Affiliation:
1. Institute of Immunology, National Public Health Laboratory/CRP Santé, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In Europe, ixodid ticks are important arthropod vectors of human and animal pathogens, but comprehensive studies of the prevalence of all relevant pathogens in Central Europe are scarce. As a result of ecological changes, the incidences of tick-borne infections are expected to increase. In this study, 1,394 nymphal and adult
Ixodes ricinus
ticks sampled monthly during the active season from 33 ecologically distinct collection sites throughout Luxembourg were screened for all human tick-borne pathogens relevant in Central Europe. Species were identified by sequence analysis of detection PCR amplicons. Mean infection rates of ticks were 11.3% for
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato, 5.1% for
Rickettsia
sp., 2.7% for
Babesia
sp., and 1.9% for
Anaplasma phagocytophilum
. No tick was found to be infected with
Coxiella
sp.,
Francisella tularensis
subsp., or
Tick-borne encephalitis virus
(TBEV). A total of 3.2% of ticks were infected with more than one pathogen species, including mixed
Borrelia
infections (1.5%). Seasonal variations of tick infection rates were observed for
Borrelia
,
Babesia
, and
Anaplasma
, possibly reflecting a behavioral adaptation strategy of questing ticks. A positive correlation between the grade of urbanization and
Borrelia
infection rate of ticks was observed, suggesting an established urban zoonotic cycle. We also found
Hepatozoon canis
(0.1%) and
Bartonella henselae
(0.3%), which so far have not been found in questing
Ixodes ricinus
ticks in Central Europe.
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Subject
Ecology,Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,Food Science,Biotechnology