Tick Activity, Host Range, and Tick-Borne Pathogen Prevalence in Mountain Habitats of the Western Carpathians, Poland.

ABSTRACT: In mountainous regions, diverse ecosystems provide a habitat for numerous species of organisms. In this study, we focused on ixodid ticks and their presence in the Western Carpathians, Poland. Our objectives were to investigate the impact of environmental factors on tick occurrence and activity, the prevalence of vectored pathogens, and tick hosts, and their role as reservoir organisms for tick-borne pathogens (TBPs). To this end, we collected ticks from the vegetation and from animals (Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, Capreolus capreolus, Microtus spp., Myodes glareolus, Ovis aries). In addition, we collected blood samples from rodents. The collected material underwent molecular analysis, utilizing the high-throughput microfluidic real-time PCR

SUBMITTER: Zajac Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10534405 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature