The importance of passerine birds as tick hosts and in the transmission of <i>Borrelia burgdorferi,</i> the agent of Lyme disease: a case study from Scotland

James, Marianne C.; Furness, Robert W.; Bowman, Alan K.; Forbes, Ken J.; Gilbert, Lucy

doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.2011.01111.x

Cited by 36 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…3). Borrelia valaisiana is associated with bird hosts, and there are many potential competent reservoir hosts among bird communities in semi-natural mixed woodlands [57]. Borrelia burgdorferi ( s.s .)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneity in the abundance and distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in Scotland: implications for risk prediction

et al. 2016

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BackgroundCases of Lyme borreliosis, a vector-borne zoonosis caused by bacteria in the Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) species group, have increased in recent years in Europe. Knowledge of environmental factors associated with abundance of the tick vector Ixodes ricinus and the pathogen B. burgdorferi (s.l.) is of interest to understand responses to environmental changes, predict variation in risk and to inform management interventions.MethodsNineteen woodland sites across Scotland were surveyed in 2012 for B. burgdorferi (s.l.) infection in questing I. ricinus nymphs (n = 200 per site), deer abundance and vegetation. Climatic factors were extracted for each site. Six additional sites were surveyed for questing nymphs in both 2012 and 2013 (n = 200 per site and year) to test for variation in B. burgdorferi (s.l.) prevalence between years.ResultsThe mean prevalence of B. burgdorferi (s.l.) across 19 sites was 1.7% (95% CI: 1.4–2.2%; range 0–6%), all four genospecies known to be present in the UK were detected: B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi (sensu stricto) and B. valaisiana. A higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi (s.l.), higher densities of nymphs and higher densities of infected nymphs were found at sites with warmer climates, estimated with growing degree-days. No association between infection prevalence in nymphs and woodland type (semi-natural mixed vs coniferous) or deer density was found. At six sites sampled in 2012 and 2013, there was a significant increase in B. afzelli prevalence at two sites and a decrease in B. garinii prevalence at one site.ConclusionsThis study highlights challenges for the prediction of risk of Lyme borreliosis, reflecting the sensitivity of both pathogen and vector ecology to habitat, host and climatic factors. Significant changes in the prevalence of individual genospecies at sites monitored across time are likely to be due to variability in the host community composition between years. Our results indicate the importance of monitoring dynamic variables such as reservoir host populations as well as climate and habitat factors over multiple years, to identify environmental factors associated with Lyme borreliosis risk.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1875-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneity in the abundance and distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in Scotland: implications for risk prediction

et al. 2016

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“…Transportation across open seas depends on birds during spring and autumn migration [21, 22], and inspection of recently arriving birds at bird observatories along the southern coast of Norway have shown large numbers of ticks being transported from the south [23]. However, because birds mainly host immature ticks (nymphs and larvae) rather than adults [21, 24], little is known about the effects of such transportation on tick gene flow. One indication of limited effect of tick transportation by birds across the sea is the maintenance of a disjunctive geographical distribution of different strains of the tick-borne TBEV complex within this area, with western TBEV in continental Europe and louping ill virus (LIV) in Great Britain [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogenetic Lineages and Postglacial Dispersal Dynamics Characterize the Genetic Structure of the Tick, Ixodes ricinus, in Northwest Europe

Røed

Kvie

Hasle³

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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Dispersal and gene flow are important mechanisms affecting the dynamics of vectors and their pathogens. Here, patterns of genetic diversity were analyzed in many North European populations of the tick, Ixodes ricinus. Population sites were selected within and between areas separated by geographical barriers in order to evaluate the importance of tick transportation by birds in producing genetic connectivity across open sea and mountain ranges. The phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial control region and the cytochrome b gene revealed two distinct clades with supported sub-clades, with three genetic lineages: GB and WNo associated with Great Britain and western Norway respectively, and Eu with a wider distribution across continental Europe in agreement with much lower efficiency of tick dispersal by birds than by large mammals. The results suggest different ancestry of I. ricinus colonizing Britain and the rest of northern Europe, possibly from different glacial refuges, while ticks from western Norway and continental Europe share a more recent common ancestry. Demographic history modeling suggests a period of strong increase in tick abundance coincident with progression of the European Neolithic culture, long after their post-glacial colonization of NW Europe.

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“…(e.g. rodents [32], birds [33] and lagomorphs [34]), (ii) deer (e.g. roe deer and red deer) and (iii) livestock (e.g.…”

Section: Host Population Layermentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the seasonality of Lyme disease risk and the potential impacts of a warming climate within the heterogeneous landscapes of Scotland

Gilbert

Harrison

et al. 2016

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The abundance of infected nymphal ticks is commonly used as a Lyme disease risk indicator. Temperature can influence the dynamics of disease by shaping the activity and development of ticks and, hence, altering the contact pattern and pathogen transmission between ticks and their host animals. A mechanistic, agent-based model was developed to study the temperature-driven seasonality of Ixodes ricinus ticks and transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato across mainland Scotland. Based on 12-year averaged temperature surfaces, our model predicted that Lyme disease risk currently peaks in autumn, approximately six weeks after the temperature peak. The risk was predicted to decrease with increasing altitude. Increases in temperature were predicted to prolong the duration of the tick questing season and expand the risk area to higher altitudinal and latitudinal regions. These predicted impacts on tick population ecology may be expected to lead to greater tick-host contacts under climate warming and, hence, greater risks of pathogen transmission. The model is useful in improving understanding of the spatial determinants and system mechanisms of Lyme disease pathogen transmission and its sensitivity to temperature changes.

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The importance of passerine birds as tick hosts and in the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease: a case study from Scotland

Cited by 36 publications

References 41 publications

Heterogeneity in the abundance and distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in Scotland: implications for risk prediction

Heterogeneity in the abundance and distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) in Scotland: implications for risk prediction

Phylogenetic Lineages and Postglacial Dispersal Dynamics Characterize the Genetic Structure of the Tick, Ixodes ricinus, in Northwest Europe

Modelling the seasonality of Lyme disease risk and the potential impacts of a warming climate within the heterogeneous landscapes of Scotland

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