Ticks

Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi ), is transmitted by the hard tick Ixodes scapularis. Ticks are long term feeders and so have well developed anticoagulation immunosuppresive compounds. Their saliva includes a neutrophil inhibiting factor (NIH) that prevents the destruction of spirochetes of the disease. This blocking of the alternate complement system allows the spirochets of Lyme Disease to evade these mechanisms and establish itself in its final host. If that isn't enough, tick immunosuppressive activities have also been shown to enhance infection of non-parasitised ticks that are feeding on the same host as an infected tick (Beaty and Marquardt, 1996).

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