Skin and arthropods: an effective interaction used by pathogens in vector-borne diseases

Abstract

In the last years, the skin has been described as a major interface in arthropod borne diseases. Although it constitutes an efficient immune and physical barrier, pathogens have developed effective strategies to thwart the host. In this process, the arthropod plays a major role. For mosquitoes, the quick blood meal is made through an efficient inoculation process directly into the blood vessel. For the long lasting blood meal of hard ticks, the sophisticated biting pieces and the tick saliva provide potent tools to help pathogen transmission. Lyme borreliosis and leishmaniases have been particularly well investigated in this context.

Keywords: Lyme borreliosis; arthropod saliva; dendritic cell; fibroblasts; keratinocytes; leishmaniasis; vector-borne diseases.