Zusammenfassung
Vögel wurden wiederholt als Reservoir von Zecken-übertragenen Krankheitserregern identifiziert. Um die diesbezügliche Situation in der Slowakei zu untersuchen, wurden von 3057 mit Netzen gefangenen, ringmarkierten und dann wieder freigesetzten Sperlingsvögeln Zecken gesammelt. Die Fangorte in den Bukovské Vrchy Hügeln, einem Teil der Karpaten in der Nordost-Slowakei, lagen 500 m (im Jahr 2001) und 1000 m (im Jahr 2003) über dem Meeresniveau. Nur 75 Vögel, die 16 Arten angehörten, waren mit subadulten Zecken der Art Ixodes ricinus infestiert, was einer Parasitenprävalenz von 2,5% entspricht. Von 31 Vögeln (9 Arten) wurden 62 Larven und von 52 Vögeln (15 Arten) 80 Nymphen entfernt. Die Parasitierung war bei Amsel, Turdus merula, Singdrossel, T. philomelos, und Heckenbraunelle, Prunella modularis, am höchsten. Sechs adulte Ixodes ricinus-Zecken wurden von erwachsenen Personen entfernt, die mit den Vögeln arbeiteten und eine weibliche I. ricinus-Zecke von ihrem Hund. Die Zecken wurden mittels Polymerase Kettenreaktion auf Anwesenheit von Rickettsien, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato und Mitgliedern der Familien Anaplasmataceae und Piroplasmidae untersucht und die nachfolgende Identifizierung mittels Sequenzanalyse durchgeführt. Rickettsien wurden in einer Nymphe vom Rotkehlchen, Erithacus rubecula, und in drei adulten Zecken (2 weibliche, 1 männliche) von Menschen und vom Hund nachgewiesen. Eine Ehrlichia-ähnliche Art? die "Schotti variant", wurde in einer Nymphe einer Singdrossel nachgewiesen. Borrelia afzelii wurde in einer männlichen und B. garinii in einer weiblichen Zecke identifiziert, welche beide vom Menschen entfernt worden waren. Aufgrund der niedrigen Ausbeute bleibt die Rolle von Vögeln als Reservoir von Zecken-übertragenen Krankheitserregern weiterhin unklar.
Summary
Birds have been found to be a reservoir host of borrelia. In order to assess the situation in Slovakia ticks were collected from a total of 3057 mist-netted, ringed and released passerine birds in two locations at 500 m (in 2001) and 1000 m (in 2003) above sea level in the Bukovské Vrchy Hills, part of the Carpathian region in the north-east of Slovakia. A total of 75 birds of 16 species were infested with subadult ticks of Ixodes ricinus species (prevalence of parasitization 5%). Sixty-two larvae from 31 birds of 9 species and 80 nymphs from 52 birds of 15 species were found. The highest intensity of parasitization was observed on blackbirds Turdus merula, song thrushes T. philomelos and dunnocks Prunella modularis. Six Ixodes ricinus adult ticks were found on humans working with birds, and one I. ricinus female tick on their dog. In ticks, the presence of Rickettsia sp., Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and members of the Anaplasmataceae and Piroplasmidae, were investigated by polymerase chain reaction, followed by sequence analysis. Rickettsia sp. was found in 1 nymph from the European robin Erithacus rubecula, in 3 adult ticks (1 male, 2 females) from humans and in the tick from the dog. The closely related Ehrlichia- like species "Schotti variant" was detected in 1 nymph from the song thrush. Borrelia afzelii was identified in 1 male and B. garinii in 1 female tick collected on humans. Ixodes ricinus was found to be the vector of a wide spectrum of tick-borne pathogens in a mountainous area of the Carpathians. Because of the low yield of ticks and pathogens the importance of birds as reservoir hosts is still poorly understood.
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Špitalská, E., Literák, I., Sparagano, O. et al. Ticks (Ixodidae) from passerine birds in the Carpathian region. Wien Klin Wochenschr 118, 759–764 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-006-0729-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-006-0729-4