Ticks and Tick-Borne Zoonotic Pathogens from Wild Birds in Northwestern Coastal Spain

Abstract

Migratory and local birds may disperse ticks and their associated pathogens. The aim of this study was to provide information regarding ticks infesting birds in Asturias, a region that accounts for most of the Lyme disease hospitalizations in Spain. From September 2021 to April 2023, trained and experienced bird-banders collected ticks from birds in two estuary and four forest locations. A total of 1698 birds (52 species, 38 genera, and 26 families) were captured. A total of 51 ticks (28 larvae, 20 nymphs, and 3 females) were collected from 43 birds, belonging to three species: Ixodes ricinus (31), Ixodes frontalis (18), and Haemaphysalis concinna (1). The average prevalence of tick infestation was 2.5% and the average tick burden was 1.2 ticks per infested host. The bird species Turdus merula, Parus major, Luscinia svecica, and Anthus pratensis were among the most infested. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in one I. ricinus nymph collected from Phylloscopus collybita. We have not detected Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., Coxiella burnetii, or piroplasmids in any of the 51 analyzed ticks. These results suggest low infestation rate in migratory/estuary birds and a higher rate in forest/sedentary ones. Despite this, the detection of pathogens, although with low prevalence, can pose a risk to public health.

Molecular Survey on the Occurrence of Tick-Borne Bacteria in Wild Birds from Central Italy

“…), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and different Rickettsia species are bacterial tick-borne pathogens, which are responsible for diseases in animals and humans and are most frequently found in I. ricinus. Other tick-borne pathogens can be transmitted by I. ricinus, but also by other tick species, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma spp., Hyalomma spp., and Haemaphysalis spp., which have been found on wild birds [2][3][4]. Among these agents, members of the genus Bartonella, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia canis, and Francisella tularensis are bacteria of interest for human and veterinary medicine [5].…”