Coexistence of Pathogens in Host-Seeking and Feeding Ticks within a Single Natural Habitat in Central Germany

Abstract

The importance of established and emerging tick-borne pathogens in Central and Northern Europe is steadily increasing. In 2007, we collected Ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on birds (n ‫؍‬ 211) and rodents (n ‫؍‬ 273), as well as host-seeking stages (n ‫؍‬ 196), in a habitat in central Germany. In order to find out more about their natural transmission cycles, the ticks were tested for the presence of Lyme disease borreliae, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, Francisella tularensis, and babesiae. Altogether, 20.1% of the 680 ticks examined carried at least one pathogen. Bird-feeding ticks were more frequently infected with Borrelia spp. (15.2%) and A. phagocytophilum (3.2%) than rodent-feeding ticks (2.6%; 1.1%) or questing ticks (5.1%; 0%). Babesia spp. showed higher prevalence rates in ticks parasitizing birds (13.2%) and host-seeking ticks (10.7%), whereas ticks from small mammals were less frequently infected (6.6%). SFG rickettsiae and F. tularensis were also found in ticks collected off birds (2.1%; 1.2%), rodents (1.8%; 1.5%), and vegetation (4.1%; 1.6%). Various combinations of coinfections occurred in 10.9% of all positive ticks, indicating interaction of transmission cycles. Our results suggest that birds not only are important reservoirs for several pathogens but also act as vehicles for infected ticks and might therefore play a key role in the dispersal of tick-borne diseases.

Broad-Range Survey of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Southern Germany Reveals a High Prevalence ofBabesia microtiand a Diversity of Other Tick-Borne Pathogens

“…group. This is consistent with at least nine previous studies (Schaarschmidt et al 2001, Rauter et al 2002, Pichon et al 2006, Dietrich et al 2010, Franke et al 2010, Gern et al 2010, Hildebrandt et al 2010b, Franke et al 2011, Strube et al 2011) that analyzed the prevalence of Lyme disease spirochetes, SFG Rickettsiae, A. phagocytophilum, and the parasitic Babesia spp. in ticks collected in Germany or neighboring countries.…”

“…in ticks collected in Germany or neighboring countries. The lowest prevalence was reported from a region in Thuringia with 2.6% Borrelia-positive ticks, collected from mammals (Franke et al 2010), and the highest rate was 35.2% in the southwestern parts of Germany (Rauter et al 2002) (mean 20.1% -9.2% standard error [SE] with a range of 3.1-35.2% for all nine reports). A previous study, conducted with 7373 ticks also from the Lake of Constance area reported that 15% of ticks carried at least one genospecies of Lyme Borrelia, which is consistent with our findings (Schaarschmidt et al 2001).…”

Synanthropic Birds Associated with High Prevalence of Tick-Borne Rickettsiae and with the First Detection ofRickettsia aeschlimanniiin Hungary

“…Because bird-feeding ticks in the present study had a higher prevalence of both B. burgdorferi s.l. and A. phagocytophilum than ticks collected from rodents in the same region , these data are in line with reports on the higher epidemiological significance of birds as hosts of ticks and as reservoirs of these tick-borne pathogens in comparison with small mammals (Franke et al 2010).…”

Diversity of Babesia and Rickettsia Species in Questing Ixodes ricinus: A Longitudinal Study in Urban, Pasture, and Natural Habitats

“…This Babesia spp. prevalence is lower than in natural or renatured habitats in central Germany (Franke et al 2010, Hildebrandt et al 2010, Hildebrandt et al 2011, Silaghi et al 2012 or in a previously investigated forest area in Bavaria (Silaghi et al 2012). Comparing the tick abundance of the investigated study sites and habitats (Overzier et al 2013a, Schorn et al 2011a, there was no obvious correlation between tick density and Babesia spp.…”