Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Potential for integrated monitoring of tick-borne diseases: Indices of tick activity, citizen science, and tick-borne Lyme neuroborreliosis in Denmark from 2017 to 2024","authors":"Lene Jung Kjær ,&nbsp;René Bødker ,&nbsp;Nina Król ,&nbsp;Sigurdur Skarphédinsson ,&nbsp;Per Moestrup Jensen","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monitoring programs that track natural fluctuations in tick activity, human exposure, and disease incidence are limited in their ability to detect shifts in tick-borne disease (TBD) risk. We evaluated an integrated approach combining field-based tick surveillance, Google search trends, and national Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) records in Denmark from 2017-2024. Tick nymph activity was modelled using meteorological data from six forest sites and validated against independent 2024–2025 data. The model showed strong predictive performance (Pearson’s r = 0.76, normalised root-mean-square error = 0.16), with temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation significantly influencing activity. Predicted tick activity correlated strongly with Danish Google search terms for ticks (“Flåt” and “Tæge”) with a 1-month lag, and with “borrelia” searches without lag. Predicted activity preceded LNB incidence by one month, consistent with known delays in symptom onset and diagnosis. These findings suggest that digital search behaviour may reflect early public awareness and exposure, offering potential as an early warning signal. We adopted a bottom-up modelling approach, using predicted tick activity derived from meteorological data as a shared reference to explore weather-driven congruence across field surveillance, digital search behaviour, and disease records. The strong temporal alignment across data sources supports the feasibility of integrated TBD surveillance and indicates that the six field sites provide a representative signal of tick activity and can therefore act as effective sentinel sites. Combining weather data, sentinel site activity, digital behaviour, and health records offers a scalable, cost-effective complement to traditional monitoring and may improve confidence in detected trends, enabling earlier public health responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102602"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145935769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and classification of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus from Hyalomma asiaticum from southern Mongolia","authors":"Nora G. Cleary ,&nbsp;Doniddemberel Altantogtokh ,&nbsp;Graham A. Matulis ,&nbsp;Nyamjav Davaajav ,&nbsp;Yadam-Erdene Sarnai ,&nbsp;Joshua Richardson ,&nbsp;Jigjav Battsetseg ,&nbsp;Grant Hall ,&nbsp;Baasandagva Uyanga ,&nbsp;Bazartseren Boldbaatar ,&nbsp;Bandikhuu Amgalanbayar ,&nbsp;Jeffrey R. Kugelman ,&nbsp;Jennifer L. Williams ,&nbsp;Peter Bernota ,&nbsp;Jodi Fiorenzano ,&nbsp;Irina V. Etobayeva ,&nbsp;Andrew G. Letizia ,&nbsp;Jeffrey W. Koehler ,&nbsp;Michael E. von Fricken","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is an orthonairovirus that can be found in <em>Hyalomma</em> spp. ticks. It can cause fatal disease in humans, with the potential for person-to-person transmission in clinical settings. To further characterize CCHFV within Mongolia, small (S), medium (M), and large (L) segments of viral genome were amplified. Adult unfed <em>Hyalomma asiaticum</em> were hand collected from the environment in Bayankhongor, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Govi-Altai, and Umnugovi aimags (provinces) located in southern Mongolia. Seven of 184 pools tested positive for CCHFV using conventional PCR targeting the S segment. Through next-generation sequencing, a full genome from a single tick pool (n = 5 ticks) collected from Dornogovi in 2022 was detected, with phylogenetic analysis of all three segments indicating the genome fell within the Asian genotype IV. The closest identity (&gt;98%) of all three sequences were to CCHFV viral genomes identified from <em>H. asiaticum</em> collected within China in 2015 and 2016. Given that the Dornogovi aimag directly borders the Inner Mongolia region of China, the sequence similarity is likely attributable to the geographic proximity. Continued surveillance and genetic characterization of CCHFV within Mongolia is vital for disease surveillance as the growing threat of CCHFV in this region is compounded by the expansion of trade and risk of cross-border transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102603"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mapping ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) and informing local public action: Insights from the United Kingdom Tick Surveillance Scheme (2021-2024)","authors":"Kayleigh M Hansford ,&nbsp;Faye V Brown ,&nbsp;Sarah M Biddlecombe ,&nbsp;Jonathan Yardley ,&nbsp;Emmanuella O Luce ,&nbsp;Sara Gandy ,&nbsp;Colin J Johnston ,&nbsp;Nicola Jones ,&nbsp;Anthony J Abbott ,&nbsp;Beth Mackenzie ,&nbsp;Anna Rance ,&nbsp;Meghan-Louise Meban ,&nbsp;Andrew J D Nelson ,&nbsp;Christopher Williams ,&nbsp;Dominic Mellor ,&nbsp;Amanda Semper ,&nbsp;Christina Petridou ,&nbsp;Rachel Pudney ,&nbsp;Jolyon M Medlock","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Tick Surveillance Scheme (TSS) is a citizen