Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> and <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> Ticks Collected from Recreational Areas in Northeastern Poland with Analysis of Environmental Factors

oleh: Anna Grochowska, Justyna Dunaj-Małyszko, Sławomir Pancewicz, Piotr Czupryna, Robert Milewski, Piotr Majewski, Anna Moniuszko-Malinowska

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-04-01

Deskripsi

Ticks, such as <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> and <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i>, act as vectors for multiple pathogens posing a threat to both human and animal health. As the process of urbanization is progressing, those arachnids are being more commonly encountered in urban surroundings. In total, 1112 <i>I. ricinus</i> (<i>n</i> = 842) and <i>D. reticulatus</i> (<i>n</i> = 270) ticks were collected from several sites, including recreational urban parks, located in Augustów and Białystok, Poland. Afterwards, the specimens were examined for the presence of <i>Borrelia</i> spp., <i>Babesia</i> spp., <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., <i>Bartonella</i> spp., and <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> using the PCR method. Overall obtained infection rate reached 22.4% (249/1112). In total, 26.7% (225/842) of <i>I. ricinus</i> was infected, namely with <i>Borrelia</i> spp. (25.2%; 212/842), <i>Babesia</i> spp. (2.0%; 17/842), and <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> (1.2%; 10/842). Among <i>D. reticulatus</i> ticks, 8.9% (24/270) were infected, specifically with <i>Babesia</i> spp. (7.0%; 19/270), <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> (1.1%; 3/270), and <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> s.l. (0.7%; 2/270). No specimen tested positively for <i>Rickettsia</i> spp., <i>Bartonella</i> spp., or <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>. Co-infections were detected in 14 specimens. Results obtained in this study confirm that <i>I. ricinus</i> and <i>D. reticulatus</i> ticks found within the study sites of northeastern Poland are infected with at least three pathogens. Evaluation of the prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from urban environments provides valuable information, especially in light of the growing number of tick-borne infections in humans and domesticated animals.