title: Tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected from breeding and migratory birds in Switzerland.
abstract: From 2007 to 2010, 4558 migrating and breeding birds of 71 species were caught and examined for ticks in Switzerland. A total of 1205 specimens were collected; all were Ixodes ricinus ticks except one Ixodes frontalis female, which was found on a common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) for the first time in Switzerland. Each tick was analysed individually for the presence of Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Altogether, 11.4% of birds (22 species) were infested by ticks and 39.8% of them (15 species) were carrying infected ticks. Bird species belonging to the genus Turdus were the most frequently infested with ticks and they were also carrying the most frequently infected ticks. Each tick-borne pathogen for which we tested was identified within the sample of bird-feeding ticks: Borrelia spp. (19.5%) and Rickettsia helvetica (10.5%) were predominantly detected whereas A. phagocytophilum (2%), Rickettsia monacensis (0.4%) and TBEV (0.2%) were only sporadically detected. Among Borrelia infections, B. garinii and B. valaisiana were largely predominant followed by B. afzelii, B. bavariensis, B. miyamotoi and B. burgdorferi ss. Interestingly, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis was identified in a few ticks (3.3%), mainly from chaffinches. Our study emphasizes the role of birds in the natural cycle of tick-borne pathogens that are of human medical and veterinary relevance in Europe. According to infection detected in larvae feeding on birds we implicate the common blackbird (Turdus merula) and the tree pipit (Anthus trivialis) as reservoir hosts for Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp. and A. phagocytophilum.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasites, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lommano
authors.affiliation: Rue Louis Ruchonnet 14, 1337 Vallorbe, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dvořák
authors.affiliation: Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology, Natural History Museum of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Jaman's Group of Faunal Studies, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vallotton
authors.affiliation: Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jenni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, Laboratory of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasites, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Electronic address: lise.gern@unine.ch.
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gern
mesh_terms: D000710:Anaplasmataceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D001898:Borrelia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001947:Breeding; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D046109:Passeriformes; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Birds; Ixodes ricinus ticks; Switzerland; Tick-borne bacteria; Tick-borne encephalitis virus