Questing tick abundance in urban and peri-urban parks in the French city of Lyon

Abstract

Background In Europe, ticks are responsible for the transmission of several pathogens of medical importance, including bacteria of the Borrelia burgdorferi (s.l.) complex, the agents of Lyme borreliosis. In France, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region is considered a hot spot for human tick-borne pathogen infections, with an estimated annual rate of 156 cases of Lyme borreliosis per 100,000 inhabitants. Although several studies have assessed the abundance of ticks in rural areas, little consideration has been given thus far to urban green spaces in France. Methods This study aimed to estimate tick abundance in three parks, two urban (U1, U2) and one peri-urban (PU), in and around the city of Lyon (France). A forest in a rural area was used as a control (C). Tick sampling campaigns were performed in each site in April, May, June, July, and October 2019 using the dragging method. One hundred transects of 10 m2 each were randomly chosen in each park in places frequented by humans. The sampling sessions were carried out under semi-controlled abiotic conditions. Ticks were stored in 70% ethanol and identified to species and developmental stage under a light microscope using morphological keys. Results A total of seven ticks (nymphs and adults) were collected in the two urban parks (six in U1 and one in U2), while 499 ticks were sampled in the peri-urban park. Of the 506 ticks collected, 504 were identified as Ixodes ricinus, one as Dermacentor marginatus, and one as Ixodes frontalis. In the peri-urban park, ticks were mainly collected under the forest cover and at forest edges. Tick density under forest cover was 7.1 times higher in the control site than in the peri-urban park throughout the survey period. Conclusions This study confirmed the presence of ticks in all of the parks surveyed, although their occurrence in the urban parks was very rare compared to the peri-urban park and the control site. These results should serve as a basis for the implementation of preventive measures.

Integrating tick density and park visitor behaviors to assess the risk of tick exposure in urban parks on Staten Island, New York

“…The importance of green spaces for human well-being has been extensively studied, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reported benefits include stress reduction [ 21 ], mental fatigue relief [ 22 , 23 ], violence reduction [ 24 ], and increased sense of happiness [ 25 ]. However, there is increasing concern about growing health threats from tick-borne diseases in and around urban environments since green spaces, such as parks within urban centers, can provide suitable habitat for ticks infected with various tick-borne pathogens [ 26 , 27 ]. Nonetheless, the majority of tick-borne disease studies have been conducted in areas of low intensity residential developments and in natural areas.…”

Abundance of Ixodes ricinus Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and the Diversity of Borrelia Species in Northeastern Poland

“…However, the integration of data from studies based on similar methodologies allows for the analysis (models, meta-analysis) of spatial and temporal changes and trends in determining human tick-borne disease incidence, including LB [ 11 , 35 , 66 , 73 , 88 , 89 ]. Moreover, for a disease of growing public health importance, and which is likely to affect increasing numbers of people, local government and healthcare professionals need to understand the current burden in their region [ 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 ].…”

Estimation of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) Populations of Kaylaka Park in the Town of Pleven, Bulgaria

“…The increased risk of tick bites in urban parks and gardens has been studied in many European countries [ 3 , 8 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. In Bulgaria, the first studies of tick populations in an urban environment were conducted in Sofia [ 42 ].…”

“…A number of studies show that ticks now find favourable conditions in urban green areas, in addition to pastures, meadows and forests. Stable tick populations have been reported from different city parks in Europe and many pathogens responsible for causing disease in humans and domestic animals have been detected in ticks collected from those peri-urban areas [ 24 , 26 , 27 , 39 , 41 ]. Parks and gardens during the spring–summer season are visited and entertained by many citizens each year; it is, therefore, necessary to fully assess the risk of tick bites in order to prevent this major threat to public health.…”