Borrelia lusitaniae and green lizards (Lacerta viridis), Karst Region, Slovakia

In Europe, spirochetes within the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex are transmitted by Ixodes ricinus ticks. Specific associations are described between reservoir hosts and individual genospecies. We focused on green lizard (Lacerta viridis) as a host for ticks and potential host for borreliae. In 2004 and 2005, a total of 146 green lizards infested by ticks were captured, and 469 I. ricinus ticks were removed. Borrelial infection was detected in 16.6% of ticks from lizards. Of 102 skin biopsy specimens collected from lizards, 18.6% tested positive. The most frequently detected genospecies was B. lusitaniae (77.9%-94.7%). More than 19% of questing I. ricinus collected in areas where lizards were sampled tested positive for borreliae. B. garinii was the dominant species, and B. lusitaniae represented 11.1%. The presence of B. lusitaniae in skin biopsy specimens and in ticks that had fed on green lizards implicates this species in the transmission cycle of B. lusitaniae.     

Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto DNA in Field-Collected Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks,Pennsylvania, United States

We collected questing Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks from southeastern counties of Pennsylvania, USA. Of 263 ticks tested by PCR for pathogens, 1 adult female was positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, yielding a 0.4% infection rate. Continued monitoring of this invasive tick is essential to determine its public health role.     

海南省琼中地区家畜体表寄生蜱的调查分析

目的了解家畜体表寄生蜱物种多样性及群落结构特点，并分析其与疾病的关系。方法采用逆毛式检蜱法，定义家畜体表寄生蜱为一个群落，运用生态学中相对优势度（组成比率）、优势指数、多样性指数和均匀度等方法进行测定。结果从放养的5群东山羊（20头）、4群黄牛（10头）和水牛（5头）中共检获蜱2614只，分属4个种属（血红扇头蜱、微小牛蜱、粒形硬蜱和钝刺血蜱），前两者为优势种；其中东山羊的优势度指数、多样性指数和均匀度等均高于黄牛和水牛。结论海南琼中地区家畜体表寄生蜱有4种，优势种为血红扇头蜱和微小牛蜱；其中东山羊的群落结构最丰富。应警惕斑点热群立克次体自然疫源性疾病的流行。     

Knowledge,attitudes, and practices regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases,Finland

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and Lyme borreliosis (LB) are endemic in Finland, with tens and thousands of cases, respectively, reported annually. We performed a field survey to investigate people’s knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks, tick-borne diseases, and prevention strategies.The KAP were assessed using a pre-validated anonymous questionnaire consisting of 39 questions and statements. On two consecutive days in July 2016, convenience sampling was used in the cities of Parainen and Kotka, located in high-risk areas of tick-borne diseases, particularly of TBE. In attitudes and practices sections, each question was scored and analysed with ordered logistic regression model.In total, 101 individuals responded. The TBE vaccination rate among respondents was 40%. The best known preventive measures were having vaccination against TBE (88%), and wearing long sleeves and pants against ticks (81%). Two-thirds incorrectly identified the ring-like rash as a symptom of TBE. Of all respondents, 78% could not exclude that TBE can be treated with antibiotics; 55% that vaccine protects against LB; and 46% that it protects against ticks. The minority (14%) believed tick repellents to be effective. Among preventive behaviour, the quick removal of an attached tick was most frequently applied (97%). Repellents were used by 21% when visiting tick-infested areas. Significant associations were found between the vaccination status and having a correct belief that the vaccine protects against TBE (P < 0.001) but not against ticks (P < 0.05), or LB (P < 0.001).KAP is a quick and easy tool to get a rough estimation on people’s awareness regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases. We identified gaps in knowledge and misbeliefs. Our results can be used in public health communication tools on tick-borne diseases, especially those on intervention strategies.     

