Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases最新文献

{"title":"Mouse blood protein survives degradation in Ixodes ricinus ticks after moulting and starvation for up to five months.","authors":"Neera Chakrapani, Klara F Borrmann, Marion Wassermann, Antoine Lesur, Kyra Swiontek, Julie Petry, Jörg Fischer, Markus Ollert, Ute Mackenstedt, Gunnar Dittmar, Christiane Hilger","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102719","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The alpha-Gal syndrome (AGS) is characterized by a delayed allergic response to mammalian meat and by-products. Numerous studies have confirmed that hard ticks are the source of α-Gal sensitization. However, the source of the α-Gal carrying sensitizing molecules remains controversial as α-Gal could either originate from endogenous production or residual host blood proteins.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To study the kinetics of host blood protein degradation in fully engorged Ixodes ricinus larvae upon prolonged starvation after moulting into nymphs.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>1200 I. ricinus larvae were fed on BALB/c mice under laboratory conditions. Fully engorged larvae moulted into nymphs and underwent starvation for 0, 10, and 20 weeks. Protein extracts from nymphs and larvae were analysed with LC-MS/MS mass spectrometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Although 1200 larvae were fed on mice, only 249 engorged and 197 (79.12%) of the engorged larvae survived and moulted into nymphs. Overall, the global tick protein profile was similar for all stages except immediately after moulting (0 week). Peptides originating from 22 host-derived mouse proteins were detected, out of which 9 proteins were detected across all time-points post-moulting (serum albumin, hemoglobin subunits, cytosolic carboxypeptidase 2, protein KRI1 homolog, serine protease inhibitors 1c and 3k, and SH3 domain-containing protein 21). A sequence coverage of 76% was observed for mouse serum albumin, and more than 85% for hemoglobin subunits, suggesting the persistence of largely preserved host-derived mouse protein structures at all stages.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Under controlled conditions, mouse blood proteins survive moulting and are passed onto the next developmental stage in I. ricinus ticks, from larvae to nymphs. These proteins are detectable up to five months post-moulting.</p>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 6","pages":"102719"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149216878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection of Ehrlichia spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia sp. (FU98) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Germany","authors":"Alexandra Eggersmann,&nbsp;Thore Schenk,&nbsp;Christoph Schulze,&nbsp;Martin Peters,&nbsp;Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna,&nbsp;Jürgen Krücken","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vector-borne diseases pose a growing challenge to public health. Effective surveillance, interdisciplinary cooperation in line with the One Health approach, and prevention and control strategies are therefore essential to reduce the risk of future outbreaks and burden of disease in the long term. Identifying and investigating sentinels can help in this regard. In this study, 537 red fox (<em>vulpes</em>) spleen samples from three regions in Germany (Berlin, Brandenburg, Arnsberg administrative region) were tested for Anaplasmataceae and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. using PCR. Only 3% of the samples (n = 15) tested positive for Anaplasmataceae. <em>Candidatus</em> Neoehrlichia sp. (FU98) was detected most frequently (1.7%; n = 9), followed by <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> (0.9%, n = 5) and a previously undescribed <em>Ehrlichia</em> sp. genotype (0.4%; n = 2). <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. were not detected. To our knowledge, this is the first finding of <em>Candidatus</em> Neoehrlichia sp. (FU98) in Germany, and our study has also revealed the presence of a previously unknown <em>Ehrlichia</em> species (<em>Ehrlichia</em> sp. ex European carnivore) that is not closely related to <em>E. canis. Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em> was detected in all three regions at low prevalence. <em>Candidatus</em> Neoehrlichia sp. (FU98) in Berlin and Brandenburg but not in Arnsberg. Further studies are necessary to isolate this new agent, as well as to investigate its geographic distribution and host range. Sequences representing an unknown <em>Ehrlichia</em> species were found in one fox sample each in Berlin and Brandenburg. Further investigations are needed regarding its phylogenetic position, vector and host affiliation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102708"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148882420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular survey of Rickettsia japonica in ticks and wild boars in Ibaraki Prefecture: a newly recognized endemic area of Japanese spotted fever in eastern Japan","authors":"Shuichi Osawa,&nbsp;Shohei Tsuboyama,&nbsp;Sakurako Abe,&nbsp;Noriko Nagata,&nbsp;Takumi Motoya,&nbsp;Eri Ueno,&nbsp;Tetsuya Furuya","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Japanese spotted fever (JSF) is a tick-borne disease caused by <em>Rickettsia japonica</em>, a member of the spotted fever group rickettsiae. Recently, Japan has experienced a marked increase in JSF cases, with endemic regions expanding from western to eastern areas. However, the specific tick species carrying <em>R. japonica</em> in these newly affected eastern regions, as well as the factors influencing this geographic dissemination, remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the tick species carrying <em>R. japonica</em> and assessed the potential involvement of wild boars (<em>Sus scrofa</em>) in the dispersal of these ticks in Ibaraki Prefecture, a newly recognized JSF-endemic area in eastern Japan. A total of 4549 questing ticks were collected and pooled into 747 samples; 289 samples (38.7%) tested positive for <em>Rickettsia</em> DNA. Among these positive samples, <em>R. japonica</em> was detected only in <em>Haemaphysalis hystricis</em>. Nineteen wild boars captured near the tick sampling sites exhibited heavy infestations with <em>H. hystricis</em>, suggesting that wild boars are important blood-meal hosts for this tick species. Additionally, <em>H. hystricis</em> carrying <em>R. japonica</em> were collected from wild boars. In contrast, <em>R. japonica</em> was not detected in any biological samples collected from wild boars. These results suggest that <em>H. hystricis</em> is a potential vector of <em>R. japonica</em> in Ibaraki Prefecture and that wild boars may potentially transport <em>H. hystricis</em> carrying <em>R. japonica</em>. However, this study found no evidence that wild boars act as reservoirs or amplifying hosts. Given the recent increase and geographic expansion of wild boar populations in the prefecture, continued surveillance of the distribution of <em>H. hystricis</em> is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102707"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148892729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular screening, regional infection patterns and phylogenetic characterization of spotted fever group Rickettsia in ticks from domestic animals in Uzbekistan","authors":"Adolat U Mirzaeva,&nbsp;Firuza D Akramova,&nbsp;Erkin I Musabaev,&nbsp;Djalaliddin A Azimov,&nbsp;Bakhtiyor R Kholmatov,&nbsp;Nargiza A Yarmukhamedova,&nbsp;Dilmurod A Kamolxodjaev,&nbsp;Shoira O Saidova,&nbsp;Ruziboy Q Shapaotov,&nbsp;Mukhammediyar Sh Toremuratov,&nbsp;Mourad Ben Said,&nbsp;Hanène Belkahia","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spotted fever group (SFG) <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. are emerging zoonotic pathogens transmitted by ixodid and argasid ticks. Despite the recognized importance of ticks as vectors in Central Asia, data on the prevalence and genetic diversity of SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> in Uzbekistan remain scarce. This study aimed to determine minimum infection rates (MIR) and phylogenetic relationships of SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> circulating in ticks parasitizing domestic animals across five regions of Uzbekistan. Ticks (<em>n</em> = 12,769) were collected from 8632 domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats, horses, camels, donkeys, and poultry) between 2021 and 2026. Ticks were screened either individually or in pools of 4–5 adult specimens, with each pool comprising ticks of the same species and sex collected from the same individual host, using real-time PCR. Among the qPCR-positive pools, 26 were randomly selected for conventional singleplex PCR targeting the <em>gltA, ompA, ompB</em>, and <em>sca4</em> genes. Fourteen selected positive pools yielded amplicons suitable for sequencing, generating 25 partial gene sequences in total (<em>gltA</em>, n = 9; <em>ompA</em>, n = 3; <em>ompB</em>, n = 9; <em>sca4</em>, n = 4), which were subjected to bidirectional Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Positive amplicons were sequenced and phylogenetic trees constructed using maximum likelihood with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Twelve ixodid and one argasid tick species were identified. Overall tick infestation prevalence in animals was 36.5% (95% CI: 35.5–37.6%). <em>Rickettsia</em> DNA was detected in 2331 ticks from positive pools (global MIR: 18.3%; 95% CI: 17.6–18.9%). Highest MIRs were found in <em>Hyalomma scupense</em> (25.1%), <em>Rhipicephalus turanicus</em> (23.4%) and <em>Rhipicephalus pumilio</em> (21.7%). Regional MIRs ranged from 0.77% (Syrdarya) to 31.8% (Jizzakh). <em>gltA, ompA, ompB</em>, and <em>sca4</em> partial sequences of “<em>Candidatus</em> Rickettsia barbariae” and <em>Rickettsia massiliae</em> were identified for the first time in Uzbekistan. