title: Tick infestation in birds and prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from different places in Germany.
abstract: The importance of ticks and tick-borne pathogens for human and animal health has been increasing over the past decades. For their transportation and dissemination, birds may play a more important role than wingless hosts. In this study, tick infestation of birds in Germany was examined. Eight hundred ninety-two captured birds were infested with ticks and belonged to 48 different species, of which blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) were most strongly infested. Ground feeders were more strongly infested than non-ground feeders, sedentary birds more strongly than migratory birds, and short-distance migratory birds more strongly than long-distance migratory birds. Mean tick infestation per bird ranged between 2 (long-distance migratory bird) and 4.7 (sedentary bird), in some single cases up to 55 ticks per bird were found. With the exception of three nymphs of Haemaphysalis spp., all ticks belonged to Ixodes spp., the most frequently detected tick species was Ixodes ricinus. Birds were mostly infested by nymphs (65.1 %), followed by larvae (32.96 %). Additionally, ticks collected from birds were examined for several pathogens: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Sindbisvirus with real-time RT-PCR, Flaviviruses, Simbuviruses and Lyssaviruses with broad-range standard RT-PCR-assays, and Borrelia spp. with a Pan-Borrelia real-time PCR. Interestingly, no viral pathogens could be detected, but Borrelia spp. positive ticks were collected from 76 birds. Borrelia (B.) garinii, B. valaisiaina, B. burgdorferi s.s. and B. afzelii were determined. The screening of ticks and birds for viral pathogens with broad range PCR-assays was tested and the use as an "early warning system" is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Naumburger Str. 96a, D-07743, Jena, Germany. christine.klaus@fli.bund.de.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3473-7935
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klaus
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Epidemiology, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gethmann
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Novel and Emerging Diseases, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D001898:Borrelia / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D018884:Ixodes / Q000145:classification* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D009758:Nymph; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014780:Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: Bird migration; Birds; Borrelia spp.; Ixodes spp.; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Ticks