Density of Dermacentor reticulatus Ticks in Eastern Poland.

Zbigniew Zając,Joanna Kulisz,Aneta Woźniak

doi:10.3390/ijerph17082814

Abstract

Dermacentor reticulatus, the ornate cow tick, is second only to Ixodes ricinus as the most important reservoir and vector of infectious diseases in Europe. In recent years, the distribution of D. reticulatus ticks has expanded into new territories, including increased population densities in areas of their previous occurrence. Our investigations around this consisted of two stages. In the first stage, we monitored the seasonal activity of D. reticulatus ticks in Polesie National Park in 2014–2019. The second stage, which was carried out in 2019 at the peak of the spring (March) and autumn (October) activity of this species, included assessment of the density of D. reticulatus ticks in the entire province. To this end, the study area was divided into 101 equal plots that were surveyed for ticks. The seasonal activity of D. reticulatus in Polesie National Park showed peaks of activity in autumn in 2014–2018 and in spring in 2019. A total of 19,559 adult D. reticulatus specimens were collected, with a mean of 96.8 specimens/100 m2 in Lublin Province. The area of Lublin Province is characterized by a high density of the ornate cow tick. An increase in the surface area of meadows and fallow land has contributed to a rise in the number of local populations of D. reticulatus ticks.

Highlights

Dermacentor reticulatus, the ornate cow tick, is one of the most widely distributed tick species throughout Europe
In the the first seasonal activity of reticulatus ticks in a habitat preferred by the species in seasonal activity of D. reticulatus ticks in a habitat preferred by the species in Polesie National Park
In 2019, there were changes in the seasonal activity of D. reticulatus, as higher numbers of active ticks were collected in the spring

Summary

Introduction

Dermacentor reticulatus, the ornate cow tick, is one of the most widely distributed tick species throughout Europe. As suggested by some authors, two geographically separated populations of ornate cow ticks, known as the “Eastern European” and “Western European”, can be distinguished in Europe. This phenomenon is not found in other widely distributed tick species in Europe, such as Ixodes ricinus or D. marginatus [1,2,3]. In Central Europe, numerous localities of this species have been reported in Poland, Hungary, the Slovakian lowlands, Slovenia, and Austria [3,6,7,8,9]. Numerous records have been reported from the Caucasus and Asia to the Omsk and Novosibirsk regions [2,10,11,12,13]

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