Migrating birds and tickborne encephalitis virus.
During spring and autumn 2001, we screened 13,260 migrating birds at Ottenby Bird Observatory, Sweden, and found 3.4% were infested with ticks. Four birds, each a different passerine species, carried tickborne encephalitis virus (TBEV)-infected ticks (Ixodes ricinus). Migrating birds may play a role in the geographic dispersal of TBEV-infected ticks.
Waldenström
Jonas
J
Section for Zoonotic Ecology and Epidemiology, Kalmar University, Kalmar, Sweden. jonas.waldenstrom@hik.se
Lundkvist
Ake
A
Falk
Kerstin I
KI
Garpmo
Ulf
U
Bergström
Sven
S
Lindegren
Gunnel
G
Sjöstedt
Anders
A
Mejlon
Hans
H
Fransson
Thord
T
Haemig
Paul D
PD
Olsen
Björn
B
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D001717:Birds; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000821:virology*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology