Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing and Ticks Collected from Recreational Areas in Northeastern Poland with Analysis of Environmental Factors.

Ticks, such as and , act as vectors for multiple pathogens posing a threat to both human and animal health. As the process of urbanization is progressing, those arachnids are being more commonly encountered in urban surroundings. In total, 1112 ( = 842) and ( = 270) ticks were collected from several sites, including recreational urban parks, located in Augustów and Białystok, Poland. Afterwards, the specimens were examined for the presence of spp., spp., , spp., spp., and using the PCR method. Overall obtained infection rate reached 22.4% (249/1112). In total, 26.7% (225/842) of was infected, namely with spp. (25.2%; 212/842), spp. (2.0%; 17/842), and (1.2%; 10/842). Among ticks, 8.9% (24/270) were infected, specifically with spp. (7.0%; 19/270), (1.1%; 3/270), and s.l. (0.7%; 2/270). No specimen tested positively for spp., spp., or . Co-infections were detected in 14 specimens. Results obtained in this study confirm that and ticks found within the study sites of northeastern Poland are infected with at least three pathogens. Evaluation of the prevalence of pathogens in ticks collected from urban environments provides valuable information, especially in light of the growing number of tick-borne infections in humans and domesticated animals.