Helena Nejezchlebová

Activity of the Tick Ixodes ricinus Monitored in a Suburban Park in Brno, Czech Republic, in Association with the Evaluation of Selected Repellents

ABSTRACT: The ever-increasing number of Lyme borreliosis patients led us to consider more effective procedures for disease prevention. The aim of our study was to monitor the annual activity and infectivity of Ixodes ricinus ticks in the Pisárky region, City of Brno, CR, and to test the responses of the locally-captured ticks to selected repellents. The result of regular one-hourper-week monitoring in 2011 was the collection of ticks that directly reflected the highest number of Lyme disease patients (4,835) detected throughout the period of recording in the Czech Republic. The ticks were examined for spirochaetes by dark field microscopy. The positive samples were identified by PCR analysis, confirming that 76% of these were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Ticks were most abundant in May and June, with August having the highest risk for spirochaetal infection. Tick activity was statistically correlated with temperature. The moving-object-bioassay was used to study repellent efficiency on the Ixodes ricinus nymphs captured in the above-mentioned suburban park. Five selected commercial repellents based on DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) showed statistically different effects on the non-repellent control group.

Students' attitudes to tick risks.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The ever-increasing number of patients with tick-borne diseases resulted in the presented study investigating the awareness, attitudes and knowledge among students about the threats arising from tick bites and preventive anti-tick practices. MATERIALS AND METHOD Questionnaires concerning these issues were distributed amongst Czech and Polish university students of science. Responses were analyzed by nationality and by gender. RESULTS Nearly all respondents were aware of the risks arising from ticks and could name at least one disease transmitted by ticks. The Czech students felt more threatened by tick-borne diseases, had more frequently suffered from Lyme borreliosis and were vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis more often than the Polish students. A large number of the participants applied preventive measures against ticks in order to protect themselves. The Czech students believed in the effectiveness of repellents statistically more often than the Polish students, while effectiveness is the main criterion for selection of the right repellent in both groups. CONCLUSION Differences in preferences between the two nations appeared in many areas, e.g. the Czechs felt more threatened by all kind of risks and suffered from Lyme disease more frequently. Gaps can still be found in both the knowledge and behaviour among the respondents. It can be expected that the general public knowledge of this issue is rather limited in comparison with the students participating in the study, who are systematically educated in the field.

Pilot study of Ixodes ricinus ticks preference for human ABO blood groups using a simple in vitro method

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The existence of a blood group preference for ticks is a problem widely discussed among the lay public but often neglected by the scientific community. The Ixodes ricinus tick transmits serious zoonotic diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, tick encephalitis, or anaplasmosis. The preventive strategies include vaccination (if available) and individual measures including the use of repellents and avoidance of risk areas. MATERIAL AND METHODS Since this topic is relatively neglected in the scientific literature, a simple in vitro method was used. Ticks used in this study were collected in the suburban region of Ruda in Brno, Czech Republic. One hundred active nymphs of the collected ticks were tested for preferences for blood groups, using Petri dishes and blood samples from volunteers. To demonstrate the threat of ticks and the diseases they transmit, the positivity of one of the most abundant zoonosis, Lyme borreliosis, was tested using dark-field microscopy. RESULTS The results obtained showed that the examined ticks were attracted most by blood group A, whereas the least preferred was group B, which was proved statistically (p <0.05). The mean positivity of collected ticks for the presence of spirochaetes was 9.35%. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that the host selection of ticks may be influenced by the physiological or biochemical profile of an individual, such as their blood group. This means that a blood group of an individual can be one of the factors that increase the risk of tick bite and the transmission of dangerous diseases and thus must not be underestimated.