Ticks and mites (subphylum Chelicerata: class Acari) transmit a greater variety of human and animal
pathogens than any other arthropod vector. Tick- and mite-borne diseases are global health problems caused
by a variety of bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens, which are responsible for significant morbidity and
thousands of human deaths annually. The incidence of many tick-borne diseases is increasing worldwide -
many are emerging zoonoses or exotic diseases that could be introduced to the U.S. The Acari are a diverse
and basal group within the phylum Arthropoda, comprised of two lineages; the Acariformes or chigger mites
and the Parasitiformes which includes the ticks (suborder Ixodida) and other medically important mites.
Despite their impact on human health, little is known about the biology and genetic basis of vector competence
in the Acari. The NIH funded Ixodes scapularis (Lyme disease tick) assembly represents the only available
genome sequence of a medically important species within this entire diverse lineage. Unfortunately, application
of this resource is limited by low sequence coverage and fragmentation of the assembly.