science initiative which relies on public and professional submissions to monitor tick species distribution, seasonal exposure, and host associations across the United Kingdom (UK). During the period 2021–2024, 3182 tick records were received and 27 tick species were detected. The data confirm that <em>Ixodes ricinus</em>, the primary vector for Lyme disease and Tick-borne encephalitis, remains the most common tick in the UK. The TSS continues to detect imported tick species, underscoring the risk of novel pathogens entering the country, with new species like <em>Hyalomma excavatum</em> and <em>Rhipicephalus pulchellus</em> reported for the first time. The scheme also provides crucial evidence of non-endemic species like <em>Hyalomma marginatum</em> being found on hosts without history of foreign travel, although establishment risk is currently considered low. In addition to updated species distribution maps, a new tick-bite incidence metric has been developed and translated into a heat map for England and Wales. Updated regularly, this enables targeted public health interventions and awareness campaigns at the local authority level, providing a proxy for potential tick exposure. Tick submissions are likely underrepresented from Scotland and Northern Ireland, suggesting a need to strengthen outreach in these areas to improve data accuracy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102579"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Response to the critique on the TerL-based PCR by Zimmermann et al. (2025)","authors":"Jinyu Shan ,&nbsp;Tanja Mijatovic ,&nbsp;Louis Teulières ,&nbsp;Martha R.J. Clokie","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102593","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102593"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic diversity of Coxiella burnetii in ticks from the Republic of Guinea","authors":"Karifa Camara ,&nbsp;Alissa Hammoud ,&nbsp;Hadiatou Mariama Diallo ,&nbsp;Adama Zan Diarra ,&nbsp;Almamy Ousmane Deen Camara ,&nbsp;Lanceï Kaba ,&nbsp;Mamadou Cellou Balde ,&nbsp;Pierre-Edouard Fournier ,&nbsp;Florence Fenollar ,&nbsp;Oleg Mediannikov","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Coxiella burnetii</em> is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen responsible for Q fever. Ticks act as both potential reservoirs and vectors of <em>C. burnetii,</em> playing a critical role in maintaining its natural transmission cycle. Nevertheless, the vector competence of ticks in transmitting <em>C. burnetii</em> remains a topic of ongoing scientific debate. This study aims to investigate the genetic diversity of <em>C. burnetii</em> in ixodid ticks from the Republic of Guinea. Ixodid ticks were collected from cattle, goats, sheep, and dogs across eight locations of the Republic of Guinea in 2023. Ticks were identified to the species level using both morphological and molecular methods. Screening for <em>C. burnetii</em> was performed using two quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays targeting the IS1111 and IS30 sequences. Positive samples were subsequently genotyped using multispacer sequence typing (MST) with 10 spacer regions. A total of 946 ticks were collected screening revealed the presence of <em>C. burnetii</em> DNA in 5.4 % (52/946) of ticks. The main tick species positive for <em>C. burnetii</em> were <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> s.l. 19.2 % (10/52), <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em> 17.3 % (9/52) and <em>Hyalomma truncatum</em> 13.4 % (7/52). Genotyping of 38.4 % (20/52) of the <em>C. burnetii</em>-positive specimens identified five different genotypes, including four novel ones (MST 86, MST 87, MST 88, and MST 89) and one previously described genotype, MST 61. Molecular identification of the 52 ticks positive for <em>C. burnetii</em> DNA revealed 12 tick species. This study underscores the Republic of Guinea as a hotspot for <em>C. burnetii</em> genetic diversity, with novel genotypes suggesting localized evolution or cross-species transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102597"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dichotomous key to larvae of the genus Amblyomma (Parasitiformes: Ixodidae) in Brazil, with morphological description and redescription of the larval stage of 30 Amblyomma species","authors":"Thiago F. Martins ,&nbsp;Adriano Pinter ,&nbsp;Vera L.F. de Camargo-Neves ,&nbsp;Agustín Estrada-Peña ,&nbsp;Pablo H. Nunes ,&nbsp;Fábio Barbieri ,&nbsp;Kátia M. Famadas ,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Labruna","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks of the genus <em>Amblyomma</em> are of great medical and veterinary importance in Brazil, where they regularly parasitize wild and domestic animals and will bite humans that enter rural and forest areas for work and recreation purposes. This study provides morphological descriptions and redescriptions of the larval stage of 30 <em>Amblyomma</em> species occurring in Brazil, using morphometry, chaetotaxy and porotaxy. A dichotomous key with important characteristics illustrated by light and scanning electron microscopy was constructed for larvae of 31 species of <em>Amblyomma</em> from Brazil, including <em>Amblyomma monteiroae</em>, a recently described endemic species. The larvae of the following 11 species