Expansion of Dermacentor reticulatus in central-southern Poland and new threats to human and animal health

Abstract

Abstract Dermacentor reticulatus is one of the tick species with the greatest epidemiological importance in Europe. To date, the Eastern European and Western European populations of this tick species have been separated by an area located in Poland where the species have never been found. In this paper, we describe newly discovered D. reticulatuslocalities in areas transformed by human activities in central-southern Poland. Thespecimens of ornate dog tick were identified among ticks collected from companion animals in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Our results verify the available data on the spread of ornate dog tick and indicate that, since 2010, this tick species has probably been present in this area, which has a strongly transformed agricultural structure and used to be regarded as a D. reticulatus-free zone. However, field studies are required to determine the current distribution range of D. reticulatus and its population size. The presence of the ornate dog tick in urban and suburban habitats in central-southern Poland poses new threats to the health of companion animals and humans associated with the transmission of pathogens by this species.