4.1 Article

Bacteria and protozoa with pathogenic potential in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Viennese recreational areas

Journal

WIENER KLINISCHE WOCHENSCHRIFT
Volume 135, Issue 7-8, Pages 177-184

Publisher

SPRINGER WIEN
DOI: 10.1007/s00508-022-02046-7

Keywords

Vienna; Borrelia miyamotoi; Tick-borne pathogens; Borrelia; City parks

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This study collected ticks in popular recreational areas in Vienna and found that the most prevalent pathogen was Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which causes Lyme borreliosis in humans. Other pathogens such as Rickettsia, Babesia, Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM), Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Borrelia miyamotoi were also detected. This study identified hotspots for B. miyamotoi, which was detected in Vienna for the first time.
Ixodes ricinus is the most relevant vector for tick-borne diseases in Austria and responsible for the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s. l.), which causes Lyme borreliosis in humans; however, also other bacteria and protozoa can be found in ticks and have the potential of infecting people and animals. In this study we collected ticks in popular recreational areas in the city of Vienna in the years 2019 and 2020 and analyzed them for the presence of such putative pathogenic microorganisms. By using reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization we detected DNA of B. burgdorferi s. l., Rickettsia spp., Babesia spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Moreover, we also screened them for the relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia miyamotoi employing real-time PCR. The most frequently detected pathogens were B. burgdorferi s. l. in 28.6% of the ticks in 2019 and 21.3% of the ticks in 2020. The genus Rickettsia was detected in 13.8% of the ticks from 2019 and only in 4.6% from 2020. Babesia spp. were detected in 5.7% in 2019 and 4.2% in 2020. Furthermore, we detected CNM in 4.0% (2019) and 5.6% (2020), A. phagocytophilum in 0.5% (2019) and 1.3% (2020) and finally B. miyamotoi in 3.3% (2019) and 1.7% (2020). Collectively, we show that various microorganisms are prevalent in ticks collected in Vienna and identify hotspots for B. miyamotoi, which we have detected for the first time in the city.

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