Ticks and associated pathogens collected from dogs and cats in Belgium

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough Ixodes spp. are the most common ticks in North-Western Europe, recent reports indicated an expanding geographical distribution of Dermacentor reticulatus in Western Europe. Recently, the establishment of a D. reticulatus population in Belgium was described. D. reticulatus is an important vector of canine and equine babesiosis and can transmit several Rickettsia species, Coxiella burnetii and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), whilst Ixodes spp. are vectors of pathogens causing babesiosis, borreliosis, anaplasmosis, rickettsiosis and TBEV.MethodsA survey was conducted in 2008-2009 to investigate the presence of different tick species and associated pathogens on dogs and cats in Belgium. Ticks were collected from dogs and cats in 75 veterinary practices, selected by stratified randomization. All collected ticks were morphologically determined and analysed for the presence of Babesia spp., Borrelia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia DNA.ResultsIn total 2373 ticks were collected from 647 dogs and 506 cats. Ixodes ricinus (76.4%) and I. hexagonus (22.6%) were the predominant species. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (0.3%) and D. reticulatus (0.8%) were found in low numbers on dogs only. All dogs infested with R. sanguineus had a recent travel history, but D. reticulatus were collected from a dog without a history of travelling abroad. Of the collected Ixodes ticks, 19.5% were positive for A. phagocytophilum and 10.1% for Borrelia spp. (B. afzelii, B. garinii, B. burgdorferi s.s., B. lusitaniae, B. valaisiana and B. spielmanii). Rickettsia helvetica was found in 14.1% of Ixodes ticks. All Dermacentor ticks were negative for all the investigated pathogens, but one R. sanguineus tick was positive for Rickettsia massiliae.ConclusionD. reticulatus was confirmed to be present as an indigenous parasite in Belgium. B. lusitaniae and R. helvetica were detected in ticks in Belgium for the first time.

Infection withBabesia microtiin humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland

“…ranges from 0.78% in Switzerland to 51.78% in Austria (Switzerland ¼ 0.78-1.7%, Belarus ¼ 0.9%, Norway ¼ 0.9%, Belgium ¼ 1.3%, Estonia ¼ 1.4%, Germany ¼ 4.1%, Norway ¼ 5.1%, France ¼ 6.1%, Poland ¼ 6.5%). [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The severity of infection and its clinical picture depend on the Babesia spp. and the immune status of the host.…”

Scouts, forests, and ticks: Impact of landscapes on human-tick contacts

“…Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., for example, is a causative agent of Lyme borreliosis (LB) (Claerebout et al, 2013;Li et al, 2012) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a causative agent of Anaplasmosis (Cochez et al, 2011). The risk of human-tick contacts is influenced by two main factors: (i) the abundance of questing ticks, linked to the hazard, and (ii) human exposure to environments suitable for ticks.…”

The role of domestic dogs and cats in the zoonotic cycles of ticks and pathogens. Preliminary studies in the Wrocław Agglomeration (SW Poland)

“…Claerebout et al, 2013).Due to the diverse character of the Wrocław Agglomeration, GIS tools allowed us, throughout our research and in an objective way, to estimate the influence of anthropogenic pressure (habitat type: low-impact anthropogenic areas -LIAA, high-impact anthropogenic areas -HIAA) on the intensity of ticks feeding on cats and dogs. The Urban Atlas provided by the European Environmental Agency is useful in studies regarding the impact of anthropopressure conducted in diverse urban areas in Europe (cities with over 100,000 inhabitants).…”