Subolesin/Akirin vaccines for the control of arthropod vectors and vector-borne pathogens

Resumen del trabajo presentado al 12th International Symposium on Ectoparasites in Pets, celebrado en Munich (Alemania) del 7 al 9 de abril de 2013.Diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and sand flies greatly impact human and animal health, and therefore, their control is important for the eradication of vectorborne diseases (VBD). Vaccination is an environmen- tally friendly alternative for vector control that allows control of several VBD by targeting their common vector. Recent results have suggested that subolesin (SUB) and its orthologue in insects, akirin (AKR) are good candidate antigens for the control of arthropod vector infestations and pathogen infection. SUB was dis- covered as a tick-protective antigen in Ixodes scapularis. Vaccination trials with recombinant SUB/AKR demonstrated effective control of arthropod vector infes- tations in various hard and soft tick species, mosquitoes, sand flies, poultry red mites and sea lice by reducing their numbers, weight, oviposition, fertility and/or moulting. SUB/AKR vaccination also reduced tick infection with tickborne patho- gens, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, A. marginale, Babesia bigemina and Borrelia burgdorferi. The effect of vaccination on different hosts, vector species, develop- mental stages and vectorborne pathogen infections demonstrated the feasibility of SUB/AKR universal vaccines for the control of multiple vector infestations and for reduction in VBD.Peer Reviewe