Bozena Sikora

Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. in Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks Collected from Vegetation and Small Rodents in Recreational Areas of the City of Poznań

Abstract During 1998–1999, Ixodes ricinus (L.) populations were investigated in three different biotopes (deciduous, mixed, coniferous forest) situated in popular recreational areas in Poznań, Poland. In total, 1,123 questing ticks (1,002 nymphs, 69 males, 52 females) were collected by flagging vegetation. Additionally, in 1998 between May and September small rodents were trapped and inspected for feeding ticks. Altogether, 213 rodents of three species: Apodemus agrarius Pall., A. flavicollis Melchior, Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber were captured. Of 323 engorged ticks, 304 were larvae and 19 nymphs. All ticks collected from vegetation, as well as from rodents were examined for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigenwalt & Brenner s.l. spirochetes by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using PAB 1B29. The seasonal pattern of activity of questing I. ricinus was always bimodal (May/June and August/September). The most abundant tick population occurred in the deciduous forest. The total infection rate in questing ticks was 16.2%. Differences in mean infection prevalence of host-seeking ticks between three biotopes each year were not significant. On average more larvae parasitized on the genus of Apodemus than on C. glareolus. 17.8% of larvae and 31.6% of nymphs fed on rodents harbored spirochetes. The three rodent species contributed to a different degree in to transmission of the pathogen to subadult stages. ≈27% of larvae infested on A. agrarius, 22% on C. glareolus, and only 4.2% on A. flavicollis contained spirochetes. The results suggest that the prevalence of A. agrarius and C. glareolus in disturbed urban forests used for leisure activities seems to be crucial for the maintenance of B. burgdorferi s.l. in I. ricinus populations.

Wild boars as hosts of human-pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum variants.

To investigate the potential of wild boars to host Anaplasma phagocytophilum, we analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA and ank genes. DNA sequencing identified several A. phagocytophilum variants, including a predominance of strains known to cause human disease. Boars are thus hosts for A. phagocytophilum, notably, strains associated with human granulocytic anaplasmosis.

Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Stricto in Yellow-Necked Mice and Feeding Ixodes ricinus Ticks in a Forest Habitat of West Central Poland

Abstract Wild rodents and the subadult Ixodes ricinus (L.) ticks infesting them were examined for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner s.l. in a sylvatic habitat in west central Poland during May–September 2002. In total, 818 feeding ticks were recovered from 73 infested yellow-necked mice, Apodemus flavicollis Melchior; in addition, bank voles, Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber, were rarely captured and proved to be weakly parasitized. Only 2.7% of A. flavicollis and 2.2% of 320 engorging larvae were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for the bacterium. All spirochete-PCR-positive samples yielded exclusively B. burgdorferi s.s. This genospecies was also the most prevalent in questing nymphs and accounted for 87.5% of the total number of Borrelia infections in nymphal ticks collected during May and June 2 yr later. The presence of the same genospecies both in naturally engorged larvae and blood-positive animals as well as the high predominance of B. burgdorferi s.s. in questing nymphs strongly differs from most study sites investigated in Europe. This unique pattern of Borrelia-diversity in both rodents and ticks seems to be determined by highly site-specific host vertebrate cenosis, and yellow-necked mice are involved in the maintenance of B. burgdorferi s.s. in the forest habitat. However, the transmission efficiency of this spirochete from the mice to the I. ricinus vector seems to be very low. The research provides additional information on the complexity of B. burgdorferi s.l. ecology in Europe, pointing to the importance of the local host community.

Prevalence of infection with Rickettsia helvetica in feeding ticks and their hosts in western Poland

In Poland, Ixodes ricinus plays an important role as the vector of the TBE virus, Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. Moreover, recent studies have shown that it can also serve as a vector for Rickettsia helvetica, the newly recognised human pathogen of the spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFG), which is widely distributed in questing ticks, with the prevalence ranging from 1.3% to 11.4% [1]. However, reports are still lacking on its occurrence in naturally infected wild animals and ticks feeding on them. So, this study was designed to detect rickettsial organisms in blood samples of various tick hosts that may serve as reservoirs of infection, as well as in I. ricinus parasitising them.

