SPREADING OF DERMACENTOR RETICULATUS TICKS IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Currently Ixodid ticks are one of many components of natural biocenoses and Ixodidticks urbocenoses in Ukraine. Among the few species of Ixodid ticks that attack notonly animals, but also humans, one of the most widespread is Dermacentor reticulatus.Anymore, there are still a plenty of unknown facts about Dermacentor reticulatusspreading within Ukraine and, particular, in its western parts. Thus, the study of the prevalence of ticks of the Dermacentor reticulatus spicies in different geographic zones,their ecological characteristics, and biological patterns, epidemiological and medicalsignificance remains a significant topic for research.Objective. To study Dermacentor reticulatus ticks spreading on the territory of Ukraine,determine their ecological characteristics and epidemiological significance, to detect thepresence of ticks as components of humans and animals’ natural focal diseases.Material and methods. The main materials and tools, used for catching, preserving andidentifying ticks were tweezers, magnifiers, dissecting needles, white flag tissue, 70%alcohol, test tubes. Using the SEO - IMAGLAB optoelectronic system ticks were identified.Results. Research of Ixodid ticks has conducted in the "Laboratory for Diagnosis ofDiseases Transmitted by Tick Bites" of the Sector of Experimental and Clinical Researchof I.Ya. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, Ministry of Health ofUkraine since May 2017.An important issue of the study was not only to carry out identification of the ticks’ speciescomposition and their life forms, but also to investigate the biology and epidemiology ofspecies that attack humans and animals and are able to transmit pathogens of infectiousdiseases.During the period from May 2017 until November 2019 447 specimens of D. reticulatusticks have been identified in the laboratory, 287 of which are females and 160 males,collected in 74 localities from 10 regions of Ukraine.74 detected cases of ticks on animals, humans and grass were recorded. The maininhabitants, on which adults of both sexes were found, were 4 species of animals: dogs -34 cases, cows - 16, cats - 4, horses - 3, humans - 15 cases. In 2 cases, ticks were assignedto the "flag".Ticks from 21 localities were analyzed with the help of PCR, using a PCR amplifier. Thefact of tick infection with pathogens was established in 5 cases: 4 - Borelia burgdorferis.l, 1 - Anaplasma phagocytophilum and 1 - mixinfection of B. burgdorferi with A.phagocytophilum.We have created an interactive map based on medical GIS, which contains all the dataobtained. It has been found that the locations of D. reticulatus ticks are located in theinterval: the maximum northern point 510 44' 54'' n. lat. (Volyn region) and the mostsouthern point 450 03' 05'' n. lat. (Autonomous Republic of Crimea). The most westernpoint within Ukraine was found at 220 42' 49'' e.lat. (Transcarpathian region) and themost eastern point – at 380 64' 80'' e. lat. (Donetsk region.).Conclusion. A tick of the D. reticulatus species was found in 74 localities from 10 regionsof Ukraine. A study of the D. reticulatus tick spreading in the southern regions has shownthat this species occurs in 311 locations out of 640 samples. Most often, it is spread inhumid biotopes near the water reservoirs and in urbanized biocenoses, in which rodentsare common and where pets and people often enter. The main inhabitants of the D.reticulatus ticks were dogs, cows, horses, cats and humans. Studies of the epidemiologicalcondition of ticks have shown that they are often carriers of Borelia burgdorferi s.l. andAnaplasma phagocytophilum.