Sympatric occurrence of Ixodes ricinus with Dermacentor reticulatus and Haemaphysalis concinna and the associated tick-borne pathogens near the German Baltic coast.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ixodid ticks from the Northern Hemisphere have registered a northward expansion in recent years, and Dermacentor reticulatus is such an example in Europe, its expansion being considered a result of climate change alongside other factors. The aim of this study was to identify the composition of questing tick species and the associated pathogens at different sites near the German Baltic coast.

Methods

Questing ticks were collected monthly at four sites (May-November, 2020), mainly grasslands, and in October and November 2020 at a fifth site. Molecular screening of ticks for pathogens included RT-qPCR for the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), qPCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, PCR for Babesia species and Rickettsia species, and nested PCR for Borrelia species.

SUBMITTER: Raileanu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8862291 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature