English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Background   Ixodes ricinus  is the principal vector of  Anaplasma phagocytophilum,  the ethiological agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis in Europe. Anaplasmosis is an emerging zoonotic disease with a natural enzootic cycle. The reservoir competence of rodents is unclear. Monitoring of  A. phagocytophilum  prevalence in  I. ricinus  and rodents in various habitat types of Slovakia may contribute to the knowledge about the epidemiology of anaplasmosis in Central Europe.    Methods  Over 4400 questing ixodid ticks, 1000 rodent-attached ticks and tissue samples of 606 rodents were screened for  A. phagocytophilum  DNA by real-time PCR targeting the  msp2  gene. Ticks and rodents were captured along six transects in an urban/suburban and natural habitat in south-western Slovakia during 2011–2014. Estimates of wildlife (roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, mouflon, wild boar) densities in the study area were taken from hunter’s yearly reports. Spatial and temporal differences in  A. phagocytophilum  prevalence in questing  I. ricinus  and relationships with relative abundance of ticks and wildlife were analysed.    Results  Overall prevalence of  A. phagocytophilum  in questing  I. ricinus  was significantly higher in the urban/suburban habitat (7.2 %; 95 % CI: 6.1–8.3 %) compared to the natural habitat (3.1 %; 95 % CI: 2.5–3.9 %) ( χ  2  = 37.451;  P  < 0.001). Significant local differences in prevalence of infected questing ticks were found among transects within each habitat as well as among years and between seasons. The trapped rodents belonged to six species.  Apodemus flavicollis  and  Myodes glareolus  prevailed in both habitats,  Microtus arvalis  was present only in the natural habitat.  I. ricinus  comprised 96.3 % of the rodent-attached ticks, the rest were  Haemaphysalis concinna ,  Ixodes trianguliceps  and  Dermacentor reticulatus . Only 0.5 % of rodent skin and 0.6 % of rodent-attached ticks (only  I. ricinus ) were infected with  A. phagocytophilum . Prevalence of  A. phagocytophilum  in questing  I. ricinus  did not correlate significantly with relative abundance of ticks or with abundance of wildlife in the area.    Conclusion  The study confirms that urban  I. ricinus  populations are infected with  A. phagocytophilum  at a higher rate than in a natural habitat of south-western Slovakia and suggests that rodents are not the main reservoirs of the bacterium in the investigated area.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum prevalence in ticks and rodents in an urban and natural habitat in South-Western Slovakia