title: The first detection of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA in Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected from the lowland European bison (Bison bonasus bonasus L.).
abstract: Tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) is the causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), a potentially fatal neurological infection. The disease is endemic in a large region in Eurasia, where is transmitted mainly by hard ticks: Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus. It is known that also Dermacentor reticulatus is involved in a circulation of TBEV, but the knowledge of its importance in the TBE epidemiology is still insufficient. The Białowieża Primeval Forest is located in eastern Poland and it is a well-known endemic focus of tick-borne encephalitis. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected from European bison (Bison bonasus bonasus), an important host of hard ticks in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. In the years 2008-2009, a total of 114 adult D. reticulatus ticks were collected from 7 European bison and examined individually for the presence of TBEV RNA using nested RT-PCR assay. Positive results were noted in 18.42% of ticks. This is the first record of TBEV infection in ticks collected from European bison.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biernat
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karbowiak
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stańczak
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masny
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Werszko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016164:Bison / Q000469:parasitology*; D003870:Dermacentor / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology*; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D065928:Forests; D011044:Poland; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral