REVIEW TICK-BORNE PATHOGENS AND DISEASES OF ANIMALS AND HUMANS IN THAILAND

Abstract. Tick-borne pathogens in Thailand can cause diseases that result in productivity and economic losses in the livestock sector as well as cause debilitating illnesses in humans and their companion animals. With the advent of molecular techniques, accurate identification of tick-borne pathogens and precise diagnosis of disease is now available. This literature review summarizes the various tick-borne pathogens that have been isolated from ticks and their vertebrate hosts in Thailand, covering those protozoa, rickettsiae, bacteria and viruses most responsible for human and veterinary disease with particular emphasis on those that have been characterized molecularly. 1997). High standards of quality control for farm animals and meat products, including disease preventions, are essential to sustain this expanding industry. The increasing popu-larity of pet ownership together with the ex-istence of large populations of stray dogs and cats in Southeast Asian countries including Thailand provide an ideal environment for tick-borne disease transmission to humans and companion animals (Irwin and Jefferies, 2004). The accurate detection of tick-borne pathogens is an important aspect of livestock quality control as well as disease diagnosis. Assays based on microscopic or serological examination are often not sensitive enough to detect pathogens, especially when they oc-cur at low infection levels. In addition, the lack of microscopic distinguishing features among pathogen species or the always-present prob-lem of cross-reactivity in serological tests makes accurate identification at the species level difficult. With the advent of molecular di-agnostic techniques in the 1990’s, sensitive and accurate determinations of pathogen spe-cies can now be performed. This review summarizes the variou