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Background  Birds have long been known as carriers of ticks, but data from the literature are lacking on their role as a reservoir in the epidemiology of certain tick-borne disease-causing agents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of three emerging, zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in blood samples and ticks of birds and to assess the impact of feeding location preference and migration distance of bird species on their tick infestation.    Methods  Blood samples and ticks of birds were analysed with TaqMan real-time PCRs and conventional PCR followed by sequencing.    Results  During the spring and autumn bird migrations, 128 blood samples and 140 ticks ( Ixodes ricinus ,  Haemaphysalis concinna  and a  Hyalomma  specimen) were collected from birds belonging to 16 species. The prevalence of tick infestation and the presence of tick species were related to the feeding and migration habits of avian hosts. Birds were shown to be bacteraemic with  Rickettsia helvetica  and  Anaplasma phagocytophilum , but not with  Candidatus  Neoehrlichia mikurensis. The prevalence of rickettsiae was high (51.4%) in ticks, suggesting that some of them may have acquired their infection from their avian host.    Conclusion  Based on the present results birds are potential reservoirs of both  I. ricinus  transmitted zoonotic pathogens,  R. helvetica  and  A. phagocytophilum , but their epidemiological role appears to be less important concerning the latter, at least in Central Europe.

Birds as potential reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens: first evidence of bacteraemia with Rickettsia helvetica