Prospects for vaccination against the ticks of pets and the potential impact on pathogen transmission

Diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors such as ticks greatly impact human and animal health. In particular, many diseases of dogs and cats are potentially transmissible to people by arthropod vectors and therefore their control is important for the eradication of vector-borne diseases (VBD). Vaccination is an environmentally friendly alternative for vector control that allows control of several VBD by targeting their common vector. Recent results have shown that it is possible to use vector protective antigens for the control of arthropod vector infestations and pathogen infection. However, as reviewed in this paper, very little progress has been made for the control of ectoparasite infestations and VBD in pets using vaccination with vector protective antigens. The growing interaction between pets and people underlines the importance of developing new interventions for the monitoring and control of VBD.