A New Endemic Locality of in Central-Southern Poland and Its Potential Epidemiological Implications.

(Acari: Ixodidae) is an important arthropod vector in medical and veterinary contexts. Its geographic range is divided into western and eastern populations separated by a "-free zone" in central Poland. Recent faunistic studies showed a new endemic locality of the species in Upper Silesia to the west of the Vistula River (central-southern Poland) and its co-occurrence with The prevalence of five tick-borne pathogens (TBPs), e.g., s.l., spp., spp., and spp., in the ticks was assessed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. The molecular studies revealed the presence of spp. in 23.8% of the specimens. In turn, 94.1% of the adults were infected with s.l., 11.7 % with spp., and 5.8% with spp. Coinfections with two TBPs were noted in 17.6% of the . These findings highlight not only the risk of infestation by both tick species in an area previously considered -free, but also the high prevalence of TBPs in the study area. Increased focus on medical and veterinary services appears necessary to diagnose and prevent tick-borne diseases in this region.