Molecular screening for bacterial pathogens in ticks (Ixodes ricinus) collected on migratory birds captured in northern Italy.

Massimo Pajoro,Francesco Scattorin,Ilaria Varotto Boccazzi,Valeria Mereghetti,Massimo Fabbi,Davide Sassera,Claudio Bandi,Matteo Montagna,Dario Pistone

doi:10.14411/fp.2018.008

Abstract

Migratory birds have an important role in transporting ticks and associated tick-borne pathogens over long distances. In this study, 2,793 migratory birds were captured by nets in a ringing station, located in northern Italy, and checked for the presence of ticks. Two-hundred and fifty-one ticks were identified as nymphs and larvae of Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) and they were PCR-screened for the presence of bacteria belonging to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp., Francisella tularensis and Coxiella burnetii. Four species of Borrelia (B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana and B. lusitaniae) and three species of Rickettsia (R. monacensis, R. helvetica and Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii) were detected in 74 (30%) and 25 (10%) respectively out of 251 ticks examined. Co-infection with Borrelia spp. and Rickettsia spp. in the same tick sample was encountered in 7 (7%) out of the 99 infected ticks. We report for the first time the presence of Candidatus Rickettsia mendelii in I. ricinus collected on birds in Italy. This study, besides confirming the role of birds in dispersal of I. ricinus, highlights an important route by which tick-borne pathogens might spread across different countries and from natural environments towards urbanised areas.

Highlights

Migratory birds can carry ticks and associated tickborne pathogens (TBPs) over long distances (e.g. Elvfing et al 2010, Lindeborg et al 2012, Paduraru et al 2012)
Lyme disease borreliae were detected in host-seeking I. ricinus collected in wild and suburban recreational areas close to Milan (Pistone et al 2010, Olivieri et al 2017) and the presence of various TBPs was repoted in birds captured in urban areas of Tuscany (Ebani et al 2016)
The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of four groups of important zoonosis-causing bacterial agents (Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Francisella tularensis and Coxiella burnetii) in I. ricinus collected from migratory birds captured at the border of a highly urbanised and interconnected area in northern Italy

Summary

Introduction

Migratory birds can carry ticks and associated tickborne pathogens (TBPs) over long distances (e.g. Elvfing et al 2010, Lindeborg et al 2012, Paduraru et al 2012). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of four groups of important zoonosis-causing bacterial agents (Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Francisella tularensis and Coxiella burnetii) in I. ricinus collected from migratory birds captured at the border of a highly urbanised and interconnected area in northern Italy.

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