No abstract

T he ornate dog tick, Dermacentor reticulatus, is a proven vector of pathogens of public health and veterinary importance, including tick-borne encephalitis virus, Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus, rickettsiae, Babesia spp., and several others (1). D. reticulatus ticks are now expanding into new areas of northern and central Europe (1), where a higher prevalence of associated diseases can be expected.Although intensively studied during the past decade, bacteria of the genus Rickettsia have been overshadowed by other tickborne pathogens of primary medical importance. Rickettsiae of the typhus group and spotted fever group (SFG) present the greatest health risks. The D. reticulatus tick is a vector for SFG rickettsiae. Among Rickettsia species, R. raoultii and R. slovaca are recognized as causative agents of rickettsioses with typical lymphadenopathies, called tick-borne lymphadenopathy or Dermacentor-borne necrosis erythema and lymphadenopathy (2), which are widespread in Eurasia (1). R. helvetica, which causes milder symptoms, was also reported from D. reticulatus ticks (1,3).

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) represent a serious threat to human and animal health worldwide. Occurring both in natural and human-altered ecosystems and having diffused foci, detailed knowledge on the epidemiology of TBDs is crucial (Kitron, 2000;Zeman, 1997).Risk maps are important tools to inform public about the distribution of vectors, the prevalence and the diversity of pathogens and the potential risk to acquire infection. However, most epidemiological studies in Europe focused largely on TBDs of principal medical

No abstract

Small mammals are important reservoirs of multiple pathogens transmittable to humans. Rodent populations are highly dynamic, passing through multiannual cycles with densities changing in several orders of magnitude. Such variable pools of hosts shape the intensity of pathogen spread among the animals and risks of spillover to humans. We describe such dynamic system within a sample set of 13 small mammal species and six potentially zoonotic pathogens (bacteria Anaplasma, Rickettsia, Leptospira, Borrelia, Bartonella, and protist Babesia) present in surroundings of a small village in south-eastern part of the Czech Republic. This article presents results of a six-year-long study at the site. The observed prevalence of the selected pathogens varied greatly among years and host species. The dominant rodents (Apodemus sp., Apodemus agrarius and Myodes glareolus) harboured all tested pathogens and multi-infections were not rarewe found up to four pathogens in some individuals. We observed surge in Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. prevalence following the overall rodent population increase in 2014 and 2019, with A. agrarius and Microtus arvalis being the most infected species. Rickettsia sp. prevalence reached 24 % in the shrew Crocidura suaveolens, thus this potential neglected reservoir host deserves further attention.