title: Synanthropic birds influence the distribution of Borrelia species: analysis of Ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on passerine birds.
abstract: Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from 835 birds and from vegetation in the Czech Republic were analyzed. Host-seeking ticks (n = 427) were infected predominantly by Borrelia afzelii (25%). Ticks (n = 1,012) from songbirds (Passeriformes) were infected commonly by Borrelia garinii (12.1%) and Borrelia valaisiana (13.4%). Juveniles of synanthropic birds, Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos), were major reservoir hosts of B. garinii.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackeho 1-3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic. dubska@mou.cz
authors.forename: Lenka
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dubska
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Literak
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kocianova
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taragelova
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sverakova
authors.forename: Oldrich
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sychra
authors.forename: Miloslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hromadko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D001898:Borrelia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018153:Czech Republic; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020308:Songbirds / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial