Volume 6, Number 5—October 2000
Synopsis
Antigenic Variation in Vector-Borne Pathogens
Alan G. Barbour*
and Blanca I. Restrepo†
and Blanca I. Restrepo†Table
Vector-borne infections with antigenic variation
| Disease | Pathogen(s) | Vector | Variable antigensa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relapsing fever | Several species of Borrelia, | Soft (argasid) ticks | Vlp & Vsp |
| e.g., B. hermsii | and body lice | ||
| Anaplasmosis | Anaplasma marginale | Hard (ixodid) ticks | MSP2 |
| African trypanosomiasis | African Trypanosoma spp., | Tsetse fly | VSG |
| e.g., T. brucei | |||
| Malaria | Plasmodium falciparum | Mosquitoes | PfEMP1 |
| Babesiosis | Babesia bovis | Hard (ixodid) ticks | VESA1 |
aVlp = variable large proteins; Vsp = variable small proteins; MSP2 = major surface protein 2; VSG = variant-specific glycoprotein; MfEMP1 = P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1; VESA1 = variant erythrocyte surface antigen 1.
