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Study on Ticks and Tick‐Borne Zoonoses in Public Parks in Italy
Author(s) -
Corrain R.,
Drigo M.,
Fenati M.,
Menandro M. L.,
Mondin A.,
Pasotto D.,
Martini M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/j.1863-2378.2012.01490.x
Subject(s) - ixodes ricinus , anaplasma phagocytophilum , borrelia burgdorferi , bartonella , bartonella henselae , ricinus , biology , tick , nymph , seroprevalence , virology , veterinary medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , zoology , medicine , serology , botany , immunology , antibody
Summary A survey on tick density and on tick‐borne zoonoses was carried out in four public parks in the outskirts of Imola (northern Italy) from June to October 2006. All stages of Ixodes ricinus and only larvae of Riphicephalus sanguineus were recovered by dragging, performed on 100‐m transects. Almost all ticks (99%) were harvested in one park. I. ricinus density (nymphs/100 m 2 ) ranged from 0 in park L to 6.3 in park F. Nymphs and adults of I. ricinus were subjected to PCR for Anaplasma phagocytophilum , Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s. l. and Rickettsia spp. The observed prevalences were 38.3% for Bartonella henselae , 5.2% for Bartonella clarridgeiae , 10.4% for B. burgdorferi s. l., 2.6% for Rickettsia helvetica and 13% for Rickettsia monacensis , respectively. No DNA of A. phagocytophilum was found. Acarological risks (AR) were calculated as probabilities of collecting at least one infected nymph per transect. The AR values calculated for the various zoonotic agents were 11.4% for R. helvetica , 27.7% for B. clarridgeiae , 49.7% for B. burgdorferi s. l., 57.2% for R. monacensis and 90.4% for B. henselae , respectively. In this study, B. clarridgeiae was for the first time identified in I. ricinus ticks.