Neglected tick-borne pathogens in the Czech Republic, 2011-2014.
In this study, we screened a total of 2473 questing (years 2011-2014) and 199 engorged (years 2013 and 2014) Ixodes ricinus ticks for the presence of Rickettsia spp., "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis", Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. Host-seeking ticks were collected at three study sites corresponding to natural woodland, urban park and pastureland ecosystem, and analyzed using molecular techniques. All pathogens tested were present at all study sites. The prevalence rates for Rickettsia spp., 'Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis', Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. ranged from 2.6% to 9.2%, 0.8% to 11.6%, 0% to 12.1%, and 0% to 5.2%, respectively. Engorged I. ricinus ticks collected from sheep on pastureland in the years 2013 and 2014 yielded prevalence rates 7.4% and 6.3%, respectively, for Rickettsia spp., 38.5% and 14.1% for 'Candidatus N. mikurensis', 18.5% and 12.5% for A. phagocytophilum, and 4.4% and 0.0% for Babesia spp. Monitoring of neglected tick-borne pathogens within the scope of epidemiological surveillance is an important tool for prevention and control of human tick-borne infections.
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
Kristýna
K
Venclíková
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
Jan
J
Mendel
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
Lenka
L
Betášová
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
Hana
H
Blažejová
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic.
Petra
P
Jedličková
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
Petra
P
Straková
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
Zdenek
Z
Hubálek
Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: rudolf@ivb.cz.
Ivo
I
Rudolf
D041081:Anaplasma phagocytophilum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018153:Czech Republic; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D012281:Rickettsia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013997:Time Factors
Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Babesia spp.; Ixodes ricinus; Rickettsia spp.; ‘Candidatus N. mikurensis’