Dynamics of ticks’ infestation with Borrelia genus bacteria and tick-borne encephalitis virus in Kirov region
Tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis (or Lyme disease) are one of the most known and the most spread transmissible diseases of human. Nowadays it was proved that these diseases are diagnosed among domestic animals as well. Ixodida ticks are often serve as vectors for these diseases. It is common that only ticks gathered from human after bite are studied for presence of infection. But such approach does not give a full distribution picture of infection among the ticks. Thus, it is necessary to study ticks gathered not only from human but from other sources as well. The aim of this study is to determine the presence of TBEV and Borrelia burgdoferi sensu lato genetic material in ticks depending on its species, sexual identity and object it was gathered from in 2007-2016. The main tick vectors were determined. It was shown that percentage of infected with different diseases ticks fluctuates separately during the period of the study. It was also shown that percentage of infected ticks tends to increase. It is often that only tick female are studied as it stay for a long time after the bite. But it was proved that male ticks can also be a vector for diseases. It was proved that percentage of infected male ticks is increasing. The percentage of infected female ticks is also increasing along with general percentage of infected ticks. Fluctuations of percentage of infected ticks among different species was shown. Such fluctuation can be a sign tick’s areal spreading at unusual territories. It can be related to climate change. The difference of percentage of infected ticks of different species can be related to the study of ticks usual for the area and ticks which migrate to the Kirov region. The percentage of infected ticks was also studied. It was also proved that the maximum percentage of infected ticks had the ones gathered from human and minimal percentage had the ones gathered from plants.