Cull Benjamin, Vaux Alexander G C, Ottowell Lisa J, Gillingham Emma L, Medlock Jolyon M
Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology, Emergency Response Department, Public Health England, Porton Down, Salisbury.
J Vector Ecol. 2017 Jun;42(1):74-83. doi: 10.1111/jvec.12241.
Tick infestations on small mammals were studied from April to November, 2010, in deciduous woodland in southern England in order to determine whether co-infestations with tick stages occurred on small mammals, a key requirement for endemic transmission of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). A total of 217 small mammals was trapped over 1,760 trap nights. Yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis) made up the majority (52.5%) of animals, followed by wood mice (A. sylvaticus) 35.5% and bank voles (Myodes glareolus) 12%. A total of 970 ticks was collected from 169 infested animals; 96% of ticks were Ixodes ricinus and 3% I. trianguliceps. Over 98% of ticks were larval stages. Mean infestation intensities of I. ricinus were significantly higher on A. flavicollis (6.53 ± 0.67) than on A. sylvaticus (4.96 ± 0.92) and M. glareolus (3.25 ± 0.53). Infestations with I. ricinus were significantly higher in August than in any other month. Co-infestations with I. ricinus nymphs and larvae were observed on six (3.6%) infested individuals, and fifteen small mammals (8.9%) supported I. ricinus - I. trianguliceps co-infestations. This work contributes further to our understanding of European small mammal hosts that maintain tick populations and their associated pathogens, and indicates that co-infestation of larvae and nymph ticks does occur in lowland UK. The possible implications for transmission of tick-borne encephalitis virus between UK ticks and small mammals are discussed.
2010年4月至11月，在英格兰南部的落叶林地对小型哺乳动物的蜱虫感染情况进行了研究，以确定小型哺乳动物身上是否存在不同蜱虫阶段的混合感染，这是蜱传脑炎病毒（TBEV）地方性传播的一个关键条件。在1760个诱捕夜中，共捕获了217只小型哺乳动物。黄颈鼠（黄颈姬鼠）占动物总数的大部分（52.5%），其次是林姬鼠（35.5%）和欧鼹（12%）。从169只受感染的动物身上共采集到970只蜱虫；96%的蜱虫为蓖麻硬蜱，3%为三角头硬蜱。超过98%的蜱虫处于幼虫阶段。蓖麻硬蜱在黄颈鼠身上的平均感染强度（6.53±0.67）显著高于林姬鼠（4.96±0.92）和欧鼹（3.25±0.53）。8月蓖麻硬蜱的感染率显著高于其他任何月份。在6只（3.6%）受感染个体上观察到蓖麻硬蜱若虫和幼虫的混合感染，15只小型哺乳动物（8.9%）同时感染了蓖麻硬蜱和三角头硬蜱。这项工作进一步有助于我们了解维持蜱虫种群及其相关病原体的欧洲小型哺乳动物宿主，并表明在英国低地确实存在幼虫和若虫蜱的混合感染。文中还讨论了蜱传脑炎病毒在英国蜱虫和小型哺乳动物之间传播的可能影响。