are described for the first time: <em>Amblyomma aureolatum, Amblyomma cajennense, Amblyomma coelebs, Amblyomma fuscum, Amblyomma goeldii, Amblyomma humerale, Amblyomma incisum, Amblyomma latepunctatum, Amblyomma naponense, Amblyomma pseudoconcolor</em>, and <em>Amblyomma scalpturatum</em>. In addition, the larvae of the following 19 species are redescribed: <em>Amblyomma auricularium, Amblyomma brasiliense, Amblyomma calcaratum, Amblyomma dissimile, Amblyomma dubitatum, Amblyomma geayi, Amblyomma longirostre, Amblyomma nodosum, Amblyomma oblongoguttatum, Amblyomma ovale, Amblyomma pacae, Amblyomma parkeri, Amblyomma parvum, Amblyomma romitii, Amblyomma rotundatum, Amblyomma sculptum, Amblyomma tigrinum, Amblyomma triste</em>, and <em>Amblyomma varium</em>. Together with the recent description of <em>A. monteiroae</em>, these results formed the basis for the formulation of a dichotomous key encompassing 31 <em>Amblyomma</em> species occurring in Brazil. Undoubtedly, the results of this study will assist future fieldwork aimed at identifying <em>Amblyomma</em> larvae collected from hosts and the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102590"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection of medically important rickettsiae, including Rickettsia prowazekii in Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Hyalomma rufipes: A microbiome perspective","authors":"OV Anyango ,&nbsp;OW Aool ,&nbsp;M Lukindu ,&nbsp;T Nakayiki ,&nbsp;J Lutwama ,&nbsp;JK Kayondo ,&nbsp;CD Phillips ,&nbsp;J Lutomiah ,&nbsp;J Mutisya ,&nbsp;CL Brelsfoard ,&nbsp;MG Onyango","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The East African region hosts more than 50 % of Africa livestock and 9 % of global cattle, creating an ideal environment for ticks to thrive and transmit pathogens. Little is known of the full spectrum of tick-associated bacterial pathogens that circulate in the vast pastoralist-intense regions of East Africa, the range of the pathogens and their genetic relationships. To define this, we need to first delineate the microbial composition of the medically and veterinary important East African tick species. This study focused on the likely vectors of <em>Orthonairovirus haemorrhagiae</em> in Kenya and Uganda, specifically <em>H. rufipes</em> and <em>R. appendiculatus</em>. To characterize the bacterial microbiome associated with these two tick species, the V3–V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced from a total of 25 <em>R. appendiculatus</em> and 24 <em>H rufipes</em> specimens using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Microbial abundance and diversity were subsequently analysed to assess the composition and structure of their bacterial communities. We observed a richer and balanced bacterial microbiome profile among the <em>H. rufipes</em> compared to that of the <em>R. appendiculatus</em>, which was mainly dominated by <em>Coxiella</em>-like endosymbionts. Furthermore, a few bacterial taxa were unique to each sampling site, while several were common across all sampling sites. This study identified several medically important <em>Rickettsia</em> species, including <em>R. aeschlimannii, R. conorii,</em> and, for the first time, <em>R. prowazekii</em>, the causative agent of epidemic typhus, in <em>H. rufipes</em> sampled from Northeast Kenya. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that <em>R. africae</em> exhibits a broad tick host tropism. Our present findings provide insights into the microbial community of medically important tick species of East Africa. The observation of a significant level of <em>Coxiella</em>-like endosymbionts in <em>R. appendiculatus</em> warrants an investigation into their transmissibility and impacts on the transmission of other pathogens. The identification of <em>R. prowazekii</em> in <em>H. rufipes</em> suggest that <em>R. prowazekii</em> is broadening its host tropism in Kenya.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102596"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seroprevalence and risk factors for Anaplasma marginale seropositivity in cattle in California between 2010 and April 2023","authors":"SY Chen ,&nbsp;A Hill ,&nbsp;W Jackson ,&nbsp;M Saunders ,&nbsp;B Munk ,&nbsp;J Foley ,&nbsp;S Gassama ,&nbsp;G Maier","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objectives of this study were to estimate prevalence of <em>A. marginale</em> infection in cattle in California and to identify potential risk factors for infection including weather effects. We considered individual-level prevalence the percentage of positive individual test results and submission-level prevalence the percentage of submissions from the same owner at the same time with at least one animal testing positive for <em>Anaplasma</em>. A total of 3684 <em>Anaplasma</em> test results from 773 submissions to the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory between January 2010 and April 2023 were used in this study. Time series analysis and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to analyze the data. Abundance of <em>Dermacentor</em> ticks in California was mapped. The overall true prevalence of <em>Anaplasma</em> infection at the individual level was 23.7% (95% CI: 22.3 – 25.2%) with a submission-level prevalence of 38.3% (95% CI: 34.9 – 41.8%) in cattle in California. A seasonal