Topic：One Health Research on tick-borne zoonotic infections in Taiwan
Speaker: Chien-Ming SHIH (Professor of M.Sc. Program in Tropical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University)
Time: May 23, 2024 12:30-2:00 pm
Venue：Lecture Hall Ⅳ at College of Medicine
Abstract：
Tick-borne zoonotic infections have a major impact on human and animal health worldwide. Vector tick is a haematophagus arthropod infested on vertebrate hosts and it can transmit various zoonotic pathogens including bacteria, virus, rickettsia and protozoan. Since 1997, tick-borne human infections of babesiosis and Lyme disease had been discovered in Taiwan (Shih et al., 1997, 1998) and the causative agents were identified from patients, rodents, and vector ticks (Chao et al., 2009; 2012-2015). Our previous works reveal variable clinical manifestations of Lyme patients in Taiwan and identify the genospecies of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. afzelii and B. valaisiana spirochetes in humans and vector ticks. Most recently, Babesia, Bartonella and Rickettsia pathogens were detected and identified in various tick species infesting rodents and dogs (Chao et al., 2016-2022). Our studies highlight the significance of genetic diversity of tick-borne pathogens in Taiwan and imply the epidemiological risk for human infections in Taiwan.