Dermacentor reticulatus: a vector on the rise

Abstract

Dermacentor reticulatus is a hard tick species with extraordinary biological features. It has a high reproduction rate, a rapid developmental cycle, and is also able to overcome years of unfavourable conditions. Dermacentor reticulatus can survive under water for several months and is cold-hardy even compared to other tick species. It has a wide host range: over 60 different wild and domesticated hosts are known for the three active developmental stages. Its high adaptiveness gives an edge to this tick species as shown by new data on the emergence and establishment of D. reticulatus populations throughout Europe. The tick has been the research focus of a growing number of scientists, physicians and veterinarians. Within the Web of Science database, more than a fifth of the over 700 items published on this species between 1897 and 2015 appeared in the last three years (2013–2015). Here we attempt to synthesize current knowledge on the systematics, ecology, geographical distribution and recent spread of the species and to highlight the great spectrum of possible veterinary and public health threats it poses. Canine babesiosis caused by Babesia canis is a severe leading canine vector-borne disease in many endemic areas. Although less frequently than Ixodes ricinus, D. reticulatus adults bite humans and transmit several Rickettsia spp., Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus or Tick-borne encephalitis virus. We have not solely collected and reviewed the latest and fundamental scientific papers available in primary databases but also widened our scope to books, theses, conference papers and specialists colleagues’ experience where needed. Besides the dominant literature available in English, we also tried to access scientific literature in German, Russian and eastern European languages as well. We hope to inspire future research projects that are necessary to understand the basic life-cycle and ecology of this vector in order to understand and prevent disease threats. We conclude that although great strides have been made in our knowledge of the eco-epidemiology of this species, several gaps still need to be filled with basic research, targeting possible reservoir and vector roles and the key factors resulting in the observed geographical spread of D. reticulatus.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1599-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Prevalence of infections and co-infections with 6 pathogens in <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> ticks collected in eastern Poland

“…Nevertheless, D. reticulatus has been demonstrated to harbour various tick-borne pathogens of humans and/or animals, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus, Kemerovo virus, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Anaplasma marginale, Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae (SFGR), such as Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l. ), Francisella tularensis and Francisella-like endosymbionts, Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella spp., Babesia canis, Babesia caballi, Babesia microti, Babesia divergens, Babesia bigemina, and Theileria equi [7,8,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32].…”

“…The best documented is the important role of D. reticulatus as a vector of the babesiosis in dogs caused by Babesia canis [18,33,34]. It is also regarded as a vector of Rickettsia raoultii and Rickettsia slovaca causing tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) in humans.…”

“…Földvári et al [26] has demonstrated recently a direct relationship between the bite of a man by D. reticulatus and development of TIBOLA caused by Rickettsia raoultii. The role of this tick species in the transmission of some other pathogens in domestic animals and humans was also confirmed for Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Anaplasma marginale, and Omsk haemorrhagic fever virus [18]. The role of D. reticulatus as a vector of other pathogens is less known, but seems probable with relevance to TBEV, and less probable with relevance to Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii and Babesia microti [8,18,24,25,[29][30][31]35].…”

Locomotor activity of adult <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> ticks (Ixodida: Ixodidae) in natural conditions

“…In recent years, D. reticulatus ticks have been noted in new localities in Europe [1], including areas that are strongly affected by anthropogenic factors [2,3]. The extension of the distribution range and increased abundance of D. reticulatus, probably caused by changes in the climate [4], weather [5,6], and habitat conditions [7][8][9], increase the risk of host infestations by these ticks, and the incidence of tick-borne diseases.…”

An overview of tick-borne viral pathogens in the light of current literature

“…Dermacentor reticulatus'un yüksek üreme hızı, hayatta kalma ve değişken habitatlar içinde yayılma yeteneğiyle, misk sıçanları, tarla fareleri başta olmak üzere 60'ın üzerinde farklı vahşi ve evcil hayvanları konak olarak kullanmasıyla sıra dışı özellikleri olan kusursuz bir biyolojik vektör olduğu belirtilmektedir (46) .…”