Dorota Dwużnik-Szarek, Agata Beliniak, Wiktoria Malaszewicz, Dagny Krauze-Gryz, Jakub Gryz, Karolina D Jasińska, Dagmara Wężyk, Anna Bajer
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The European red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a common host for Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban and rural habitats, however, studies on ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) of squirrels have not been conducted in Poland yet. Thus, the aims of the current study were to assess and compare the prevalence and abundance of ticks on red squirrels trapped at two sites in the Warsaw area (in an urban forest reserve and an urban park) and using molecular tools, to assess the genetic diversity of three pathogens (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia and Babesia spp.) in I. ricinus ticks collected from squirrels. For the detection of Rickettsia spp. a 750 bp long fragment of the citrate synthase gltA gene was amplified; for B. burgdorferi s.l. 132f/905r and 220f/824r primers were used to amplify the bacterial flaB gene fragments (774 and 605 bp, respectively) and for Babesia spp., a 550 bpfragment of 18S rRNA gene was amplified. In total, 91 red squirrels were examined for ticks. There were differences in tick prevalence and mean abundance of infestation in squirrels from the urban forest reserve and urban park. Three species of B. burgdorferi s.l., Rickettsia spp., and Babesia microti were detected in ticks removed from the squirrels. Our results broaden knowledge of S. vulgaris as an important host for immature I. ricinus stages and support the hypothesis that red squirrels act as a reservoir of B. burgdorferi. Moreover, we conclude that red squirrels may also play a role in facilitating the circulation of other pathogens causing serious risk of tick-borne diseases in natural and urban areas.
期刊介绍:
Experimental and Applied Acarology publishes peer-reviewed original papers describing advances in basic and applied research on mites and ticks. Coverage encompasses all Acari, including those of environmental, agricultural, medical and veterinary importance, and all the ways in which they interact with other organisms (plants, arthropods and other animals). The subject matter draws upon a wide variety of disciplines, including evolutionary biology, ecology, epidemiology, physiology, biochemistry, toxicology, immunology, genetics, molecular biology and pest management sciences.