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Diakou A, Foucault-Simonin A, Antoniou G, Cabezas-Cruz A, Földvári G. Tick paralysis induced by Ixodes gibbosus: enigmatic cases in domestic mammals from Cyprus. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1416501. [PMID: 38903693 PMCID: PMC11189028 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1416501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Tick paralysis is a potentially fatal condition caused by toxins produced and secreted by tick salivary glands. This survey presents clinical and epidemiological observations of tick paralysis cases in domestic animals in Cyprus. Local veterinarians report typical tick paralysis cases occurring in goats, sheep, dogs, and cats. The animals suffering from paralysis are free from other neurological diseases, have blood and biochemical parameters within normal ranges, and recover fast by simply removing the ticks found predominantly on the head and around the neck. Tick paralysis cases occur in a specific geographic area of Cyprus (Akamas peninsula), from September through March, but not every year. Instead, the phenomenon has 2 periodic cycles of occurrence, a 3- and a 7-year cycle. The 2 cycles are differentiated by severity based on the number of affected animals and the resulting losses. As described for other tick-borne diseases, these cyclic patterns may be attributed to external factors, self-oscillations of the disease system, or the combined action of these mechanisms. Ticks collected from a recent paralysis case in a goat were morphologically and molecularly identified as Ixodes gibbosus. Efforts should be made to characterize the specific toxins involved in tick paralysis and to develop a vaccine, which could prevent significant losses of small ruminants, especially in free-ranging farming systems, a prevalent management approach observed in Cyprus and various regions worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Diakou
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Diagnostics and Laboratory Research Task Force, Balkan Association for Vector-Borne Diseases, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Angelique Foucault-Simonin
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz
- ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR BIPAR, Laboratoire de Santé Animale, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Gábor Földvári
- Institute of Evolution, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Budapest, Hungary
- Centre for Eco-Epidemiology, National Laboratory for Health Security, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Richter D, Schneider AK, Schibalski A, Dahlkamp A, Schröder B. Features in and around residential gardens affecting the presence and abundance of questing Ixodes ricinus ticks. Infect Ecol Epidemiol 2023; 13:2207878. [PMID: 37180872 PMCID: PMC10167878 DOI: 10.1080/20008686.2023.2207878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
People may be exposed to questing Ixodes ricinus ticks in urban settings, e.g. residential gardens. Little is known about the garden characteristics that support a tick population. To determine which features in and around residential gardens support or limit the occurrence and abundance of questing I. ricinus ticks, we sampled them in residential gardens in the Braunschweig region that differed in various intrinsic and extrinsic parameters. We recorded the number of questing nymphal and adult ticks on transects, and by using mixed-effects generalized linear regression models, we related their occurrence and abundance to garden characteristics, meteorological covariates, and landscape features in the vicinity. We detected questing I. ricinus ticks in about 90% of the 103 surveyed gardens. Our occurrence model (marginal R2 = 0.31) predicted the highest probability of questing ticks on transects with hedges or groundcover in gardens, which are located in neighborhoods with large proportions of forest. The abundance of questing ticks was similarly influenced. We conclude that I. ricinus ticks are frequent in residential gardens in Northern Germany and likely associated with intrinsic garden characteristics on a small scale, such as hedges, as well as extrinsic factors on a local scale, such as the proportion of nearby woodland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dania Richter
- Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Schneider
- Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Anett Schibalski
- Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Andreas Dahlkamp
- Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Boris Schröder
- Landscape Ecology and Environmental Systems Analysis, Institute of Geoecology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research BBIB, Berlin, Germany
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3
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Uusitalo R, Siljander M, Lindén A, Sormunen JJ, Aalto J, Hendrickx G, Kallio E, Vajda A, Gregow H, Henttonen H, Marsboom C, Korhonen EM, Sironen T, Pellikka P, Vapalahti O. Predicting habitat suitability for Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Finland. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:310. [PMID: 36042518 PMCID: PMC9429443 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05410-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are responsible for transmitting several notable pathogens worldwide. Finland lies in a zone where two human-biting tick species co-occur: Ixodesricinus and Ixodespersulcatus. Tick densities have increased in boreal regions worldwide during past decades, and tick-borne pathogens have been identified as one of the major threats to public health in the face of climate change. Methods We used species distribution modelling techniques to predict the distributions of I.ricinus and I.persulcatus, using aggregated historical data from 2014 to 2020 and new tick occurrence data from 2021. By aiming to fill the gaps in tick occurrence data, we created a new sampling strategy across Finland. We also screened for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Borrelia from the newly collected ticks. Climate, land use and vegetation data, and population densities of the tick hosts were used in various combinations on four data sets to estimate tick species’ distributions across mainland Finland with a 1-km resolution. Results