title: Does the arthropod microbiota impact the establishment of vector-borne diseases in mammalian hosts?
abstract: The impact of the microbiota on the immune status of its host is a source of intense research and publicity. In comparison, the effect of arthropod microbiota on vector-borne infectious diseases has received little attention. A better understanding of the vector microbiota in relation to mammalian host immune responses is vital, as it can lead to strategies that affect transmission and improve vaccine design in a field of research where few vaccines exist and effective treatment is rare. Recent demonstrations of how microbiota decrease pathogen development in arthropods, and thus alter vector permissiveness to vector-borne diseases (VBDs), have led to renewed interest. However, hypotheses on the interactions between the arthropod-derived microbiota and the mammalian hosts have yet to be addressed. Advances in DNA sequencing technology, increased yield and falling costs, mean that these studies are now feasible for many microbiologists and entomologists. Here, we distill current knowledge and put forward key questions and experimental designs to shed light on this burgeoning research topic.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: Constance A M
authors: CA
authors: Finney
authors: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
authors: Shaden
authors: S
authors: Kamhawi
authors: Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: James D
authors: JD
authors: Wasmuth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001179:Arthropod Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D001181:Arthropods / Q000382:microbiology*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D006801:Humans; D064307:Microbiota