Abstract
Ixodes ricinus is the most widely distributed tick species in Europe. Mainly deciduous and mixed forests, pastures, and urban parks are habitats preferred by this species. I. ricinus ticks are also one of the most important reservoirs and vectors of human and animal infectious diseases on the continent. Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. spirochetes causing Lyme borreliosis (LB) in humans and tick borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which is a causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), are pathogens with the highest medical importance transmitted by this species. Investigations of the environmental determinants of the occurrence and activity of I. ricinus are crucial for elucidation of the environmental background of tick-borne diseases. In eastern Poland, I. ricinus is a common species with peak activity recorded in May in the entire region. During this period, 49 females, 32 males, and 55 I. ricinus nymphs were collected from an area of 900 m2. The results of the present study show that the occurrence and seasonal activity of this tick species are mainly influenced by microhabitat conditions, and saturation deficit has a significant effect on the activity of the species. Eastern Poland is characterized by a high incidence of LB and TBE. We have shown a correlation between the forest cover and the number of reported cases of tick-borne diseases.
Highlights
IntroductionDeciduous and mixed forests, pastures, and urban parks are habitats preferred by this species
Ixodes ricinus is the most widely distributed tick species in Europe
The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of environmental factors on the occurrence and activity of I. ricinus ticks in eastern Poland (Lublin Province) and on the prevalence of the most frequently tickborne diseases diagnosed in humans in this region, i.e. Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis
Summary
Deciduous and mixed forests, pastures, and urban parks are habitats preferred by this species. In eastern Poland, I. ricinus is a common species with peak activity recorded in May in the entire region. During this period, 49 females, 32 males, and 55 I. ricinus nymphs were collected from an area of 900 m2. Ixodes ricinus ticks prefer habitats with mainly deciduous and mixed (less often coniferous) forests with a clear layer of litter. Ticks of this species have been collected in pastures, moorlands, and urban parks[13,14,15,16]. They are colonized by small rodents, i.e. tick hosts required for completion of the tick life cycle as well as transfer of specimens between habitats and introduction thereof in new a reas[18,19]
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