Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Earth and Climate pole (ELIC), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
Bacterial zoonoses unit, Veterinary bacteriology, Sciensano, Ukkel/Uccle, Belgium.
Exp Appl Acarol. 2024 Jun;93(1):49-69. doi: 10.1007/s10493-024-00919-2. Epub 2024 Jun 13.
Ixodes ricinus is a vector of several pathogens of public health interest. While forests are the primary habitat for I. ricinus, its abundance and infection prevalence are expected to vary within forest stands. This study assesses the spatio-temporal variations in tick abundance and infection prevalence with three pathogens in and around a peri-urban forest where human exposure is high. Ticks were sampled multiple times in 2016 and 2018 in multiple locations with a diversity of undergrowth, using the consecutive drags method. Three zoonotic pathogens were screened for, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii, and Francisella tularensis. The influence of season, type of site and micro-environmental factors on tick abundance were assessed with negative binomial generalized linear mixed-effects models. We collected 1642 nymphs and 181 adult ticks. Ticks were most abundant in the spring, in warmer temperatures, and where undergrowth was higher. Sites with vegetation unaffected by human presence had higher abundance of ticks. Forest undergrowth type and height were significant predictors of the level of tick abundance in a forest. The consecutive drags method is expected to provide more precise estimates of tick abundance, presumably through more varied contacts with foliage. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. prevalence was estimated from pooled ticks at 5.33%, C. burnetii was detected in six pools and F. tularensis was not detected. Borrelia afzelii was the dominant B. burgdorferi genospecies. Tick abundance and B. burgdorferi s.l. infection prevalence were lower than other estimates in Belgian forests.
硬蜱属是几种公共卫生关注病原体的媒介。虽然森林是硬蜱属的主要栖息地，但它的丰度和感染率预计会在森林中有所变化。本研究评估了在一个城市周边森林中，人类暴露风险高的地方， ticks 的丰度和三种病原体的感染率的时空变化。2016 年和 2018 年，在具有不同林下植被的多个地点，使用连续拖动法多次采集 ticks。共筛选了三种人畜共患病原体，即伯氏疏螺旋体、柯克斯体和土拉弗朗西斯菌。使用负二项广义线性混合效应模型评估了季节、地点类型和微环境因素对 ticks 丰度的影响。我们共收集了 1642 只若虫和 181 只成虫。春季、温暖的温度和较高的林下植被是 ticks 最丰富的时期。不受人类活动影响的地点，其 ticks 的丰度更高。森林林下植被类型和高度是森林中 ticks 丰度的重要预测因素。连续拖动法有望通过与枝叶更广泛的接触，提供更准确的 ticks 丰度估计。从合并的 ticks 中估计出伯氏疏螺旋体的流行率为 5.33%，在 6 个池中检测到了柯克斯体，而未检测到土拉弗朗西斯菌。伯氏疏螺旋体的主要种群是伯氏疏螺旋体。与比利时其他森林的估计相比，Ticks 的丰度和伯氏疏螺旋体的感染率较低。
