title: The infection of questing Dermacentor reticulatus ticks with Babesia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
abstract: Tick occurrence was studied in the Chernobyl exclusion zone (CEZ) during the August-October 2009-2012. Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected using the flagging method and then screened for infection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia canis by a PCR method incorporating specific primers and sequence analysis. The prevalence of infection with B. canis canis and A. phagocytophilum was found to be 3.41% and 25.36%, respectively. The results present the first evidence of B. canis canis and A. phagocytophilum in questing D. reticulatus ticks from the Chernobyl exclusion zone. They also reveal the presence of tick-borne disease foci in areas with no human activity, and confirm that they can be maintained in areas after a nuclear disaster with radioactive contamination.
authors: W. Stefański Institute of Parasitology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: grzgrz@twarda.pan.pl.
authors: Grzegorz
authors: G
authors: Karbowiak
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
authors: Bronislavá
authors: B
authors: Vichová
authors: I.I.Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NASU, B. Khmelnytskogo 15, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine.
authors: Kateryna
authors: K
authors: Slivinska
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Werszko
authors: I.I.Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NASU, B. Khmelnytskogo 15, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Didyk
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
authors: Branislav
authors: B
authors: Peťko
authors: Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia.
authors: Michal
authors: M
authors: Stanko
authors: I.I.Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of NASU, B. Khmelnytskogo 15, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine.
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Akimov
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004285:Dogs; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes; D008297:Male; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014586:USSR / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Babesia canis; Chernobyl exclusion zone; Dermacentor reticulatus