The effect of changes in agricultural practices on the density of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks

Mierzejewska, Ewa; Alsarraf, Mohammed; Behnke, Jerzy M.; Bajer, Anna

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.05.023

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…1). In Warmia and Mazury, D. reticulatus were found in the Mazury Lake District and Piska Primeval Forest (the Mazury focus) which covers the Pisz, Giżycko, Węgorzewo and Mrągowo districts (Siuda 1993; Bogdaszewska 2004; Karbowiak 2014; Mierzejewska et al 2015a, b, c, 2016). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our observations have shown that in this area D. reticulatus is found both in natural biotopes and in habitats situated in a city, often close to housing complexes, and its density is comparable in both environments. Accordingly, Mierzejewska et al (2015a) reported that the average density of D. reticulatus was higher in sites located near the capital city of Warsaw compared with the semi-natural biotopes typical of the Mazury Lake District. The adaptation of this tick species to the environmental conditions of large cities is evidenced by data on the host-seeking adult specimens on vegetation and domestic animals (mainly dogs) in other cities in Poland, such as Warsaw (Zygner 2006; Zygner et al 2009), Wrocław (the west of Poland) (Kiewra and Czulowska 2013; Król et al 2016), Lublin and Lubartów (the east of Poland) (Biaduń 2011) and also Kyiv (Didyk et al 2017), Budapest (Földvári et al 2016) and Košice (Bullová et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) distribution in north-eastern Poland: an endemic area of tick-borne diseases

et al. 2018

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Dermacentor reticulatus is the second most important tick species in Poland. Although the north-eastern region of Poland is considered typical for D. reticulatus and is treated as a contiguous area of Eastern populations of the meadow ticks, the occurrence of this tick species in this region to date has been recorded as separate foci. The present report supplements data on the geographical distribution of D. reticulatus in urban and natural biotopes of north-eastern Poland (Warmia and Mazury province). In 2015–2017 (during the springtime activity of ticks) adult questing D. reticulatus were found in 13 of 25 monitored localities. Six sites are located in urbanized areas, within the administrative borders of the city of Olsztyn and seven sites are in natural biotopes in the central part of Warmia and Mazury. A total of 398 adult D. reticulatus ticks, including 257 females and 141 males, were collected. A comparison of data grouped according to urban and natural type of area revealed no statistical differences between them. Taking into account the habitat type, the mean tick density was the highest in open landscapes. The identification of new foci D. reticulatus in the endemic areas of Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis and canine babesiosis is crucial for determining the risk of diseases transmitted by ticks and taking proper preventive measures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) distribution in north-eastern Poland: an endemic area of tick-borne diseases

et al. 2018

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“…Our model showed the negative effect of ecotone between arable land and grasslands on the risk of seropositivity. Arable land is considered the most unfavorable agricultural habitat for ticks because of drastic changes in plant cover and soil management throughout a year (4, 37). But we know that the occurrence of ticks is influenced by the neighboring habitat (38): a contact between grassland and woodland is more favorable than a contact between grassland and arable lands.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual and environmental factors associated with the seroprevalence ofBorrelia burgdorferiin Belgian farmers and veterinarians

Keukeleire

Robert

Kabamba

et al. 2016

Infection Ecology & Epidemiology

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BackgroundLyme disease (LD) is a common tick-borne disease in Europe. Diverse factors at various scales determine the spatial distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi infection risk and a better understanding of those factors in a spatially explicit framework is needed for disease management and prevention. While the ecology of ticks and the landscape favoring their abundance have been extensively studied, the environmental conditions favoring an intense contact with susceptible humans, including groups at risk, are sparse. The aim of this study is to assess which individual and environmental factors can favor B. burgdorferi infection in a Belgian group professionally at risk.MethodsSerological results of 127 veterinarians and farmers enrolled in this study were analyzed, taking into account their municipality of residence. Using binary logistic regression and considering interaction terms, the joint effects of landscape composition and configuration, and forest and wildlife management were examined.ResultsSeven of the 127 workers were seropositive for LD, leading to a seroprevalence of 5.51%. Seropositivity was higher in older persons. The proportion of forest and semi-natural habitats and wetland had a positive impact on LD seroprevalence while arable land–grassland ecotones had a negative one. Our results confirmed the need to consider complex interactions between landscape variables in order to model risk.ConclusionsOur data show that LD has to be considered as a risk for farmers and veterinarians. Rather than focusing either on ecological aspects of tick and pathogen distribution or on purely epidemiological aspects such as individual risk factors, our model highlights the role of human–environment interactions in LD risk assessment.

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“…We have confirmed the expansion of the tick range and noticed the presence of a large area between the Vistula and Oder Rivers which remains free of this tick species (the gap). In another study we have demonstrated that fallow lands (abandoned crop fields and meadows) are the preferred habitats for D. reticulatus , with tick densities up to eight times higher than in cultivated pastures and meadows (Mierzejewska et al 2015c ). The tick prefers open habitats close to periodically flooded zones in valleys of rivers and streams (Siuda 1993 ; Zygner et al 2009 ; Široký et al 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Spread of Dermacentor reticulatus is associated with the loss of forest area

2017

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Changes in tick distribution and abundance are among the main drivers of the (re)emergence of transmitted pathogens. We aimed to uncover the reasons of the reported spread of Dermacentor reticulatus in Poland using a variety of proxies of environmental features, ground-measured temperature and remotely-sensed data of temperature and vegetation. Ground-measured temperature was recorded in 2013–2014, in sites where D. reticulatus presence (n = 16) or absence (n = 16) was confirmed. We specifically aimed to test whether changes in phenology of vegetation and the length of the growing season were correlated with field-derived data regarding the presence/absence of D. reticulatus. We also used categorical descriptions of the habitat to capture the vegetation patterns that might delineate the distribution of the tick. We demonstrated that temperature, phenology of vegetation and length of growing season have no correlation with the occurrence of D. reticulatus in Poland. There is, however, a clear association between the trends of the loss of forests and the presence of the tick. This parameter was two times higher at sites colonized by D. reticulatus in comparison to the sites where the population of the tick is not yet established. A spatial analysis demonstrated that the preferred territories for D. reticulatus are those of a highly fragmented landscape within a large patch of homogeneous vegetation, in the vicinity of permanent water courses or reservoirs.

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The effect of changes in agricultural practices on the density of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks

Cited by 22 publications

References 26 publications

Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) distribution in north-eastern Poland: an endemic area of tick-borne diseases

Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) distribution in north-eastern Poland: an endemic area of tick-borne diseases

Individual and environmental factors associated with the seroprevalence ofBorrelia burgdorferiin Belgian farmers and veterinarians

Spread of Dermacentor reticulatus is associated with the loss of forest area

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