Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine , Cluj Napoca, Cluj, Romania .
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2017 Feb;17(2):152-154. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2054. Epub 2016 Dec 6.
Crows (Corvidae) are common city dwellers worldwide and are increasingly important subjects of epidemiology studies. Although their importance as hosts and transmitters of a number of zoonotic parasites and pathogens is well known, there are no studies on their importance as tick hosts. After mosquitoes, ticks are the most important vectors of zoonotic pathogens, especially for those causing emerging zoonotic diseases. Pathogenic bacteria, especially Borrelia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Anaplasma spp., vectored by ticks, are the cause for most vector-borne diseases in Europe. Here we report on ticks and tick-borne pathogens harbored by urban breeding crows. A total of 36 birds (33.33%, n = 108) hosted ticks, with 91 individual ticks belonging to 6 species (Haemaphysalis concinna, Haemaphysalis parva, Haemaphysalis punctata, Hyalomma marginatum, Ixodes arboricola, and Ixodes ricinus). Rickettsia spp. DNA was found in 6.6% of ticks and 1.9% of bird tissues, whereas Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 5.9% of ticks and 0.9% of birds. Two rickettsial genospecies were located, Rickettsia helvetica and Rickettsia monacensis. This is the first study to determine such a diverse tick spectrum feeding on urban corvids, while highlighting their importance as tick hosts and raising concerns about their potential risk to human health.
乌鸦（Corvidae）是世界范围内常见的城市居民，也是越来越多流行病学研究的重要对象。尽管它们作为许多人畜共患寄生虫和病原体的宿主和传播者的重要性是众所周知的，但关于它们作为蜱宿主的重要性的研究还很少。仅次于蚊子，蜱是最重要的人畜共患病病原体载体，尤其是那些引起新兴人畜共患病的病原体。由蜱传播的致病菌，尤其是伯氏疏螺旋体、立克次体属和无形体属，是欧洲大多数虫媒病的主要病原体。在这里，我们报告了城市繁殖的乌鸦携带的蜱和蜱传病原体。共有 36 只鸟（33.33%，n=108）携带蜱，91 只蜱属于 6 个物种（血红扇头蜱、小红硬蜱、刻点血蜱、边缘革蜱、柏氏禽刺螨和全沟硬蜱）。在 6.6%的蜱和 1.9%的鸟类组织中发现了立克次体 DNA，而在 5.9%的蜱和 0.9%的鸟类中发现了无形体。共鉴定出两种立克次体种，即瑞士立克次体和单胞菌立克次体。这是第一项确定在城市鸦科鸟类中存在如此多样的蜱谱的研究，同时强调了它们作为蜱宿主的重要性，并引起了对它们对人类健康潜在风险的关注。