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed their placement within distinct SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> clades. This study provides baseline data on the diversity and distribution of SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> in Uzbekistan. <em>Rickettsia</em> DNA was detected in <em>Hy. scupense, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma asiaticum, Rh. turanicus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> sensu lato<em>, Rhipicephalus annulatus, Rh. pumilio, Argas persicus</em>, and <em>Haemaphysalis sulcata</em>. The first detection of \"<em>Ca.</em> R. barbariae” and <em>R. massiliae</em> in Uzbekistan underscores the need for integrated One Health surveillance of tick-borne rickettsioses in domestic animals and humans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102711"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148913939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diversity of Rickettsiaceae and Anaplasmataceae bacteria within and between species in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from humans in Poland","authors":"Julia Koczwarska,&nbsp;Renata Welc-Falęciak,&nbsp;Agnieszka Pawełczyk","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ixodes ricinus</em> is the most common tick species in Europe, widely distributed in natural environments, rural habitats, and urban green spaces. As a vector of diverse tick-borne pathogens, <em>I. ricinus</em> represents a significant public health concern. The aim of this study was to identify pathogenic species and strains of <em>Rickettsia, Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>, and <em>Neoehrlichia mikurensis</em> in <em>I. ricinus</em> ticks removed from human skin, and to compare the prevalence of pathogenic species between ticks collected in urban and rural/suburban areas. A total of 1992 <em>I. ricinus</em> ticks were analyzed for the presence of <em>Rickettsia</em> spp., <em>A. phagocytophilum</em>, and <em>N. mikurensis</em> DNA using the PCR method. Selected amplicons were sequenced using the Sanger method, and the resulting nucleotide sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis to identify species and genetic variants. Among the tested <em>I. ricinus</em> ticks, three SFG <em>Rickettsia</em> were identified, with <em>Rickettsia helvetica</em> predominating and <em>Rickettsia raoultii</em> unexpectedly detected in this tick species. Four 16S rRNA and three <em>groESL</em> gene variants of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> were identified, and the presence of the European variant of <em>N. mikurensis</em> was confirmed. A significantly higher prevalence of <em>A. phagocytophilum</em> was observed in ticks collected from urban areas (3.2%) compared to rural/suburban habitats (1.2%). The results of this study provide evidence of human exposure to tick-borne pathogens and contribute to the understanding of the diversity of pathogenic species and strains in ticks from human-inhabited areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102714"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148921564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Borrelia or Bell’s? Development of BoB: a clinical decision support tool to differentiate Lyme neuroborreliosis facial palsy from Bell’s palsy","authors":"Al-Hasan Hussein Dos,&nbsp;Anna Maria Florescu,&nbsp;Thomas Bryrup,&nbsp;Lykke Larsen,&nbsp;Merete Storgaard,&nbsp;Lothar Wiese,&nbsp;Micha Phill Grønholm Jepsen,&nbsp;Birgitte Rønde Hansen,&nbsp;Hans Rudolf Lüttichau,&nbsp;Jacob Bodilsen,&nbsp;Henrik Nielsen,&nbsp;Helene Mens,&nbsp;Christian Stenør,&nbsp;Anne-Mette Lebech","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><strong>:</strong> Differentiating Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) from Bell’s palsy (BP) in adults with peripheral facial palsy remains challenging. We aimed to develop and internally validate clinical decision support tools for European adults to reduce unnecessary lumbar punctures and support timely treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div><strong>:</strong> We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study including adults (≥18 years) with facial palsy and confirmed LNB or BP from two Danish cohorts (2015–2024). All patients underwent lumbar puncture. Data were extracted from medical records, and 29 candidate predictors were selected for analysis. The dataset was randomly split into training (80%) and test (20%) sets. Key predictors were identified using random forest and used to develop a decision tree. Analyses were repeated excluding serum <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> (<em>Bb)</em> IgG as results may be unavailable at presentation.