change in seroprevalence was observed in time series analysis, with lower seroprevalence in wet seasons than in dry seasons. Higher odds of <em>Anaplasma</em> positivity were found in cattle two years of age or older, beef cattle, with lower average ambient temperatures in the dry season, and higher average ambient temperatures in the wet season in GEEs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102604"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Disentangling complex disease ecology networks: Using structural equation modelling to quantify the direct and indirect effects of deer on Lyme borreliosis hazard","authors":"Sara L. Gandy ,&nbsp;Fernanda Sánchez-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;William McLellan ,&nbsp;Fanny Olsthoorn ,&nbsp;Marianne C. James ,&nbsp;Paul C.D. Johnson ,&nbsp;Roman Biek ,&nbsp;Hein Sprong ,&nbsp;Manoj Fonville ,&nbsp;Caroline Millins ,&nbsp;Ken J. Forbes ,&nbsp;Alan S. Bowman ,&nbsp;Jaboury Ghazoul ,&nbsp;Lucy Gilbert","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantifying the strengths of interactions in complex vector-borne disease ecological systems is challenging. Yet, overcoming this challenge is fundamental for understanding the ecological mechanisms shaping disease hazard. Here we quantified the strengths of the hypothesised direct and indirect mechanistic pathways through which deer affect ticks and one of the Lyme borreliosis pathogens, <em>Borrelia afzelii,</em> by conducting a combined analysis of three previously published datasets from 39 sites across Scotland. Structural equation modelling revealed that, as predicted, deer had a strong positive overall effect (direct and indirect pathways combined) on questing <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> nymph density and a weak, non-significant, negative overall effect on <em>B. afzelii</em> prevalence. This resulted in an overall weak, non-significant, positive effect of deer on <em>B. afzelii</em> hazard (the density of infected nymphs)<em>,</em> indicating that their negative effect on <em>B. afzelii</em> prevalence was weaker than their positive effect on questing nymph density<em>.</em> A key novelty of this study was being able to tease apart the direct and indirect pathways for each of these overall effects and demonstrating that they were primarily driven by direct mechanisms, such as deer driving nymph density. Although deer negatively affected rodent abundance, the hypothesised indirect pathways from deer to ticks and pathogen, acting through vegetation and/or rodents, were weak. This could result from low densities of rodents relative to deer in Scotland, consistent with Scotland having among the lowest nymphal Lyme borreliosis pathogen prevalences in Europe. Applying the methodological framework used in this study would be useful for teasing apart complex interactions in other vector-borne disease systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102595"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Invasive wineberry influences tick-borne disease dynamics across spatial scales","authors":"Payton M. Phillips ,&nbsp;Jocelyn E. Behm","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, increased incidences of tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease (<em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>), Anaplasmosis (<em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>), and Babesiosis (<em>Babesia microti)</em> have occurred in urban areas. The prevalence of the pathogens causing these diseases relies on a complex set of interactions between the tick vector (<em>Ixodes scapularis</em>) and its prominent hosts, white-tailed deer (<em>Odocoileus virginianus</em>) and white-footed mice (<em>Peromyscus leucopus</em>). Additionally, predators of small mammal hosts, such as red fox (<em>vulpes</em>) may influence host-tick interactions. While urbanization alters these interactions at the landscape scale, localized factors such as invasive vegetation may have additional impacts within forest plots and at the microhabitat scale. In this study, we sought to understand the impacts of urbanization and the presence and structure of the invasive understory shrub, wineberry (<em>Rubus phoenicolasius</em>), on tick-borne disease dynamics in southeastern Pennsylvania. We employed a hierarchical field study at three scales to understand the scale at which urbanization and wineberry presence, or the dense vegetation structure it creates, impacts hosts, ticks, and pathogens. At the microhabitat scale, we found increased small mammal activity, which likely played an indirect role in increasing <em>B. microti</em> and <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> prevalence at the same scale. However, tick abundance and general pathogen prevalence were not concentrated at the micro-habitat scale, but instead were higher in invaded plots as a whole. Our results suggest that invasive shrubs aggregate ticks and tick hosts, leading to increased pathogen prevalence, but that pathogen risk may vary across scales. These findings have important implications for invasive vegetation and tick-borne disease management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 1","pages":"Article 102598"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145913796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}