Ticks collected from migratory birds, including a new record of Haemaphysalis formosensis, on Jeju Island, Korea

Abstract

Migratory birds may disperse parasites across ecological barriers, and recent climate change may alter the pattern of ectoparasite dispersal via changed patterns of bird migration. In order to document the parasitization of migratory birds by Ixodidae ticks on Jeju Island in Korea, we examined 934 migratory birds comprising 75 species for ticks from 2010 to 2012. In total, 313 ticks were collected from 74 migratory birds across 17 avian species and identified based on morphological keys. These ticks represented six species: Haemaphysalis flava, H. formosensis, H. longicornis, H. concinna, Ixodes turdus and I. nipponensis. Of particular note was the presence of H. formosensis, a species not previously reported to have been found in Korea, and H. concinna, which had not been previously reported on Jeju Island. The dominant tick species found were H. flava (226 ticks, 72.2 %) and I. turdus (54 ticks, 17.3 %), and ground-dwelling thrushes such as Pale thrushes (Turdus pallidus; 39 birds, 52.7 %) were the most important hosts. Although H. longicornis is the most abundant and prevalent terrestrial tick on Jeju Island, the species accounted for only 3.8 % of the total ticks collected in this study, suggesting that ticks on migratory birds may differ from the local tick fauna and that exotic ticks may be introduced via migratory birds. Therefore, long-term programs for tick and tick-borne disease surveillance are recommended to understand the role of migratory animals in the introduction of exotic species and associated pathogens and in life cycles of ticks at different stages in this region.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus in South Korea and Migratory Bird Routes Between China, South Korea, and Japan

“…In addition, TBEV was detected in the H. longicornis before SFTSV was first reported in Korea 2013. 6,14,15 Therefore, we infer that SFTSV can also exist in H. longicornis collected from migratory birds based on these previous works. 14,15 Jeju Island lies at the center of the East Asia/Australasia Flyway in east Asia and is home to one of the largest populations of migratory birds on the Korean Peninsula (Figures 1 and 3A, B).…”

“…In addition, the tick distribution matches the bird migration flyways between China, South Korea, and Japan. 1,4,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] This also coincides with the occurrence of SFTS, suggesting that migratory birds may play a role in the dissemination of SFTSV bearing H. longicornis.…”

“…Previous work has found the ixodid tick H. longicornis, a vector of SFTSV, were found on four wild fowl: Zoothera aurea, Turdus hortulorum, Halcyon coromanda, and Pitta nympha. 15 These migratory birds are known to breed and migrate between China, South Korea, and Japan (Figures 1 and 3). 8,10,12,14,15 Another previous study detected tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in the H. longicornis collected from various habitats on Jeju Island (including wetland habitats for migratory birds) before SFTSV was first reported in Korea in 2013.…”

“…There is strong evidence that SFTSV is transmitted, at least in part, by the H. longicornis tick and moved over long distances through migratory birds, and we support this hypothesis through a meta-analysis of the literature. 8,10,12,14,15 H. longicornis is a vector of SFTSV, and regular hosts of H. longicornis include mammals such as goats, cattle, sheep, yak, donkeys, pigs, deer, cats, rats, mice, hedgehogs, weasels, brushtail possums, chickens, and humans, along with some birds. This tick is widely distributed in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, Korea, Japan, Australia, the Pacific Islands, and New Zealand.…”

“…10,12 Previous work has found H. longicornis ticks on the Z. aurea, T. hortulorum, Halcyon coromanda, and P. nympha bird species in South Korea. 15 On Jeju Island, Choi and others collected and examined migratory birds for ticks and showed that the larva of H. longicornis were found on Z. aurea, T. hortulorum, Halcyon coromanda, and P. nympha.…”