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div><strong>:</strong> We included 683 patients (422 LNB, 261 BP); 23% of LNB patients were initially misdiagnosed as BP. Key predictors of LNB were radicular pain, serum <em>Bb</em> IgG positivity, symptom duration ≥7 days, and forest/grass exposure. The resulting decision tree showed high performance (accuracy 0.93; sensitivity 0.93; specificity 0.94). It could reduce lumbar punctures by 40% and initially missed LNB to 8%, while 9% of BP would still undergo lumbar puncture. Excluding serum <em>Bb</em> IgG, radicular pain and symptom duration ≥10 days remained key predictors, with similar performance (accuracy 0.93; sensitivity 0.92; specificity 0.93).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div><strong>:</strong> We developed two accurate tools using a small set of variables, with radicular pain emerging as an important predictor. External validation is required before clinical implementation and is underway through a European collaboration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102704"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tick bites and erythema migrans in eastern Austria: A large outpatient survey","authors":"CA Kirchler,&nbsp;C Anzur,&nbsp;M Zikeli,&nbsp;C Wagger,&nbsp;S Wanke,&nbsp;T Scherz,&nbsp;RR Müllegger","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Data on tick bites and erythema migrans (EM) in eastern Austria remain limited despite ongoing changes in tick ecology.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A survey was conducted including 3005 dermatology patients in eastern Austria. Patients reported tick bites within the preceding year, subsequent EM and associated symptoms. Demographic data were collected, including age, sex, and urbanization level. Associations between tick bites, EM and demographic and geographic variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression, including flexible spline modeling of age.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Tick bites were reported by 430 patients (14.3%) and were more frequent in Lower Austria than in Burgenland (15.0% vs. 11.4%, p = 0.024). Tick-bite frequency was similar across urban, suburban and rural areas. Tick bites were more frequent in women (p &lt; 0.001) and showed a significant non-linear association with age (p &lt; 0.001). Within age groups, women aged 60 – 69 had significantly more tick bites than men in the same age group (p &lt; 0.001). EM developed in 7% of patients following a tick bite, corresponding to approximately 1% of the entire cohort. EM was more frequent in Burgenland than in Lower Austria (11.3% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.008).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Tick bites were common in this eastern Austrian outpatient cohort. The risk of being bitten varied with sex, age and region, with women more frequently affected overall. EM developed in 7% of patients with tick bites, indicating a higher manifestation index than previously reported in Austrian data. These findings support continued surveillance and targeted prevention in endemic regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102706"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers of tick distributions in Latvia: a multi‑species assessment of joint and single‑species distribution models (2017–2019)","authors":"Lene Jung Kjær,&nbsp;René Bødker,&nbsp;Jānis Kimsis,&nbsp;Valentina Capligina,&nbsp;Antra Bormane,&nbsp;Renāte Ranka","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ecological factors shaping the distribution of key tick vector species remain only partially understood. We analysed the spatial patterns of three medically important ticks, <em>Dermacentor reticulatus, Ixodes persulcatus, and Ixodes ricinus</em> in Latvia, using extensive field records from a single survey combined with environmental predictors harmonised to a 1 km spatial resolution. We pursued two complementary objectives: (i) to model and map the spatial distribution of three epidemiologically important tick species in Latvia, and (ii) to evaluate whether a joint species distribution modelling framework provides additional inferential or predictive benefit compared with single‑species models.</div><div>The joint species distribution modelling analysis did not yield stable residual association estimates across fitting approaches, so subsequent inference and spatial prediction focused on single-species distribution models using Random Forest, Boosted Regression Trees, and Support Vector Machines under spatial cross-validation. Model performance differed among species, with highest predictive accuracy for <em>I. persulcatus</em> (mean AUC ≈ 0.93), moderate performance for <em>I. ricinus</em> (≈ 0.81), and lower but above-random performance for <em>D. reticulatus</em> (≈ 0.69).