Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2021 Jun 11;87(13):e0031921. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00319-21.
Tick-borne diseases in California include Lyme disease (caused by Borrelia burgdorferi), infections with Borrelia miyamotoi, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum). We surveyed multiple sites and habitats (woodland, grassland, and coastal chaparral) in California to describe spatial patterns of tick-borne pathogen prevalence in western black-legged ticks (Ixodes pacificus). We found that several species of B. burgdorferi, Borrelia americana, and Borrelia bissettiae-were observed in habitats, such as coastal chaparral, that do not harbor obvious reservoir host candidates. Describing tick-borne pathogen prevalence is strongly influenced by the scale of surveillance: aggregating data from individual sites to match jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., county or state) can lower the reported infection prevalence. Considering multiple pathogen species in the same habitat allows a more cohesive interpretation of local pathogen occurrence. Understanding the local host ecology and prevalence of zoonotic diseases is vital for public health. Using tick-borne diseases in California, we show that there is often a bias to our understanding and that studies tend to focus on particular habitats, e.g., Lyme disease in oak woodlands. Other habitats may harbor a surprising diversity of tick-borne pathogens but have been neglected, e.g., coastal chaparral. Explaining pathogen prevalence requires descriptions of data on a local scale; otherwise, aggregating the data can misrepresent the local dynamics of tick-borne diseases.
加利福尼亚州的蜱传疾病包括莱姆病（由伯氏疏螺旋体引起）、感染伯氏疏螺旋体 Miyamotoi 和人类粒细胞无形体病（由嗜吞噬细胞无形体引起）。我们调查了加利福尼亚州的多个地点和栖息地（林地、草原和沿海灌木林），以描述西部黑腿蜱（Ixodes pacificus）中蜱传病原体流行的空间模式。我们发现，几种伯氏疏螺旋体、美国疏螺旋体和 Borrelia bissettiae 存在于栖息地，如沿海灌木林，这些栖息地没有明显的宿主候选者。蜱传病原体流行的描述受到监测规模的强烈影响：将单个地点的数据汇总以匹配管辖边界（例如县或州）可能会降低报告的感染流行率。在同一栖息地考虑多种病原体物种可以更一致地解释当地病原体的发生。了解当地宿主生态学和人畜共患疾病的流行情况对公共卫生至关重要。我们以加利福尼亚州的蜱传疾病为例，表明我们的理解往往存在偏见，而且研究往往侧重于特定的栖息地，例如栎树林中的莱姆病。其他栖息地可能存在蜱传病原体的惊人多样性，但被忽视了，例如沿海灌木林。解释病原体流行率需要对当地数据进行描述；否则，汇总数据可能会歪曲蜱传疾病的局部动态。
