Rafael Marta, Segura Amalia, Vaz-Rodrigues Rita, Relimpio David, Rodríguez Oscar, de la Fuente Gabriela, Isla Julio, Gortázar Christian, de la Fuente José
SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, Ciudad Real, Spain.
BP 30, Sidi Allal el Bahraoui, Morocco.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 15;20(7):e0327313. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0327313. eCollection 2025.
Ticks are hosts and vectors of zoonotic pathogens, posing a critical threat to public health and the conservation of animal host populations, especially in Northern Africa. Tick-host-pathogen interactions are driven by tick spatial distribution and abundance, and the influence of biotic (animal hosts) and abiotic (environmental conditions) factors. The objectives of this study, conducted in the Maamora Forest (Northwest Morocco), were: (i) description of seasonal interactions network between off-host questing ticks and the wild hosts, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and addax (Addax nasomaculatus), (ii) analysis of density-dependent and environmental effects in questing and on-rabbit ticks, and (iii) identification of tick-borne pathogens in questing and on-addax ticks. Results showed that questing and on-rabbit ticks (Hyalomma lusitanicum, Rhipicephalus pusillus, and H. aegyptium) presented significant spatial and seasonal differences. Questing ticks were highly abundant in summer, but infestation on rabbits was higher in spring. Spatially, areas with contact between rabbits and ungulates showed the highest tick infestations during summer. Ticks from rabbits were density-dependent and had a positive relationship with questing ticks. Addax was infested by H. lusitanicum ticks. Tick network of interactions resulted in the presence of Coxiella burnetii in both questing and in addax ticks (17-27%), and Rickettsia aeschlimannii in H. lusitanicum questing ticks (4%). These results support that ticks represent a challenge for human and animal health, as well as ecosystems in Northern Africa, emphasizing the need for long-term studies on their network of interactions, seasonal activity patterns, and tick-borne pathogens in wildlife.
蜱是人畜共患病原体的宿主和传播媒介，对公共卫生和动物宿主种群的保护构成重大威胁，在北非地区尤为如此。蜱与宿主及病原体之间的相互作用受蜱的空间分布和数量，以及生物因素（动物宿主）和非生物因素（环境条件）的影响。本研究在摩洛哥西北部的马莫拉森林开展，其目的是：（i）描述离宿主寻找宿主的蜱与野生宿主兔子（穴兔）和旋角羚之间的季节性相互作用网络；（ii）分析寻找宿主的蜱和寄生在兔子身上的蜱的密度依赖性和环境影响；（iii）鉴定寻找宿主的蜱和寄生在旋角羚身上的蜱所携带的病原体。结果表明，寻找宿主的蜱和寄生在兔子身上的蜱（卢氏璃眼蜱、微小扇头蜱和埃及璃眼蜱）呈现出显著的空间和季节性差异。寻找宿主的蜱在夏季数量极多，但春季寄生在兔子身上的蜱更多。在空间上，兔子与有蹄类动物接触的区域在夏季蜱的寄生率最高。来自兔子身上的蜱具有密度依赖性，且与寻找宿主的蜱呈正相关。旋角羚受到卢氏璃眼蜱的寄生。蜱的相互作用网络导致在寻找宿主的蜱和寄生在旋角羚身上的蜱中均存在伯氏考克斯体（1７% - 27%），在卢氏璃眼蜱寻找宿主的蜱中存在阿氏立克次体（4%）。这些结果表明，蜱对北非地区的人类、动物健康以及生态系统构成挑战，强调有必要对其相互作用网络、季节性活动模式以及野生动物中蜱传播的病原体进行长期研究。
