Control of Lyme borreliosis and other Ixodes ricinus-borne diseases

Sprong, Hein; Azagi, Tal; Hoornstra, Dieuwertje; Nijhof, Ard M.; Knorr, Sarah; Baarsma, M E; Hovius, Joppe W.

doi:10.1186/s13071-018-2744-5

Cited by 110 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 231 publications

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“…Ixodes ricinus (I. ricinus) ticks are responsible for transmitting Borrelia bacteria to humans through a bite. Temperature and relative humidity are key requirements for the development, survival, and activity of I. ricinus [24]. In Europe, B. afzelii and B. garinii predominate, different Borrelia genospecies cause different clinical syndromes of the disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Lyme Disease in a Highly Endemic European Zone

et al. 2020

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Background and objective: Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis (LB), is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacteria Borrelia. The risk of infection depends on the geographical area, ecological factors, and human behavior. Clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis have a wide range, but the most frequent clinical symptom, which is also a diagnostic symptom, is a skin rash called erythema migrans (EM). The disease is very common worldwide. In Lithuania, the disease frequency is 99.9 cases per 100,000 population (Centre for Communicable Diseases and AIDS, Lithuania, 2017). The main aim of this study was to obtain the baseline characteristics of the disease regarding the infected Lithuanian population. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from the Centre for Communicable Diseases and AIDS about all Lyme disease (A69.2) diagnosed patients over a three-year period (from 2014 to 2016) in Lithuania. Results: In 2014–2016, 7424 (crude incidence rate 85.4) cases with LB were diagnosed in Lithuania. Most of them (4633 (62.4%)) were identified in women. Older people were more likely to suffer from LB. Urban residents were 2.6 times more often affected that those living in villages. Tick bites were primarily observed in high season months, from May to September (90%), with the highest peak in July. There was a higher number of observed tick bites (p = 0.003) in the urban residents. Erythema migrans occurred in 75.6% LB cases, while other symptoms did not exceed a quarter of all LB cases. There were 7353 (99.6%) cases where LB was confirmed via clinical symptoms and/or laboratory tests. Also, 1720 (23.2%) patients were tested for LB immunoglobulins. Conclusions: This study found a high incidence of Lyme disease in Lithuania. We elucidated the baseline characteristics regarding the infected Lithuanian population which may ease medical clinicians’ work on new Lyme diagnoses.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of Lyme Disease in a Highly Endemic European Zone

et al. 2020

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“…Ixodes ricinus is a vector for multiple tick-borne diseases common in Europe and as a result has a significant impact on public health. [5]. It is the primary vector for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes, causing Lyme borreliosis, and tick-borne encephalitis virus.…”

Section: Ecological Drivers Affecting Tick Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Management Options for Ixodes ricinus-Associated Pathogens: A Review of Prevention Strategies

Černý

Lynn

Hrnková

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Ticks are important human and animal parasites and vectors of many infectious disease agents. Control of tick activity is an effective tool to reduce the risk of contracting tick-transmitted diseases. The castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus) is the most common tick species in Europe. It is also a vector of the causative agents of Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis, which are two of the most important arthropod-borne diseases in Europe. In recent years, increases in tick activity and incidence of tick-borne diseases have been observed in many European countries. These increases are linked to many ecological and anthropogenic factors such as landscape management, climate change, animal migration, and increased popularity of outdoor activities or changes in land usage. Tick activity is driven by many biotic and abiotic factors, some of which can be effectively managed to decrease risk of tick bites. In the USA, recommendations for landscape management, tick host control, and tick chemical control are well-defined for the applied purpose of reducing tick presence on private property. In Europe, where fewer studies have assessed tick management strategies, the similarity in ecological factors influencing vector presence suggests that approaches that work in USA may also be applicable. In this article we review key factors driving the tick exposure risk in Europe to select those most conducive to management for decreased tick-associated risk.

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“…The I . ricinus -borne infectious diseases are of great importance in many European countries, including few considered as emerging diseases [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rickettsiales Occurrence and Co-occurrence in Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Natural and Urban Areas

et al. 2018

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Bacteria of Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae families include disease agents spread by Ixodes ricinus ticks, the most common tick vector in Europe. The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence and co-infection prevalence of particular tick-transmitted Rickettsiales members: Rickettsia spp. (further referred as Rs), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), and “ Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis” (CNM) in I . ricinus ticks in two types of areas, different in terms of human impact: natural and urban. Using additional data, we aimed at investigating co-occurrence of these Rickettsiales with Borreliella spp. A total of 4189 tick specimens, 2363 from the urban area (Warsaw park and forests) and 1826 from the natural area (forests and park in the vicinity of National Parks), were tested for the presence of Rickettsiales DNA by PCRs. The prevalence of selected Rickettsiales was twice higher in urban than natural areas (13.2% vs. 6.9%, respectively). In total ticks, the prevalence of Rs, Ap, and CNM was 6.5%, 5.3%, and 3.6% in urban areas vs. 4.4%, 1.1%, and 2.1% in natural areas, respectively. Co-infections of Rickettsiales were also more prevalent in urban areas (2.6% vs. 0.3%, respectively). The most common Rs was R . helvetica ; also R . monacensis and novel “ Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii” were detected. Positive association between Ap and CNM infections was discovered. Rickettsiales bacteria occurrence was not associated with Borreliella occurrence, but co-infections with these two groups were more common in ticks in urban areas. In conclusion, three groups of Rickettsiales constituted the important part of the tick pathogen community in Poland, especially in the urbanized central Poland (Mazovia). In the Warsaw agglomeration, there is a greater risk of encountering the I . ricinus tick infected with Rickettsiales and co-infected with Lyme spirochaetes, in comparison to natural areas. This finding raises the question whether cities might in fact be the hot spots for TBDs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00248-018-1269-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Control of Lyme borreliosis and other Ixodes ricinus-borne diseases

Cited by 110 publications

References 231 publications

Epidemiology of Lyme Disease in a Highly Endemic European Zone

Epidemiology of Lyme Disease in a Highly Endemic European Zone

Management Options for Ixodes ricinus-Associated Pathogens: A Review of Prevention Strategies

Rickettsiales Occurrence and Co-occurrence in Ixodes ricinus Ticks in Natural and Urban Areas

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