Prevalence of infection with Rickettsia helvetica in Ixodes ricinus ticks feeding on non-rickettsiemic rodent hosts in sylvatic habitats of west-central Poland

Ixodes ricinus is the most prevalent and widely distributed tick species in European countries and plays a principal role in transmission of a wide range of microbial pathogens. It is also a main vector and reservoir of Rickettsia spp. of the spotted fever group with the infection level ranging in Poland from 1.3% to 11.4%. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted so far to identify reservoir hosts for these pathogens. A survey was undertaken to investigate the presence of Rickettsia spp. in wild small rodents and detached I. ricinus. Rodents, Apodemus flavicollis mice and Myodes glareolus voles were captured in typically sylvatic habitats of west-central Poland. Blood samples and collected ticks were analyzed by conventional, semi-nested and nested PCRs. Rickettsial species were determined by sequence analysis of obtained fragments of gltA and 16S rRNA genes. A total of 2339 immature I. ricinus (mostly larvae) were collected from 158 animals. Proportion of hosts carrying ticks was 84%, being higher for A. flavicollis than for M. glareolus. Rickettsia helvetica, the only species identified, was detected in 8% of 12 nymphs and in at least 10.7% (MIR) of 804 larvae investigated. Prevalence of infected ticks on both rodent species was comparable (10.8 vs. 9%). None of blood samples tested was positive for Rickettsia spp. The results showed that in sylvatic habitats the level of infestation with larval I. ricinus was higher in A. flavicollis mice in comparison with M. glareolus voles. They show that R. helvetica frequently occurred in ticks feeding on rodents. Positive immature ticks were collected from non-rickettsiemic hosts what might suggest a vertical route of their infection (transovarial and/or transstadial) or a very short-lasting rickettsiemia in rodents. A natural vertebrate reservoir host for R. helvetica remains to be determined.

A review of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Syringophilidae).

The fauna of quill mites of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 (Acariformes: Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) is comprehensively revised. All of 78 known species, which are grouped into 11 genera, are examined and diagnosed or redescribed. Data on picobiine hosts and distribution are summarized, including new host and locality records. The following new species are described: Charadriineopicobia apricaria sp. nov. ex Pluvialis apricaria (Linnaeus) (Charadriiformes: Charadriidae) from France, Neopicobia pari sp. nov. ex Periparus venustulus Swinhoe (type host) (Passeriformes: Paridae) from China, Parus major Linnaeus (Paridae) from Macedonia and Finland, and Poecile varius Temminck and Schlegel (Paridae) from Japan, Picobia magellani sp. nov. ex Scytalopus magellanicus (Gmelin) (Passeriformes: Rhinocryptidae) from Colombia, Picobia lonchura sp. nov. ex Lonchura leucogastra (Blyth) (Passeriformes: Estrildidae) from Indonesia, Picobia makoli sp. nov. ex Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus (Lesson) (Passeriformes: Furnariidae) from Colombia. The species Picobia polonica Skoracki, Magowski and Dabert, 2001 syn. nov. is a junior synonym of C. khulkhaskhani Kivganov and Sharafat, 1995. The following new combinations are proposed: Neopicobia ictericus (Skoracki and Glowska, 2010) comb. nov., Rafapicobia brotogeris (Fain, Bochkov and Mironov, 2000) comb. nov., and Rafapicobia ramphastos (Fain, Bochkov and Mironov, 2000) comb. nov. Keys to the all picobiine genera and species are presented, along with a check-list of picobiine species and their hosts.

A new quill mite species (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitising tinamous (Aves: Tinamiformes)

Tinamiphilopsis ariconte n. sp., a syringophilid mite, is described from three tinamou species (Tinamidae), Rhynchotus rufescens (Temminck) and Nothuraboraquira (Spix) in Paraguay and N.minor (Spix) in Brazil. These data indirectly support the hypothesis that the cheyletoid-like predatory ancestor of the Syringophilidae switched to parasitism before the divergence of the avian hosts into the two major clades Palaeognathae and Neognathae.

Three new species of picobiine mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitising African flycatchers (Aves: Muscicapidae)

Three new species of quill mites of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston & Kethley, 1973 (Acari: Syringophilidae) are described from African flycatchers (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae): Picobia cichladusa n. sp. on Cichladusa arquata Peters and P. myrmecocichla n. sp. on Myrmecocichla arnotti (Tristram), both from Tanzania, and P. echo n. sp. on Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Blaszakiella americana gen. et sp. nov. A New Zerconid Mite (Acari: Zerconidae) from North America

Abstract. Blaszakiella americana gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species of zerconid mite (Acari: Mesostigmata: Zerconidae) is described and figured. This new genus differs from the closely related Microzercon Blaszak, 1976 by the presence both of small adgenital shields with openings of adgenital glands gv2. A key for females of Zerconidae genera in the Nearctic Region is provided.

Blaszakia, a new genus of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing turacos (Aves: Musophagiformes)

Abstract. A new genus and two new species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) are described and figured from birds of the order Musophagiformes. Blaszakia gen. nov. differs from the closely related Charadriphilus Bochkov et Chistyakov, 2001 by the rounded posterior margin of the stylophore and small number of chambers in the peritremal branches. The first new species — B. tauracos sp. nov. was recorded from Tauraco livingstoni (Gray) from Tanzania and from T. schalowi (Reichenov) (Musophagidae) from Guinea, the second — B. rossae sp. nov. was recorded from Musophaga rossae Gould (Musophagidae) from the Democratic Rep. of Congo. Syringophilid mites are recorded from birds of this order for the first time.