title: Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in South Bohemia (Czech Republic)--Spatial variability in Ixodes ricinus abundance, Borrelia burgdorferi and tick-borne encephalitis virus prevalence.
abstract: Spatial distribution of Ixodes ricinus tick host-seeking activity, as well as prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) were studied in the TBE endemic area of South Bohemia (Czech Republic). High variability in tick abundance detected in a network of 30 study sites was most closely associated with characteristics of vegetation cover. Of 11,182 tested tick samples, 12% carried DNA of spirochete from B. burgdorferi s.l. complex. B. afzelii and B. garinii prevailed among spirochete species. The presence of B. spielmanii in the region was confirmed. The median number of borrelial genome copies in positive samples reached 6.6 × 10(3) by real-time PCR. The total prevalence of TBEV in pooled samples reached 0.32% (20,057 samples tested), at least one TBEV positive tick was present in 21 out of 30 sampling sites.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: honigva@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hönig
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geoinformatics, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, 17. listopadu 15, 708 03 Ostrava - Poruba, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svec
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geonics, AS CR, Drobneho 28, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vavruskova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tykalova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kilian
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vetiskova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dornakova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sterbova
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Simonova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erhart
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sterba
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Golovchenko
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rudenko
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, AS CR, Branisovska 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grubhoffer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D018884:Ixodes / Q000502:physiology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male
keywords: Environmental factors; GIS; Ixodes ricinus; Lyme borreliosis; Tick; Tick-borne encephalitis