…”

“…Despite the wide range of potential hosts and suitable tropical habitat for ticks in this region, information on tick-borne disease risk, including SFGR, risk factors, ecology, and epidemiology, is limited [ 15 , 16 ]. Fifteen tick-borne pathogens have been documented in the Central America and Caribbean region, approximately half of which are in the SFGR group [ 15 ]. Approximately 80 species of ticks have been documented in the region, many of which are competent pathogen vectors [ 16 ].…”

“…Approximately 80 species of ticks have been documented in the region, many of which are competent pathogen vectors [ 16 ]. However, given the vast biodiversity of fauna (both ticks and potential hosts) and poor public health systems in this region, it is thought that the number of pathogens circulating in this environment and human populations is a severe underestimation [ 15 ].…”

Description of human infestations by ticks in Panama and Costa Rica

“…In Central America, tick bites to humans have been linked to the transmission of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), ehrlichiosis, mild rickettsiosis, severe and fatal cases of Rickettsia rickettsii spotted fever, as well as allergies, dermal lesions, and paralysis (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30). Despite the harmful effects caused by ticks, many aspects related to tick bites remain unknown to physicians and patients in this region, which can lead to confusion or misdiagnosis (31).…”

“…Despite the harmful effects caused by ticks, many aspects related to tick bites remain unknown to physicians and patients in this region, which can lead to confusion or misdiagnosis (31). It is possible that in Central America, Panama and Costa Rica are the countries with the most data related to ticks that parasitize humans and tick-borne diseases (TBD) (30); even so, few details are known about the species that parasitize people and even less about the effects they can cause. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to describe tick bites in humans and the related reactions in Panama and Costa Rica.…”