Detection of Rickettsia spp and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks in a region of Middle Germany (Thuringia)

Rickettsia spp and Anaplasma spp are regarded as potentially emerging tick-borne pathogens but so far data on prevalence rates in questing ticks and reports on human diseases in several parts of Europe are rarely available In this study 430 nymphs and 570 adult Ixodes (I) norms ticks were collected from a frequently visited forest region of Thuringia (Zeitzgrund near Stadtroda) in 2006 (n=506) and 2007 (n=494) Individual ticks were investigated for a part of the citrate synthase gene (gltA) of Rickettsia spp and the 165 rRNA gene of Anaplasma phagocytophilum Positive amplicons were identified with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and/or sequencing Overall 14 7% (147/1000) of Investigated ticks were infected with Rickettsia spp After sequencing of 64/147 positive amplicons R helvetica (29/64) was detected predominantly Prevalence varied in different developmental stages between 9 3% (40/430) in nymphs and 18 8% (107/570) in adults A phagocytophilum-specific DNA was detected in 5 4%(54/1000) of ticks with an infection rate of 4 7% (20/430) in nymphs and 6 0%(34/570) in adults In 1% (10/1000) of ticks comfections with Rickettsia spp and A phagocytophilum were found Our study provides interesting insights into the circulation and cocirculation of different rickettsial species and A phagocytophilum in the same biotope (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH All rights reserved