The Behavior of Rickettsia-Positive Dermacentor reticulatus Ticks under Laboratory Conditions

Pipová, Natália; Peňazziová, Katarína; Baňas, Miroslav; Majláth, Igor; Majláthová, Viktória

doi:10.3390/life13030612

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 67 publications

(108 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, instantaneous removal of the tick from the host's skin reduces the risk of infection with TBPs. Pathogens can influence the host feeding behaviour in ticks [91][92][93][94][95] and even initiate their interspecies contacts [96]. Enhancement of the activity of tick vectors and their atypical behaviour stimulated by Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus increase the risk of attacks of potential hosts and transmission of these pathogenic factors during blood ingestion.…”

Section: Alekseev and Dubininamentioning

confidence: 99%

Copulation of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> males and females on the host and its potential impact on pathogen transmission

Buczek,

Asman

et al. 2023

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Introduction and Objective. The common tick Ixodes ricinus is one of Europe's most important vectors of tick-borne diseases. The increased risk of attacks by this tick suggests the need for identification of factors contributing to the transmission of tick-borne pathogens, and the routes of pathogen circulation in nature. Materials and method. Polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the prevalence of four pathogens, i.e. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. (Bb), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap), Babesia spp. (Bs), and Bartonella spp. (Ba) in I. ricinus females and males mating on dogs in south-central Poland.Results. The study revealed the presence of three pathogens: Bb, Ap, and Bs in 9.4%, 5.4%, and 5.4% of all I. ricinus adults in copula, respectively. Co-infection with two pathogens was detected in one tick specimen. Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes were isolated in two females and two males in copula, but the sexual transfer of the spirochetes between these specimens could not be clearly confirmed. Conclusions. By increasing the feeding dynamics in females, the copulation of I. ricinus males with females attached to the host's skin may stimulate pathogen replication in tick tissues and migration from the gut to the salivary glands. Further investigations of the I. ricinus copulation on the host on female feeding and pathogen transmission may contribute to the elucidation of the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne diseases transmitted by this tick species.

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Section: Alekseev and Dubininamentioning

confidence: 99%

Copulation of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> males and females on the host and its potential impact on pathogen transmission

Buczek,

Asman

et al. 2023

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Mixed-sex clusters on grass blades: breeding strategy of the ornate dog tick, Dermacentor reticulatus

Wężyk,

Romanek,

Małaszewicz

et al. 2024

Parasites Vectors

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Background The ornate dog tick Dermacentor reticulatus is second only to the hard tick Ixodes ricinus in terms of importance as a vector of infectious organisms, especially of Babesia canis, the agent of canine babesiosis. Both the geographical range and local densities of D. reticulatus are steadily increasing in many regions of Europe. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that D. reticulatus possesses an efficient breeding strategy that allows for a rapid increase in tick numbers and densities through the formation of mixed-sex clusters/aggregations while questing in the environment. Methods An observational study was carried out in the spring of 2023, at three sites in two regions in Central and North-Eastern Poland, both characterised by high tick densities. At each site, a 400-m-long transect was inspected for questing ticks. All noted ticks were collected, and tick numbers and sexes per stem were recorded. Differences in tick distribution by site and sex were analysed statistically. Results A total of 371 D. reticulatus (219 females, 152 males) ticks were collected from 270 grass stems over a combined 1200 m of transect. The majority of grass stems (74.4%) were occupied by just a single individual, with two-tick clusters the second most common category. The maximum number of D. reticulatus individuals observed on a single grass stem was six. Mixed-sex clusters were significantly more common than single-sex clusters at all three sites. With study sites combined, mixed-sex clusters accounted for 17.4% (95% confidence limit [95% CL] 13.9–21.6%) of observations, while for multiple males and multiple females, the values were 2.6% (95% CL: 1.4–4.7%) and 5.6% (95% CL: 3.7–8.3%), respectively. Conclusions Mixed-sex clusters of D. reticulatus ticks were significantly more common than single-sex clusters, which we hypothesise reflects an efficient, likely pheromone-mediated breeding strategy of this expansive tick species. Graphical Abstract

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The Behavior of Rickettsia-Positive Dermacentor reticulatus Ticks under Laboratory Conditions

Cited by 2 publications

References 67 publications

Copulation of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> males and females on the host and its potential impact on pathogen transmission

Copulation of <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> males and females on the host and its potential impact on pathogen transmission

Mixed-sex clusters on grass blades: breeding strategy of the ornate dog tick, Dermacentor reticulatus

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