Snegiriovaitė Justina, Lipatova Indrė, Razgūnaitė Miglė, Paulauskas Algimantas, Radzijevskaja Jana
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Pathogens. 2025 Jun 28;14(7):642. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14070642.
and , both members of the Anaplasmataceae family, are pathogens that can cause diseases in animals and humans. Ixodid ticks are the primary vectors for both species. While urban green spaces offer various ecological and social benefits, there is increasing evidence suggesting potential public health risks, particularly increased exposure to vector-borne diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and co-occurrence of and in ticks from urban environments in Lithuania. A total of 3599 and 29 were collected from 31 urban and 21 peri-urban areas. Ticks were examined for pathogens using duplex real-time PCR. was detected in 4.47% of tested ticks, while in 6.17%. Co-infection was found in 0.42% of specimens. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene revealed low genetic variability of and the circulation of two ecotypes (I and II) of . Additionally, was identified in ticks. This study is the first report of detection in ticks from Lithuania. Our findings highlight the potential risk posed by tick-borne pathogens in urban and peri-urban areas of the country.
无形体科的两个成员，是可在动物和人类中引发疾病的病原体。硬蜱是这两个物种的主要传播媒介。虽然城市绿地提供了各种生态和社会效益，但越来越多的证据表明存在潜在的公共卫生风险，尤其是接触媒介传播疾病的风险增加。本研究的目的是评估立陶宛城市环境中蜱虫体内这两种病原体的流行率和共现情况。从31个城市地区和21个城郊地区共采集了3599只蜱虫和29只蜱虫。使用双重实时聚合酶链反应检测蜱虫中的病原体。在4.47%的受试蜱虫中检测到了一种病原体，而在6.17%的蜱虫中检测到了另一种病原体。在0.42%的蜱虫样本中发现了共同感染。对该基因的系统发育分析显示，一种病原体的遗传变异性较低，且存在两种生态型（I和II）的循环。此外，在蜱虫中还鉴定出了另一种病原体。本研究是立陶宛蜱虫中检测到该病原体的首次报告。我们的研究结果突出了该国城市和城郊地区蜱传病原体带来的潜在风险。
