TY - JOUR

T1 - A large-scale screening for the taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus, and the meadow tick, Dermacentor reticulatus, in southern Scandinavia, 2016

AU - Kjær, Lene Jung

AU - Soleng, Arnulf

AU - Edgar, Kristin Skarsfjord

AU - Lindstedt, Heidi Elisabeth H.

AU - Paulsen, Katrine Mørk

AU - Andreassen, Åshild Kristine

AU - Korslund, Lars

AU - Kjelland, Vivian

AU - Slettan, Audun

AU - Stuen, Snorre

AU - Kjellander, Petter

AU - Christensson, Madeleine

AU - Teräväinen, Malin

AU - Baum, Andreas

AU - Isbrand, Anastasia

AU - Mark Jensen, Laura

AU - Klitgaard, Kirstine

AU - Bødker, René

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - The taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus, has previously been limited to eastern Europe and northern Asia, but recently its range has expanded to Finland and northern Sweden. The species is of medical importance, as it, along with a string of other pathogens, may carry the Siberian and Far Eastern subtypes of tick-borne encephalitis virus. These subtypes appear to cause more severe disease, with higher fatality rates than the central European subtype. Until recently, the meadow tick, Dermacentor reticulatus, has been absent from Scandinavia, but has now been detected in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Dermacentor reticulatus carries, along with other pathogens, Babesia canis and Rickettsia raoultii. Babesia canis causes severe and often fatal canine babesiosis, and R. raoultii may cause disease in humans. We collected 600 tick nymphs from each of 50 randomly selected sites in Denmark, southern Norway and south-eastern Sweden in August-September 2016. We tested pools of 10 nymphs in a Fluidigm real time PCR chip to screen for I. persulcatus and D. reticulatus, as well as tick-borne pathogens. Of all the 30,000 nymphs tested, none were I. persulcatus or D. reticulatus. Our results suggest that I. persulcatus is still limited to the northern parts of Sweden, and have not expanded into southern parts of Scandinavia. According to literature reports and supported by our screening results, D. reticulatus may yet only be an occasional guest in Scandinavia without established populations.

AB - The taiga tick, Ixodes persulcatus, has previously been limited to eastern Europe and northern Asia, but recently its range has expanded to Finland and northern Sweden. The species is of medical importance, as it, along with a string of other pathogens, may carry the Siberian and Far Eastern subtypes of tick-borne encephalitis virus. These subtypes appear to cause more severe disease, with higher fatality rates than the central European subtype. Until recently, the meadow tick, Dermacentor reticulatus, has been absent from Scandinavia, but has now been detected in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Dermacentor reticulatus carries, along with other pathogens, Babesia canis and Rickettsia raoultii. Babesia canis causes severe and often fatal canine babesiosis, and R. raoultii may cause disease in humans. We collected 600 tick nymphs from each of 50 randomly selected sites in Denmark, southern Norway and south-eastern Sweden in August-September 2016. We tested pools of 10 nymphs in a Fluidigm real time PCR chip to screen for I. persulcatus and D. reticulatus, as well as tick-borne pathogens. Of all the 30,000 nymphs tested, none were I. persulcatus or D. reticulatus. Our results suggest that I. persulcatus is still limited to the northern parts of Sweden, and have not expanded into southern parts of Scandinavia. According to literature reports and supported by our screening results, D. reticulatus may yet only be an occasional guest in Scandinavia without established populations.

KW - Dermacentor reticulatus

KW - Ixodes persulcatus

KW - meadow tick

KW - range expansion

KW - Siberian and Far Eastern tick-borne encephalitis

KW - southern Scandinavia

KW - Taiga tick

U2 - 10.1186/s13071-019-3596-3

DO - 10.1186/s13071-019-3596-3

M3 - Letter

C2 - 31288866

AN - SCOPUS:85068879277

VL - 12

JO - Parasites & Vectors

JF - Parasites & Vectors

SN - 1756-3305

IS - 1

M1 - 338

ER -