In the last few decades climate change, differences in land-use, and the overlap of wild and domestic habitats strongly impacted on vector and host ecology together with dynamics of pathogen transmission. This resulted in an increased number of human cases and the geographic spread of vector-borne zoonoses in Europe. A study on tick and tick-borne pathogens was carried out in 2009-2010 in the Tuscan-Emilian Appennine National Park (Italy). Host-seeking ticks were collected by dragging between 600 and 1600m a.s.l. Small rodents were live trapped, and ear biopsies and attached ticks were collected and identified. Mice ticks and tissues were tested by PCR for Rickettsia spp., while host-seeking ticks were analyzed to detect Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sl. Ixodes ricinus (mean number per 100m dragging: 8.07 larvae, 1.06 nymphs and 0.01 adults), Haemaphysalis spp (35.85 larvae, 0.99 nymphs, 0.13 adults), and Dermacentor marginatus (0.09 larvae and 0.13 adults) were collected by dragging. Borrelia garinii, a genospecies responsible for Lyme Disease, was detected in 24.4% I.ricinus nymphs (n=11; 95% CI: 12.9-39.5), while 26.09% D.marginatus larvae (n=6; 95% CI: 10.23-48.4) were infected by Rickettsia slovaca, the causative agent of Tick-Borne Lymphoadenopathy- TIBOLA. Apodemus spp.(n=145), Myodes glareolus (n=34) and one unidentified mice were trapped. I.ricinus (320 larvae, 7 nymphs) and D.marginatus (301 larvae, 65 nymphs) were infesting 104 mice; 22 animals were co-infested by both tick species. The PCR analysis of mice samples showed R.slovaca infection in tissues (n=8; 17.8%, 95% CI: 8.0-32.1) and in D.marginatus (40.3% larvae, 42.03% nymphs). Two nymphs were positive to R.raoultii, the agent of a less severe TIBOLA. Comparing our results with studies conducted in the ‘90s in the same area, we detected a sharp increase in tick abundance, the altitudinal expansion of I.ricinus and the spread of tick-borne zoonoses. These new data confirm and support the finding currently registered in other countries.
Ticks and zoonotic pathogens distribution in Tuscany, Italy
MARTELLO, ELISA;MANNELLI, Alessandro;BISANZIO, DONAL;STELLA, Maria Cristina;TOMASSONE, Laura
2012-01-01
Abstract
In the last few decades climate change, differences in land-use, and the overlap of wild and domestic habitats strongly impacted on vector and host ecology together with dynamics of pathogen transmission. This resulted in an increased number of human cases and the geographic spread of vector-borne zoonoses in Europe. A study on tick and tick-borne pathogens was carried out in 2009-2010 in the Tuscan-Emilian Appennine National Park (Italy). Host-seeking ticks were collected by dragging between 600 and 1600m a.s.l. Small rodents were live trapped, and ear biopsies and attached ticks were collected and identified. Mice ticks and tissues were tested by PCR for Rickettsia spp., while host-seeking ticks were analyzed to detect Rickettsia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sl. Ixodes ricinus (mean number per 100m dragging: 8.07 larvae, 1.06 nymphs and 0.01 adults), Haemaphysalis spp (35.85 larvae, 0.99 nymphs, 0.13 adults), and Dermacentor marginatus (0.09 larvae and 0.13 adults) were collected by dragging. Borrelia garinii, a genospecies responsible for Lyme Disease, was detected in 24.4% I.ricinus nymphs (n=11; 95% CI: 12.9-39.5), while 26.09% D.marginatus larvae (n=6; 95% CI: 10.23-48.4) were infected by Rickettsia slovaca, the causative agent of Tick-Borne Lymphoadenopathy- TIBOLA. Apodemus spp.(n=145), Myodes glareolus (n=34) and one unidentified mice were trapped. I.ricinus (320 larvae, 7 nymphs) and D.marginatus (301 larvae, 65 nymphs) were infesting 104 mice; 22 animals were co-infested by both tick species. The PCR analysis of mice samples showed R.slovaca infection in tissues (n=8; 17.8%, 95% CI: 8.0-32.1) and in D.marginatus (40.3% larvae, 42.03% nymphs). Two nymphs were positive to R.raoultii, the agent of a less severe TIBOLA. Comparing our results with studies conducted in the ‘90s in the same area, we detected a sharp increase in tick abundance, the altitudinal expansion of I.ricinus and the spread of tick-borne zoonoses. These new data confirm and support the finding currently registered in other countries.
I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
