Distribution of ticks in the Western Palearctic: an updated systematic review (2015–2021)

Abstract

Background The distributions of ticks and tick-borne pathogens are thought to have changed rapidly over the last two decades, with their ranges expanding into new regions. This expansion has been driven by a range of environmental and socio-economic factors, including climate change. Spatial modelling is being increasingly used to track the current and future distributions of ticks and tick-borne pathogens and to assess the associated disease risk. However, such analysis is dependent on high-resolution occurrence data for each species. To facilitate such analysis, in this review we have compiled georeferenced tick locations in the Western Palearctic, with a resolution accuracy under 10 km, that were reported between 2015 and 2021 Methods The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for peer-reviewed papers documenting the distribution of ticks that were published between 2015 and 2021, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The papers were then screened and excluded in accordance with the PRISMA flow chart. Coordinate-referenced tick locations along with information on identification and collection methods were extracted from each eligible publication. Spatial analysis was conducted using R software (version 4.1.2). Results From the 1491 papers identified during the initial search, 124 met the inclusion criteria, and from these, 2267 coordinate-referenced tick records from 33 tick species were included in the final dataset. Over 30% of articles did not record the tick location adequately to meet inclusion criteria, only providing a location name or general location. Among the tick records, Ixodes ricinus had the highest representation (55%), followed by Dermacentor reticulatus (22.1%) and Ixodes frontalis (4.8%). The majority of ticks were collected from vegetation, with only 19.1% collected from hosts. Conclusions The data presented provides a collection of recent high-resolution, coordinate-referenced tick locations for use in spatial analyses, which in turn can be used in combination with previously collated datasets to analyse the changes in tick distribution and research in the Western Palearctic. In the future it is recommended that, where data privacy rules allow, high-resolution methods are routinely used by researchers to geolocate tick samples and ensure their work can be used to its full potential. Graphical Abstract

Tick-Borne Pathogens in Dermacentor reticulatus Ticks from Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…Our findings indicate a notable increase in the occurrence of D. reticulatus compared to prior studies conducted within Bosnia and Herzegovina [11,12]. Moreover, our sampling efforts extended into areas where D. reticulatus had not previously been documented, suggesting a notable shift in the distribution of this tick species and its habitat range, aligning with observations from earlier investigations [2,7]. Moreover, our findings offer an updated perspective on the scarcity of D. reticulatus ticks in the Balkan region, as suggested in a comprehensive review by Földvári et al [8].…”

“…Dermacentor reticulatus ranks as the second most prevalent tick species within the Western Palearctic, succeeding Ixodes ricinus [7]. Its documented range of expansion is notable across various European countries [8][9][10].…”

Predicting the distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus in Europe: a comparison of climate niche modelling approaches

“…Four sets of tick occurrence data were combined to build the models: data held by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility [ 21 ], data extracted from a systematic review of the literature published between 1970 and 2014 [ 22 ], a systematic review of the more recent literature between 2015 and 2021 [ 23 ] and additional publications which filled gaps in the previous sources. The additional publications were found through targeted searches for occurrence data in regions where tick distribution was not reflected in previous sources, for example the presence of I. ricinus in Portugal [ 24 – 27 ].…”

Canine Babesiosis Caused by Large Babesia Species: Global Prevalence and Risk Factors—A Review

“…According to Rubel et al [ 76 ], the current geographical distribution of D. reticulatus ranges between –9° and 88° E longitude, and between 39° N and 60° N latitude, and includes the south of Russia, and northern and eastern parts of Kazakhstan. However, Livanova et al [ 77 ] detected D. reticulatus in dogs from Krasnoyarsk, Russia (92°51′9″ E), and acarological studies have highlighted a permanent increase in this parasite’s geographical range [ 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 ]. According to Mierzejewska et al [ 84 ], this increase in geographical range is associated with the loss of forest areas.…”