Abstract
BackgroundThe incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing in Europe. Sub national information on tick distribution, ecology and vector status is often lacking. However, precise location of infection risk can lead to better targeted prevention measures, surveillance and control.MethodsIn this context, the current paper compiled geolocated tick occurrences in Belgium, a country where tick-borne disease has received little attention, in order to highlight the potential value of spatial approaches and draw some recommendations for future research priorities.ResultsMapping of 89,289 ticks over 654 sites revealed that ticks such as Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes hexagonus are largely present while Dermacentor reticulatus has a patchy distribution. Suspected hot spots of tick diversity might favor pathogen exchanges and suspected hot spots of I. ricinus abundance might increase human-vector contact locally. This underlines the necessity to map pathogens and ticks in detail. While I. ricinus is the main vector, I. hexagonus is a vector and reservoir of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., which is active the whole year and is also found in urban settings. This and other nidiculous species bite humans less frequently, but seem to harbour pathogens. Their role in maintaining a pathogenic cycle within the wildlife merits investigation as they might facilitate transmission to humans if co-occurring with I. ricinus. Many micro-organisms are found abroad in tick species present in Belgium. Most have not been recorded locally but have not been searched for. Some are transmitted directly at the time of the bite, suggesting promotion of tick avoidance additionally to tick removal.ConclusionThis countrywide approach to tick-borne diseases has helped delineate recommendations for future research priorities necessary to design public health policies aimed at spatially integrating the major components of the ecological cycle of tick-borne diseases. A systematic survey of tick species and associated pathogens is called for in Europe, as well as better characterisation of species interaction in the ecology of tick-borne diseases, those being all tick species, pathogens, hosts and other species which might play a role in tick-borne diseases complex ecosystems.
Highlights
The incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing in Europe
This study aims to show how an integrated spatial approach on tick species in a given country can provide the preliminary information needed for adapted national public health policies by providing: 1) a list of tick species present and their detailed distribution, 2) the micro-organisms they could harbour, 3) ecological traits influencing vector status, 4) implications for public health and suggestions for future research priorities
Tick species in Belgium Fourteen species were recorded in Belgium and 10 additional species are suspected to be present because they were recorded in surrounding areas [27,28,29,30,31,32] (Table 2)
Summary
The incidence of tick-borne diseases is increasing in Europe. Sub national information on tick distribution, ecology and vector status is often lacking. Knowing the local variations in the distribution of the species interacting in tick-borne diseases systems, including ticks, pathogens and species influencing the presence and abundance of ticks and pathogens, could provide new opportunities to estimate potential infection risks locally, identify local hot spots and develop targeted prevention, surveillance and control. Efforts to characterise tick distribution on a European scale [4,5,6] are limited by the information available at sub national level and only target major vectors such as I. ricinus. The third set of missing information concerns pathogens associated to ticks, their presence, reservoirs, vectors and distribution. The list of micro-organisms found locally or abroad in local tick species could be narrowed by clarifying pathogenicity, vector capacity and presence of reservoirs to provide a list of potential pathogens to investigate locally. This would clarify the spectrum of pathogens potentially transmitted locally through a tick bite
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