Bhosale Chanakya R, Wilson Kristen N, Ledger Kimberly J, White Zoe S, Dorleans Rayann, De Jesus Carrie E, Wisely Samantha M
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA.
Microorganisms. 2023 Mar 15;11(3):756. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11030756.
Tick-borne infections are an increasing medical and veterinary concern in the southeastern United States, but there is limited understanding of how recreational greenspaces influence the hazard of pathogen transmission. This study aimed to estimate the potential human and companion animal encounter risk with different questing tick species, and the bacterial or protozoal agents they carry in recreational greenspaces. We collected ticks bimonthly along trails and designated recreational areas in 17 publicly accessible greenspaces, in and around Gainesville, Florida, USA. We collected , , , , , and . Across the six tick species collected, we detected 18 species of bacteria or protozoa within the , , , , , , , and genera, including pathogens of medical or veterinary importance. While tick abundance and associated microorganism prevalence and richness were the greatest in natural habitats surrounded by forests, we found both ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in manicured groundcover. This relationship is important for public health and awareness, because it suggests that the probability of encountering an infected tick is measurable and substantial even on closely manicured turf or gravel, if the surrounding landcover is undeveloped. The presence of medically important ticks and pathogenic microorganisms in recreational greenspaces indicates that public education efforts regarding ticks and tick-borne diseases are warranted in this region of the United States.
在美国东南部，蜱传播感染对医学和兽医学来说愈发令人担忧，但对于休闲绿地如何影响病原体传播风险，人们了解有限。本研究旨在估计人类和伴侣动物在休闲绿地中与不同种类的宿主蜱相遇的潜在风险，以及这些蜱所携带的细菌或原生动物病原体。我们在美国佛罗里达州盖恩斯维尔市及其周边17个公共休闲绿地中，沿着步道和指定休闲区域每两个月收集一次蜱。我们收集了[此处原文缺失蜱的种类等具体信息]。在所收集的六种蜱中，我们在[此处原文缺失相关属名等具体信息]属中检测到18种细菌或原生动物，包括具有医学或兽医学重要性的病原体。虽然蜱的数量以及相关微生物的患病率和丰富度在被森林环绕的自然栖息地中最高，但我们在修剪过的地被植物中也发现了蜱和致病微生物。这种关系对公共卫生和认知很重要，因为这表明即使在修剪得很整齐的草坪或砾石地上，如果周围的土地未开发，遇到感染蜱的可能性也是可测量且相当大的。休闲绿地中存在具有医学重要性的蜱和致病微生物，这表明在美国该地区开展关于蜱及蜱传播疾病的公众教育工作是有必要的。
