Wiener klinische Wochenschrift
-
Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. · Apr 2023
Bacteria and protozoa with pathogenic potential in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Viennese recreational areas.
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. ⋯ 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.