title: Occurrence of ticks and prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in three types of urban biotopes: forests, parks and cemeteries.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to compare different urban biotopes for the occurrence of ixodid tick species, for the population density of Ixodes ricinus and for the prevalence rates of two emerging, zoonotic pathogens. Altogether 2455 ticks were collected from the vegetation on 30 places (forests, parks, cemeteries) of Budapest, Hungary. I. ricinus and Haemaphysalis concinna were collected in all three biotope types, but Dermacentor reticulatus only in parks and forests, and D. marginatus only in a forest. Highest population density of I. ricinus was observed in neglected parts of cemeteries. In females of this tick species the prevalence rates of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. were significantly lower in cemeteries, than in parks or forests. In conclusion, risks associated with the presence of ticks and tick-borne pathogens may be high in a city, but this depends on biotope types, due to habitat-related differences in the vegetation, as well as in the availability of tick hosts and pathogen reservoirs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: Hornok.Sandor@aotk.szie.hu.
authors.forename: Sándor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hornok
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marina L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Meli
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Enikő
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gönczi
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Edina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halász
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Nóra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takács
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Róbert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory and Center for Clinical Studies, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Lehmann
mesh_terms: D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors / Q000382:microbiology*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D055699:Cemeteries; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000382:microbiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D065928:Forests; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Anaplasma; Borrelia; City; Dermacentor; Haemaphysalis; Ixodes; Zoonosis