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Transmission dynamics of B orrelia burgdorferi s.l. in a bird tick community
Author(s) -
Heylen Dieter,
Tijsse Ellen,
Fonville Manoj,
Matthysen Erik,
Sprong Hein
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12059
Subject(s) - biology , ixodes ricinus , ricinus , tick , sensu , zoology , infestation , foraging , transmission (telecommunications) , ecology , botany , genus , electrical engineering , engineering
Summary We examined the B orrelia burgdorferi sensu lato circulation in a tick community consisting of three species ( I xodes ricinus , I . frontalis , I . arboricola ) with contrasting ecologies, but sharing two European songbird hosts ( P arus major and C yanistes caeruleus ). P arus major had the highest infestation rates, primarily due to larger numbers of I . ricinus , and probably because of their greater low‐level foraging. The prevalence of B orrelia in feeding ticks did not significantly differ between the two bird species; however, P . major in particular hosted large numbers of B orrelia ‐infected I . frontalis and I . ricinus larvae, suggesting that the species facilitates B orrelia transmission. The low but significant numbers of B orrelia in questing I . arboricola ticks also provides the first field data to suggest that it is competent in maintaining B orrelia . Aside from B orrelia garinii , a high number of less dominant genospecies was observed, including several mammalian genospecies and the first record of B orrelia turdi for North‐Western Europe. B orrelia burgdorferi sensu lato IGS genotypes were shared between I . arboricola and I . ricinus and between I . frontalis and I . ricinus, but not between I . arboricola and I . frontalis . This suggests that the B orrelia spp. transmission cycles can be maintained by bird‐specific ticks, and bridged by I . ricinus to other hosts outside bird‐tick cycles.