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Pathogens
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Ixodes ricinus and Disease Transmission
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Ixodes ricinus and Disease Transmission

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Ticks".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 8328

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Kazimirova

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
Interests: ticks; tick-borne pathogens
Dr. Sara Moutailler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health, Université Paris-Est, Marne-la-Vallee, France
Interests: ticks; tick-borne-pathogens; epidemiology; virology; vector competence
Prof. Dr. Libor Grubhoffer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Interests: pathogenesis; viral genome; tick-borne flaviviruses; tick cells; mammalians cells

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ixodes ricinus is the most important tick species in Europe. It can infest a wide range of terrestrial vertebrate species, including reptiles, birds, and mammals. Moreover, I. ricinus harbors and transmits diverse microorganisms (i.e., viruses, bacteria, protozoa), including causative agents of zoonotic diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, Lyme borreliosis spirochaetes (species of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato group), the relapsing fever spirochaete Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis, rickettsiae of the spotted fever group (Rickettsia helvetica, R. monacensis), and piroplasms (Babesia microti, B. venatorum, B. divergens). Due to climatic change, the distribution of I. ricinus has expanded northward and to higher altitudes. Mild winters are the cause of prolonged questing activity and changing patterns of the seasonal activity of the tick. Urbanization and changes in the biodiversity and population density of vertebrate species that serve as hosts of I. ricinus have resulted in its expansion to new areas, such as urban parks and gardens. All the aforementioned factors affecting changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of I. ricinus are interconnected with increasing risk for humans to contract zoonotic diseases transmitted by this tick species. In addition to known pathogens, new, emerging species or strains of microbes with unknown pathogenic potential to humans and animals are being discovered in I. ricinus using modern molecular tools. Due to its unique host range and vector competence, I. ricinus has also been the subject of many studies on its microbiome and tick–host–pathogen interactions. Although some of the underlying molecular and physiological mechanisms of these interactions have been described, many aspects of the biology of I. ricinus remain unknown. However, successful control of I. ricinus and its transmitted pathogens requires deep knowledge of the ecology and biology of this tick species, from the molecular to the ecosystem level.

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore new aspects of the ecology and biology of I. ricinus, the eco-epidemiology of its transmitted pathogens, tick–host–pathogen interactions, and strategies to control ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Dr. Maria Kazimirova
Dr. Sara Moutailler
Prof. Dr. Libor Grubhoffer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Changing distribution patterns of I. ricinus
  • Eco-epidemiology of diseases transmitted by I. ricinus
  • Emerging pathogens
  • Tick-host-pathogen interactions
  • Microbiome
  • Physiology of I. ricinus
  • Control of I. ricinus

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1412 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Tick Larvae Feeding on Breeding Birds in France
by Amalia Rataud, Clemence Galon, Laure Bournez, Pierre-Yves Henry, Maud Marsot and Sara Moutailler
Pathogens 2022, 11(8), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11080946 - 20 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2846
Abstract
Birds play a role in maintaining tick-borne diseases by contributing to the multiplication of ticks and pathogens on a local scale during the breeding season. In the present study, we describe the diversity of tick and pathogen species of medical and veterinary importance [...] Read more.
Birds play a role in maintaining tick-borne diseases by contributing to the multiplication of ticks and pathogens on a local scale during the breeding season. In the present study, we describe the diversity of tick and pathogen species of medical and veterinary importance in Europe hosted by 1040 captured birds (56 species) during their breeding season in France. Of the 3114 ticks collected, Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species (89.5%), followed by I. frontalis (0.8%), I. arboricola (0.7%), Haemaphysalis concinna (0.5%), H. punctata (0.5%), Hyalomma spp. (0.2%), and Rhipicephalus spp. (0.06%). Because they may be representative of the bird infection status for some pathogen species, 1106 engorged tick larvae were screened for pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was the most prevalent pathogen genus in bird-feeding larvae (11.7%), followed by Rickettsia spp. (7.4%), Anaplasma spp. (5.7%), Babesia spp. (2.3%), Ehrlichia spp. (1.4%), and B. miyamotoi (1%). Turdidae birds (Turdus merula and T. philomelos), Troglodytes troglodytes, and Anthus trivialis had a significantly higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected larvae than other pathogen genera. This suggests that these bird species could act as reservoir hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. during their breeding season, and thus play an important role in acarological risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ixodes ricinus and Disease Transmission)
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11 pages, 1324 KiB  
Article
Experimental Infection of Mice and Ticks with the Human Isolate of Anaplasma phagocytophilum NY-18
by Veronika Urbanová, Eliška Kalinová, Petr Kopáček and Radek Šíma
Pathogens 2022, 11(7), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11070820 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2114
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF) and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and is currently considered an emerging disease in the USA, Europe, and Asia. The increased prevalence of A. phagocytophilum as a human pathogen requires the detailed characterization of [...] Read more.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF) and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) and is currently considered an emerging disease in the USA, Europe, and Asia. The increased prevalence of A. phagocytophilum as a human pathogen requires the detailed characterization of human isolates and the implementation of appropriate animal models. In this study, we demonstrated that the dynamics of infection with the human isolate of A. phagocytophilum NY-18 was variable in three different strains of mice (SCID, C3H/HeN, BALB/c). We further evaluated the ability of Ixodes ricinus to acquire and transmit A. phagocytophilum NY-18 and compared it with Ixodes scapularis. Larvae of both tick species effectively acquired the pathogen while feeding on infected mice. The infection rates then decreased during the development to nymphs. Interestingly, molted I. ricinus nymphs were unable to transmit the pathogen to naïve mice, which contrasted with I. scapularis. The results of our study suggest that I. ricinus is not a competent vector for the American human Anaplasma isolate. Further studies are needed to establish reliable transmission models for I. ricinus and European human isolate(s) of A. phagocytophilum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ixodes ricinus and Disease Transmission)
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6 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
The Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Babesia divergens in Ixodes ricinus Nymphs Collected from Farm- and Woodland Sites in Ireland
by Fiona McKiernan, Amie Flattery, John Browne, Jeremy Gray, Taher Zaid, Jack O’Connor and Annetta Zintl
Pathogens 2022, 11(3), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11030312 - 2 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2483
Abstract
The parasite, Babesia divergens causes redwater fever in cattle and a rare, albeit life-threatening disease in humans. In Ireland, B. divergens has always been considered an important pathogen as the high incidence of redwater fever precluded areas of the country from cattle farming. [...] Read more.
The parasite, Babesia divergens causes redwater fever in cattle and a rare, albeit life-threatening disease in humans. In Ireland, B. divergens has always been considered an important pathogen as the high incidence of redwater fever precluded areas of the country from cattle farming. Moreover a relatively large proportion of human cases were reported here. Red deer (Cervus elaphus), which often harbour babesias that are genetically very similar (if not identical) to B. divergens, are quite widespread. In this study 1369 nymphal Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from various habitats were screened for the presence of B. divergens using TaqMan followed by conventional nested PCR. Fragments of the 18S rRNA gene locus (560 bp) were compared against published Irish B. divergens isolates from cattle, humans and red deer. Overall just 1% of I. ricinus nymphs were infected with B. divergens, with similar infection rates in ticks collected from farm- and woodland. Most (90%) 18S rRNA gene fragments derived from woodland ticks were 100% identical to published sequences from cattle and humans. One differed by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) as did two isolates from ticks collected in bogland. Two isolates derived from nymphs collected in farmland differed by 2 and 4 SNPs respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ixodes ricinus and Disease Transmission)
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