title: The risk of exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Babesia sp. and co-infections in Ixodes ricinus ticks on the territory of Niepołomice forest (southern Poland).
abstract: Niepołomice Forest is located about 20 kilometers east of Cracow (Malopolska province, southern Poland). Its natural and touristic values, as well as wide range of hosts occurring within indicate this to be an area of high risk of exposure to Ixodes ricinus and tick-borne diseases it transfers. I. ricinus is a common species in Poland and Europe. Its seasonal activity begins in Poland in the early spring, and ends with late autumn. A total number of 129 specimens of I. ricinus was collected by flagging in Niepołomice Forest. DNA was isolated by ammonia method from 30 randomly-selected individuals. PCR was used to detect tick-borne pathogens with primers specific for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Babesia sp. Molecular studies confirmed the presence of all three pathogens in I. ricinus. A. phagocytophilum was found in 76.7%, Babesia sp., 60%, B. burgdorferi s. l., in 3.3% of studied ticks. A. phagocytophilum co-infection with Babesia sp., was found in 46.7% of the specimens. A co-infection of all three tested pathogens was recorded in one case (3.3%). In Poland the problem of tick-borne diseases is a growing issue, therefore people residing in southern Polish touristic areas should be informed about the prevention and protection against ticks.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Department of Parasitology, Jednoici 8, 41-218 Sosnowiec, Poland . masman@sum.edu.pl
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asman
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuber
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strzelczyk
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szilman
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szilman
authors.forename: Gizela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trapp
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Siuda
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Solarz
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wiczkowski
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D011044:Poland; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: C058222:2-amino-5-hydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid