title: The potential role of migratory birds in transmission cycles of Babesia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp.
abstract: Babesia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp. are potentially emerging tick-borne pathogens, whereas many issues about their ecology, e.g. reservoir host specificity, are still unclear. In spring 2007, we collected 191 feeding Ixodes ricinus ticks from 99 birds of 11 different species on a German bird conservation island in the Baltic Sea. Babesia spp. were detected in 4.7% (9/191), A. phagocytophilum was present in 2.6% (5/191), and Rickettsia spp. were identified in 7.3% (14/191) of the investigated ticks. Further characterization of Babesia spp. infections resulted in B. divergens and B. microti. Among the Rickettsia spp. infections, we identified at least 2 different species: R. monacensis and R. helvetica. Furthermore, 2 ticks harboured mixed infections. Our study provides first interesting insights into the role of migratory birds in the distribution of several emerging tick-borne pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, Medical University Laboratories, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Thuringia, Germany. anke.hildebrandt@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Svea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachse
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Straube
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*