Molecular detection of Rickettsia amblyommatis and Rickettsia parkeri in ticks collected from wild pigs in Campeche,Mexico

Tick-borne rickettsioses are caused at least by 15 species of Rickettsia of the Spotted fever group, which represent a major emerging and re-emerging public health problem worldwide. Some of these microorganisms have complex cycles involving the interaction of multiple species of ticks and wild and domestic mammals. Rickettsia infection was investigated in ticks collected from wild pigs at six localities in southeastern Mexico. We collected and tested 196 ticks belonging to four species, including Amblyomma maculatum, Amblyomma mixtum, Amblyomma ovale and Riphicephalus microplus, from 13 of 20 (65%) wild pigs sampled. Overall, Rickettsia DNA was detected in 13.8% of ticks tested (10 ♂ and 17 ♀). Of the 27 Rickettsia-positive ticks, six were A. maculatum, and 21 A. mixtum. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the gltA and ompB genes revealed the presence of Rickettsia parkeri sensu stricto in one female A. maculatum and Rickettsia amblyommatis in five A. maculatum (2 ♂, 3 ♀) and 21 A. mixtum ticks (8 ♂, 13 ♀). The finding of two rickettsial agents in ticks collected from a wild pig population that is regularly captured and kept in captivity or hunted as a source of food raises concern about potential disease transmission to humans and domestic animals. However, more investigations are needed to further understand the ecology of Rickettsia species in free-ranging animals and their implications for human health.     

吉林省莱姆病疫源地地理分布

目的了解吉林省莱姆病的疫源地情况。方法按《莱姆病流行病学个案调查表》的内容对吉林省9个地区进行了人群、动物感染率，媒介蜱带菌率，蜱活动规律、消长时间、生存条件等调查；对吉林省莱姆病自然疫源地的分布、地理景观进行分析，对山区、半山区、平原调查的数据进行统计学处理。结果吉林省9个地区35个市县、55个乡镇的3561人群蜱叮咬率为91．00％，2292人群感染率为6．20％；马、牛、羊、狗、野鼠5种动物2499份调查，感染率为22．13％；抓捕的3570媒介蜱带菌率为35．80％。结论吉林省9个地区及旅游景点存在莱姆病疫源地，莱姆病并非属林业型疾病。     

Ehrlichia infection in Italy.

Immunoglobulin M seroconversion to Ehrlichia chaffeensis was documented in U.S. citizens bitten by ticks in Sardinia. Seven cases of suspected ehrlichiosis in local residents were not confirmed by laboratory tests. In Alpine areas antibodies to E. phagocytophila were detected in persons at high risk, i.e., foresters (8.6%) and hunters (5.5%), and in controls (1.5%). Of 153 persons bitten by ticks, only one was Ehrlichia antibody-positive after 6 months.     

Wild Birds and Urban Ecology of Ticks and Tick-borne Pathogens, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2005�C2010

Bird-facilitated introduction of ticks and associated pathogens is postulated to promote invasion of tick-borne zoonotic diseases into urban areas. Results of a longitudinal study conducted in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA, during 2005–2010 show that 1.6% of 6,180 wild birds captured in mist nets harbored ticks. Tick species in order of abundance were Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes dentatus, and I. scapularis, but 2 neotropical tick species of the genus Amblyomma were sampled during the spring migration. I. scapularis ticks were absent at the beginning of the study but constituted the majority of ticks by study end and were found predominantly on birds captured in areas designated as urban green spaces. Of 120 ticks, 5 were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, spanning 3 ribotypes, but none were infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Results allow inferences about propagule pressure for introduction of tick-borne diseases and emphasize the large sample sizes required to estimate this pressure.     

Prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate,Germany

Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are the most common tick-borne diseases in Germany. We collected Ixodes ricinus ticks from 16 high-risk and four low-risk sites distributed in Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate based on the number of human TBE cases recorded at the Robert Koch Institute from 2001 to 2009. A total of 8805 questing ticks (8203 nymphs, 602 adults) were collected in 2010 and examined in pools for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) using real-time RT–PCR. Overall TBEV prevalence evaluated as the minimum infection rate (MIR) was 0.26 % (23 positive pools/8805 ticks in 1029 pools). TBEV was detected at seven of the 16 high-risk sites, where MIR ranged from 0.16 to 2.86 %. A total of 3969 ticks were examined by PCR for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) targeting the 5 S–23 S rRNA intergenic spacer (IGS) region. IGS nucleotide sequences were used to determine genospecies. Selected positive Borrelia samples were subjected to PCR and sequencing targeting the OspA gene, providing 46 sequences for molecular phylogenetic analysis. Of the 3969 questing ticks, 506 (12.7 %) were positive for B. burgdorferi s.l. Seven B. burgdorferi s.l. genospecies were identified: B. afzelii (41.3 %), B. garinii (19 %), B. valaisiana (13.8 %), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (11.1 %), B. spielmanii (0.4 %), B. lusitaniae (0.2 %), and Candidatus B. finlandensis (0.6 %). Mixed infections were identified in 13.6 % of the ticks. The rate of infection in questing ticks varied among sites from 5.6 % (72 examined, four positive) to 29.5 % (88 examined, 26 positive). B. burgdorferi s.l. occurred at all 20 sites, whereas TBEV was detected only at the high-risk sites where more human TBE cases were reported compared to low-risk sites.     

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, and Borrelia burgdorferi in Ixodes scapularis, southern coastal Maine

Ixodes scapularis (deer ticks) from Maine were tested for multiple infections by polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. In 1995, 29.5%, 9.5%, and 1.9% of deer ticks were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia microti, respectively. In 1996 and 1997, the number of A. phagocytophilum-infected ticks markedly declined. In 1995 through 1996, 4 (1.3%) of 301 were co-infected.     

Rickettsia and Anaplasma species in Dermacentor andersoni ticks from Washington

Dermacentor andersoni, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, occurs predominantly in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. There are relatively few contemporary data to evaluate the occurrence of Rickettsia and Anaplasma species in D. andersoni in western North America, and even less information about these associations in the state of Washington, where this tick species is widely distributed and often bites humans. We used PCR assays to detect DNA of Rickettsia and Anaplasmataceae bacteria in 203 adult D. andersoni ticks collected from 17 sites in 9 counties of Washington between May 2012 and May 2015. Of these, 56 (27.6 %) were infected with a Rickettsia species and 3 (5.4 %) with a member of the Anaplasmataceae family. Rickettsia peacockii, R. bellii and R. rhipicephali were found in 17.7 %, 4.9 %, and 4.4 % of the Rickettsia positive ticks, respectively. Coinfections of R. bellii with R. peacockii or R. rhipicephali were identified in 6 ticks. Of the Anaplasmataceae-positive ticks, one was identified as being infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum AP-Variant 1. No ticks were infected with a recognized human or animal pathogen, including R. rickettsii, A. phagocytophilum-ha, A. bovis, or A. marginale.     

塔里木盆地蜱类群落组成和分布

目的 掌握塔里木盆地蜱类群落的组成和分布规律。方法 按照地理区划和生境类型选择调查点进行蜱类种类和数量调查，采用群落生态学技术方法，计算不同生态环境条件下的蜱类群落组成。结果 在塔里木盆地共采获蜱类5属9种，以亚东璃眼蜱（Hyalomma asiaticum kozlovi）和亚洲璃眼蜱指名亚种（Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum）为优势种类，分别占35．8％和33．6％。但在不同地区和生态环境的蜱类群落组成有所不同。叶尔羌河流域及北部塔里木河中上游地区蜱类种类丰富，共采获5属8种，占捕获总种数的88．9％。游离蜱指数较塔里木东部和南部低，分别为30．47、84．30和85．31，寄生蜱指数高，分别为15．19、10．10和10.85。璃眼蜱属蜱类以亚东璃眼蜱为主，占92．0％，亚洲璃眼蜱占有很少比例，为5．8％，寄生蜱以图兰扇头蜱（Rhipicephalus turanicus）为主，但较塔里木东部和南部低，分别为55．8％、65．8％和74．7％，血红扇头蜱（Rhipicephalus sanguineus）仅占很小的比例，占0．2％；塔里木盆地东部和南部蜱类群落组成基本一致，均为2属5种，较西北部少。游离蜱指数明显较西北部高，寄生蜱指数低。游离蜱中亚洲璃眼蜱指名亚种在南部地区占主要地位，为72．6％，而在东部地区以亚东璃眼蜱为主，为66．9％，存在25％左右的交叉，寄生蜱中以图兰扇头蜱为主，并较西北部的比例偏高，血红扇头蜱的比例达10％左右，与银盾革蜱（Dermacentor niveus）基本一致，较西北部高出20倍左右。结论 塔里木盆地蜱类动物地理区划在宏观上是基本一致的，但在不同地理景观和生态环境中蜱类的群落结构却存在极大的差异。     

Arbovirus isolations from ixodid ticks infesting livestock,Kano Plain,Kenya

In a study conducted on the Kano Plain, Kenya, virus isolation attempts were made on ixodid ticks collected, over a 14-month period, from livestock held in family enclosures (bornas) before releasing the animals for daily foraging. 8735 Amblyomma variegatum (Fabricius) were tested, 98·6% of which were taken from cattle, yielding 36 strains of Dugbe (DUG), four strains of Nairobi sheep disease (NSD), three strains of Bhanja (BHA), one strain of Thogoto (THO) and five strains of virus which could not be characterized. 6549 Rhipicephalus spp. ticks were collected (60·3% from cattle). NSD, DUG and BHA viruses were each isolated twice from ticks taken from cattle. One BHA virus strain was recovered from ticks from a sheep. One strain recovered from ticks on cattle could not be characterized.     

Risk of Lyme disease: perceptions of residents of a Lone Star tick-infested community.

BACKGROUND: Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) have been suggested as a vector of the agent of Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato) in the USA, based on associations with an infection manifesting mainly as erythema migrans. In laboratory experiments, however, they failed to transmit B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. METHODS: In this study, carried out from 1994 to 1996, we determined the seroprevalences of B. burgdorferi (1.2%), Ehrlichia chaffeensis (7%), E. phagocytophila (0%), Rickettsia rickettsii (0%), R. typhi (0%), Coxiella burneti (0%), Francisella tularensis (0%), and Babesia microti (0%) by standard serological methods for 325 residents (97% of the total population) of Gibson Island, coastal Maryland, USA, where 15% of the residents reported having had Lyme disease within a recent 5-year span. FINDINGS: Of the 167 seronegative individuals who were followed up prospectively for 235 person-years of observation, only 2 (0.85%) seroconverted for B. burgdorferi. Of 1556 ticks submitted from residents, 95% were identified as Lone Star ticks; only 3% were deer ticks (Ixodes dammini), the main American vector of Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi s.s. infected 20% of host-seeking immature deer ticks, and borreliae ("B. lonestari") were detected in 1-2% of Lone Star ticks. Erythema migrans was noted in 65% of self-reports of Lyme disease, but many such reports indicated that the rash was present while the tick was still attached, suggesting a reaction to the bite itself rather than true Lyme disease. Sera from individuals reporting Lyme disease generally failed to react to B. burgdorferi or any other pathogen antigens. CONCLUSION: The residents of Gibson Island had an exaggerated perception of the risk of Lyme disease because they were intensely infested with an aggressively human-biting and irritating nonvector tick. In addition, a Lyme disease mimic of undescribed etiology (named Masters' disease) seems to be associated with Lone Star ticks, and may confound Lyme disease surveillance. The epidemiological and entomological approach used in this study might fruitfully be applied wherever newly emergent tickborne zoonoses have been discovered.     