</div><div>Temperature- and moisture-related predictors, including satellite-derived indicators of seasonal land surface temperature dynamics, were consistently influential. Response curves revealed strong non-linear and threshold relationships, with <em>D. reticulatus</em> showing relatively narrow climatic optima, <em>I. persulcatus</em> associated with cooler and more humid conditions, and <em>I. ricinus</em> exhibiting broader environmental tolerances. Final habitat suitability maps showed clear spatial differentiation: <em>I. ricinus</em> had the broadest area of high suitability, <em>I. persulcatus</em> displayed a more regionally structured pattern, and <em>D. reticulatus</em> was restricted to patchier areas.</div><div>Our results suggest that, at the spatial scale considered, strong environmental filtering dominated species distributions, limiting the added value of joint modelling relative to more stable single‑species approaches. Together, these results provide a spatially robust and ecologically grounded distribution assessment for ticks in Latvia. The findings support public-health surveillance, identify regions of elevated potential exposure, and highlight the need to investigate additional ecological mechanisms, beyond species interactions, that shape tick communities across the Baltic region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 5","pages":"Article 102713"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148920425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Erratum to \"Natural antibodies induced by host gut microbiota modulate tick microbiota, inhibiting Borrelia colonization\" [Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases volume 17 issue 4 (2026) 102674].","authors":"Lourdes Mateos-Hernandez, Alejandra Wu-Chuang, Apolline Maitre, Ryan O M Rego, Lianet Abuin-Denis, Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas, Natalia Fernández-Ruiz, Jennifer Maye, Justė Aželytė, Pavle Banović, Vaidas Palinauskas, Dasiel Obregon, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102685","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":" ","pages":"102685"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148585957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Borrelia theileri in ticks and cattle in a Caribbean area of Colombia","authors":"Yesica López ,&nbsp;Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez ,&nbsp;Verónica Contreras ,&nbsp;Yeimi Lopez-Mejia ,&nbsp;Alfonso Calderón ,&nbsp;Marco Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Salim Mattar","doi":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102676","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102676","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Some species of the <em>Borrelia</em> genus can infect animals, producing clinical signs and resulting in production losses. <em>Borrelia theileri</em> is the causative agent of bovine borreliosis and is transmitted by hard ticks, primarily <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>. <strong>The aim of this study was to</strong> detect <em>B. theileri</em> in <em>R. microplus</em> and cattle in some areas of the Córdoba department in Caribbean Colombia. In 2021 and 2022, ticks and whole blood were collected from <em>Bos taurus</em> and <em>Bos indicus</em> cattle in the department of Córdoba, Colombia. DNA was extracted from 913 ticks and 122 cattle blood samples were collected. Screening was performed using a <em>Borrelia</em> genus-specific qPCR for the <em>16S rRNA</em> gene; positive samples underwent PCR for the <em>16S rRNA</em> and <em>flaB</em> genes. The amplified products were Sanger sequenced. Alignments were performed, and phylogenetic trees were constructed using IQTREE2 and visualized and edited using ITOL. <em>Borrelia</em> spp<em>.</em> was detected in 13.9 % (17/122) of the cattle samples by qPCR. Using conventional PCR the <em>16SrRNA</em> gene was detected in 23.5% (4/17) of the samples, while the <em>flaB</em> gene was not detected. Phylogenetic analyses of the <em>16SrRNA</em> gene in cattle showed clustering with <em>Borrelia</em> sp. (MZ564265)<em>, B. theileri</em> (MN619805) and close association with other <em>B. theileri</em> sequences (KAT KF569941, LC656247, MW562684, DQ872186, DQ872186). The ticks were taxonomically identified as <em>R. microplus.</em> The <em>16SrRNA</em> gene of <em>Borrelia</em> spp. was detected by qPCR in 15.5% (35/225) of the samples. With conventional PCR, the <em>16SrRNA</em> gene was detected in 37% (13/35) of the samples, and the <em>flaB</em> gene was detected in 5.7% (2/35). Sequencing was performed using <em>flaB</em> gene sequences of good quality. Phylogenetic analysis of the <em>flaB</em> gene showed that our sequences were grouped with <em>Borrelia</em> sp. (EF141022) and <em>B. theileri</em> (ON191583, C5 MG601737, KF569936). This is the first detection of <em>B. theileri</em> in ticks and the second in cattle in Colombia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49320,"journal":{"name":"Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases","volume":"17 4","pages":"Article 102676"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148354567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}