Prevalence of tick-borne zoonotic bacteria in questing adult ticks from northern Spain
Abstract
A total of 691 questing adult ixodid ticks of the genera Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, and Rhipicephalus were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot (RLB) for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia spp., and spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae. Ticks were collected by blanket dragging during 2 sampling years (2003-2005) in 10 recreational areas in the Basque Country (Northern Spain). Adult ticks were collected every month of the year and eight different species were identified among which Ixodes ricinus was the most abundant and widespread. Three pathogens for humans, Borrelia burgdorferi, A. phagocytophilum, and C. burnetii, as well as rickettsiae of unknown pathogenicity were detected. The latter were identified as Rickettsia sp. RpA4/DnS14 by sequencing of the citrate synthase (gltA) gene. The infection rates varied from 0.1%-6.9%. DNA of A. phagocytophilum was detected mainly in I. ricinus, but also in Haemaphysalis punctata, H. concinna, and Rhipicephalus bursa. Coxiella burnetii was detected in only one specimen of H. punctata, and Borrelia spp. in eight ticks. Furthermore, PCR-RLB analysis specific for B. burgdorferi sensu lato detected one H. punctata with positive hybridization with the B. burgdorferi sensu stricto probe, and two I. ricinus positive for B. afzelii and B. garinii. SFG rickettsiae were the pathogens most frequently found, present in 48 of 97 D. reticulatus analyzed. Mixed infections were not found in any of the analyzed ticks. These results are compared and discussed with data obtained in previous studies carried out in the same and other regions.
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PCR-positive ticks for A. phagocytophilum have been found.
“PCR-positive ticks have been found (56, 57)”
From Current Distribution of Selected Vector-Borne Diseases in Dogs in Spain (2020) · cites this paper as [56]
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- Authors
- Barandika, J. F., Hurtado, A., García-Sanmartín, J., Juste, R. A., Anda, P., & García-Pérez, A. L.
- Affiliations
- Department of Animal Health and Production, NEIKER–Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
- NEIKER, Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development (ES)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ES)
- Venue
- Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2008-12
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 829-836
- ISSN
- 1530-3667 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-7759
- OpenAlex
- W2080779849
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 3.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- European Commission
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Viral Infections and Vectors
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Keywords
- tick-borne zoonoses, Ixodes ricinus, Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis concinna, Dermacentor reticulatus, Rhipicephalus bursa, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, spotted fever group rickettsiae, infection prevalence, co-infection, Basque Country
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Bacteria, DNA, Bacterial, Larva, Nymph, Seasons, Spain, Ticks, Zoonoses, Prevalence
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