Tick-Borne Pathogens and Diseases in Greece.

Artemis Efstratiou,Panagiotis Karanis,Gabriele Karanis

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9081732

Abstract

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are recognized as a serious and growing public health epidemic in Europe, and are a cause of major losses in livestock production worldwide. This review is an attempt to present a summary of results from studies conducted over the last century until the end of the year 2020 regarding ticks, tick-borne pathogens, and tick-borne diseases in Greece. We provide an overview of the tick species found in Greece, as well as the most important tick-borne pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa) and corresponding diseases in circulation. We also consider prevalence data, as well as geographic and climatic conditions. Knowledge of past and current situations of TBDs, as well as an awareness of (risk) factors affecting future developments will help to find approaches to integrated tick management as part of the ‘One Health Concept’; it will assist in avoiding the possibility of hotspot disease emergencies and intra- and intercontinental transmission. Increased surveillance in Greece is required to ensure clear and effective policies for TBD control.

Highlights

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites found on mammals, birds, and reptiles worldwide
Insufficient or wrong treatment can lead to severe diseases with long-term consequences, including disabilities, invalidity, and even death, as presented in this review. These challenges apply to veterinary medicine, where increased risk of transmission in livestock would have a financial impact that is related to livestock losses
Compilation of historical and recent data in the context of the present review of human and animal tick-borne diseases in Greece shows that, despite circulation of tickborne viruses, Greece is less of a hotspot for viral tick-borne diseases, and more so for tick-transmitted bacteria and protozoans, causing related diseases in humans and animals

Summary

Introduction

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites found on mammals, birds, and reptiles worldwide. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda and are divided into two large families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks), with the former being the largest and medically most important group. As opposed to nest-dwelling tick species, non-nidicolous ticks are found on vegetation, such as grasses and bushes, onto which they climb and wait for the chance to attach themselves to their prey. They feed from sucking blood from their hosts, which can be pets, farm or wild animals, and humans. Ticks, like mosquitoes, are recognized as the main arthropod vectors of human diseases globally, and of major medical and veterinary importance

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