Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Anja Joachim¹  Georg G. Duscher¹  Blerta Mehmedi²  Rreze M. Gecaj²  Kurtesh Sherifi²  Agim Rexhepi²  Zamira Hoxha³  Kristaq Berxholi³ 

[1] Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria;Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Pristina, Kosovo;Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, Albania;

关键词: Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever;    Lyme borreliosis;    Hyalomma marginatum;    Dermacentor marginatus;    Ixodes ricinus;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fvets.2018.00038

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Tick-borne diseases pose a serious threat to human health in South-Eastern Europe, including Kosovo. While Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-known emerging infection in this area, there are no accurate data on Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Therefore, we sampled and tested 795 ticks. Ixodes ricinus (n = 218), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 98), and Haemaphysalis spp. (n = 24) were collected from the environment by flagging (all from Kosovo), while Hyalomma marginatum (n = 199 from Kosovo, all from Kosovo) and Rhipicephalus bursa (n = 130, 126 from Albania) could be collected only by removal from animal pasture and domestic ruminants. Ticks were collected in the years 2014/2015 and tested for viral RNA of CCHF and TBE viruses, as well as for DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by real-time PCR. In Kosovo, nine ticks were positive for RNA of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and seven for DNA of B. burgdorferi s. l. None of the ticks tested positive for TBEV. CCHF virus was detected in one H. marginatum male specimen collected while feeding on grazing cattle from the Prizren region and in eight R. bursa specimens (five females and three males collected while feeding on grazing sheep and cattle) from the Prishtina region (Kosovo). B. burgdorferi s. l. was detected in seven questing ticks (four male and one female D. marginatus, two I. ricinus one female and one male) from the Mitrovica region (Kosovo). Our study confirmed that CCHF virus is circulating in Kosovo mainly in H. marginatum and R. bursa in the central areas of the country. B. burgdorferi s. l. was found in its major European host tick, I. ricinus, but also in D. marginatus, in the north of the Kosovo. In order to prevent the spread of these diseases and better control of the tick-borne infections, an improved vector surveillance and testing of ticks for the presence of pathogens needs to be established.

【 授权许可】

Unknown