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Temporal dynamics of the tick Ixodes ricinus in northern Europe : epidemiological implications
- Source :
- Parasites & Vectors, Parasites & Vectors, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2017)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- BioMed Central, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Background Tick-borne pathogens pose an increasing threat to human and veterinary health across the northern hemisphere. While the seasonal activity of ticks is largely determined by climatic conditions, host-population dynamics are also likely to affect tick abundance. Consequently, abundance fluctuations of rodents in northern Europe are expected to be translated into tick dynamics, and can hence potentially affect the circulation of tick-borne pathogens. We quantified and explained the temporal dynamics of the tick Ixodes ricinus in the northernmost part of its European geographical range, by estimating (i) abundance in vegetation and (ii) infestation load in the most common rodent species in the study area, the bank vole Myodes glareolus. Results Ixodes ricinus nymphs and adult females, the life stages responsible for the most of tick bites in humans, peaked in May-June and August-September. Larvae and nymphs were simultaneously active in June and abundance of questing larvae and nymphs in the vegetation showed a positive association with bank vole abundance. Moreover, infesting larvae and nymphs were aggregated on bank voles, and the infestation of bank voles with I. ricinus larvae and nymphs was positively associated with bank vole abundance. Conclusion Our results indicate early summer and early autumn as periods of increased risk for humans to encounter I. ricinus ticks in boreal urban forests and suggest a 2 years life-cycle for I. ricinus with two cohorts of ticks during the same year. Moreover, we identified a simultaneous activity of larvae and nymphs which allows co-feeding on the rodent host, which in turn supports the transmission of several important zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. Finally, we showed that a high density of the rodent host may enhance the risk that ticks and, potentially, tick-borne pathogens pose to human health. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2112-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Male
Nymph
Ixodes ricinus
Time Factors
Population dynamics
030231 tropical medicine
Tick
medicine.disease_cause
Models, Biological
Rodent host
lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases
rodent host
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
kansanterveys
Infestation
parasitic diseases
medicine
Animals
lcsh:RC109-216
Public health
biology
Ixodes
Ecology
Arvicolinae
seasonality
Research
Ricinus
fungi
Seasonality
biology.organism_classification
populaatiodynamiikka
Tick Infestations
Bank vole
030104 developmental biology
Infectious Diseases
Larva
Parasitology
Female
Seasons
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Parasites & Vectors, Parasites & Vectors, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2017)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....00330d8aa1ae201237bea125ea5924af