Ticks (Ixodidae) on birds migrating from Europe and Asia to Africa 1959-61

The need for imaginative thinking and research in the epidemiology of diseases transmitted by arthropods is made manifest by new views of the longevity and host ranges of arthropod-borne viruses, as well as by other biological and medical phenomena. Among these is the intercontinental transport of ticks by migrating birds. During the fall migration periods of 1959, 1960 and 1961, 32 086 birds (comprising 72 forms) were examined for ticks in Egypt while en route from Asia and eastern Europe to tropical Africa. Of these, 40 forms, represented by 31 434 birds, were tick-infested. The bird hosts, numbering 1040 (3.31% of the tick-infested bird forms examined), bore 1761 ticks, or 1.69 ticks per host. Common ticks taken were Hyalomma m. marginatum, Haemaphysalis punctata, and Ixodes ricinus. Ixodes frontalis and Hyalomma aegyptium were less common and Haemaphysalis sulcata, H. otophila, and H. pavlovskyi were rare. The common tick species are known to be reservoirs and vectors of pathogens causing a number of human and animal diseases in Europe and Asia. Several of the bird hosts have also been incriminated as reservoirs in their summer ranges. Over 20 strains of pathogenic viruses were isolated from these birds and their ticks in Egypt in the 1961 fall migration period.     

内蒙古地区2015—2019年不同寄生蜱的种群分布及病原体多样性分析

目的 了解内蒙古地区2015—2019年不同寄生宿主蜱的蜱种分布、病原体感染及复合感染状况。方法 在每年蜱活跃高峰期采集蜱标本,经体视显微镜和特异性18S rRNA基因分型法进行蜱种鉴定。提取蜱基因组DNA,并对斑点热立克次体gltA和rOmpA基因、无形体msp2基因、埃立克体omp1基因、莱姆病螺旋体flaB基因和新型回归热螺旋体glpQ基因等病原体进行PCR检测。结果 本次共采集蜱虫6 465只,隶属于1科5属8种。游离蜱多为全沟硬蜱（79.0%）;羊和牛寄生蜱多为草原革蜱（68.2%,52.0%）;马和骆驼寄生蜱均为亚洲璃眼蜱;犬寄生蜱均为图兰扇头蜱。立克次体gltA阳性率为39.4%,其中羊、骆驼、马、牛等家畜寄生蜱阳性率均超过平均值;其他4种病原体多为游离蜱携带,其阳性率分别为12.3%、10.1%、11.0%、17.0%。内蒙古地区蜱媒疾病复合感染率为12.6%,其中,游离蜱复合感染率高于寄生蜱。结论 家畜感染立克次体较严重。游离蜱的复合感染情况较严重,因此要重点加强东部大兴安岭一带蜱媒传染病的监测工作。     

Woodchip borders at the forest ecotone as an environmental control measure to reduce questing tick density along recreational trails in Ottawa,Canada

Recent studies have highlighted the occurrence and distribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) around the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the need for strategies to mitigate the risk of human exposure and infection. We conducted a field study from July to October 2018 to examine the effectiveness of ecotonal woodchip borders as an environmental control method to suppress the density of host-seeking ticks along recreational trails in Ottawa. We used an experimental design with ten 100-m trail replicates randomized to intervention or control groups, and monitored questing tick density at weekly intervals in mid-summer and early fall. We compared questing tick density between woodchip-treated and untreated trails using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model. Of the 138 I. scapularis ticks collected, there were 86 adult and nymphal ticks, 37 (43 %) of which were positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. A total of 58 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris were also collected. Mean combined adult and nymphal I. scapularis density was 1.15 (1.40 standard deviation; SD) per 100 m in the control group compared to 0.28 (0.56 SD) per 100 m in the intervention group, reflecting a 75 % reduction in questing tick density on trail replicates treated with woodchip borders (p < 0.001). An effect of the intervention was observed in both sampling periods. This study indicates that woodchip borders may be an effective strategy to suppress questing tick density along trail margins where recreational trail users are more active, thereby reducing the likelihood of tick encounters.     

Seasonal and habitat variation in the prevalence of Rickettsia helvetica in Ixodes ricinus ticks from Denmark

A total of 704 unfed ticks of the species Ixodes ricinus collected in Denmark were screened for Rickettsia DNA by a genus-specific real-time PCR. Of the nymphs, 4.7% (31/662) were positive for rickettsial DNA. Among the positive ticks, we observed a seasonal and habitat variation. The infection rate was highest in May as compared to July, August, and October. Ecotone (high tick density) showed an elevated prevalence as compared to spruce or beech forests. Sequencing revealed only DNA from R. helvetica.