<i>Ixodes ricinus</i> tick presence is associated with abiotic but not biotic factors.

ABSTRACT: Species composition and densities of wild ungulate communities in Europe have changed over the last decades. As ungulates play an important role in the life-cycle of the tick species Ixodes ricinus, these changes could affect both the life-cycle of I. ricinus and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Due to morphological and behavioural differences among the ungulate species, these species might have different effects on the densities of questing I. ricinus, either directly through a bloodmeal or indirectly via the impact of ungulates on rodent numbers via the vegetation. In this study, we aimed to investigate these direct and indirect effects of five different ungulat

SUBMITTER: Fabri ND 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11367641 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature