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

Katarzyna Kubiak, Hanna Szymańska, Małgorzata Dmitryjuk and Ewa Dzika
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Katarzyna Kubiak: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Zolnierska 14c, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland
Hanna Szymańska: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Zolnierska 14c, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland
Małgorzata Dmitryjuk: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Ewa Dzika: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Zolnierska 14c, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: Monitoring the abundance of ticks and the prevalence of pathogens in ticks is an important activity in assessing the risk of tick-borne diseases and helps to develop preventive measures. This study aimed to estimate the density of Ixodes ricinus , the prevalence of Borrelia species, and their diversity in northeastern Poland. The overall mean I. ricinus density was 9.7 ticks/100 m 2 . There were no differences between years, subregions, or habitats of study. The Borrelia infection rate was higher in females (22.6%) and males (14.3%) than in nymphs 5.5% (MIR). The most infected ticks came from the eastern subregion (10.1%) where the incidence of borreliosis among the inhabitants was over 20% higher than in the other subregions. In the infected ticks, B. afzelii (38.3%) and B. garinii (34.5%) were predominant. B. bavariensis was confirmed in I. ricinus in Poland for the first time. The most polymorphic was B. garinii . B. miyamotoi (belonged to the European type) was identified as a mono-infection in 0.9% of ticks and in 1.5% as a co-infection with B. afzelii and with B. garinii . Besides the risk of borreliosis and co-infections with different Borrelia species, physicians should also be aware of B. miyamotoi infections among patients.

Keywords: questing ticks; density; Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex; Borrelia species co-infections (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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