In the 2021 survey, 89 new locations were sampled of which 25 new presences and 63 absences were found for I.ricinus and one new presence and 88 absences for I.persulcatus. A total of 502 ticks were collected and analysed; no ticks were positive for TBEV, while 56 (47%) of the 120 pools, including adult, nymph, and larva pools, were positive for Borrelia (minimum infection rate 11.2%, respectively). Our prediction results demonstrate that two combined predictor data sets based on ensemble mean models yielded the highest predictive accuracy for both I.ricinus (AUC = 0.91, 0.94) and I.persulcatus (AUC = 0.93, 0.96). The suitable habitats for I.ricinus were determined by higher relative humidity, air temperature, precipitation sum, and middle-infrared reflectance levels and higher densities of white-tailed deer, European hare, and red fox. For I.persulcatus, locations with greater precipitation and air temperature and higher white-tailed deer, roe deer, and mountain hare densities were associated with higher occurrence probabilities. Suitable habitats for I.ricinus ranged from southern Finland up to Central Ostrobothnia and North Karelia, excluding areas in Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa. For I.persulcatus, suitable areas were located along the western coast from Ostrobothnia to southern Lapland, in North Karelia, North Savo, Kainuu, and areas in Pirkanmaa and Päijät-Häme. Conclusions This is the first study conducted in Finland that estimates potential tick species distributions using environmental and host data. Our results can be utilized in vector control strategies, as supporting material in recommendations issued by public health authorities, and as predictor data for modelling the risk for tick-borne diseases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05410-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruut Uusitalo
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Mika Siljander
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andreas Lindén
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, P.O. Box 2, 00791, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jani J Sormunen
- Biodiversity Unit, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Juha Aalto
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Eva Kallio
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and School of Resource Wisdom, University of Jyväskylä, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Andrea Vajda
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hilppa Gregow
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute, P.O. Box 503, 00101, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, P.O. Box 2, 00791, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Essi M Korhonen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Pellikka
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Virology and Immunology, HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
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Gascuel-Odoux C, Lescourret F, Dedieu B, Detang-Dessendre C, Faverdin P, Hazard L, Litrico-Chiarelli I, Petit S, Roques L, Reboud X, Tixier-Boichard M, de Vries H, Caquet T. A research agenda for scaling up agroecology in European countries. AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2022; 42:53. [PMID: 35702339 PMCID: PMC9181893 DOI: 10.1007/s13593-022-00786-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A profound transformation of agricultural production methods has become unavoidable due to the increase in the world's population, and environmental and climatic challenges. Agroecology is now recognized as a challenging model for agricultural systems, promoting their diversification and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic contexts, with consequences for the entire agri-food system and the development of rural and urban areas. Through a prospective exercise performed at a large interdisciplinary institute, INRAE, a research agenda for agroecology was built that filled a gap through its ambition and interdisciplinarity. It concerned six topics. For genetics, there is a need to study genetic aspects of complex systems (e.g., mixtures of genotypes) and to develop breeding methods for them. For landscapes, challenges lie in effects of heterogeneity at multiple scales, in multifunctionality and in the design of agroecological landscapes. Agricultural equipment and digital technologies show high potential for monitoring dynamics of agroecosystems. For modeling, challenges include approaches to complexity, consideration of spatial and temporal dimensions and representation of the cascade from cropping practices to ecosystem services. The agroecological transition of farms calls for modeling and observational approaches as well as for creating new design methods. Integration of agroecology into food systems raises the issues of product specificity, consumer behavior and organization of markets, standards and public policies. In addition, transversal priorities were identified: (i) generating sets of biological data, through research and participatory mechanisms, that are appropriate for designing agroecological systems and (ii) collecting and using coherent sets of data to enable assessment of vulnerability, resilience and risk in order to evaluate the performance of agroecological systems and to contribute to scaling up. The main lessons learned from this collective exercise can be useful for the entire scientific community engaged in research into agroecology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sandrine Petit
- Institut Agro, UMR Agroécologie, INRAE, 21000 Dijon, France
| | | | - Xavier Reboud
- Institut Agro, UMR Agroécologie, INRAE, 21000 Dijon, France
| | | | - Hugo de Vries
- Institut Agro, UMR IATE, INRAE, 34000 Montpellier, France
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Ticks on the Run: A Mathematical Model of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF)-Key Factors for Transmission. EPIDEMIOLGIA (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 3:116-134. [PMID: 36417271 PMCID: PMC9620928 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia3010010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic disease caused by the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). Ticks of the genus Hyalomma are the main vectors and represent a reservoir for the virus. CCHF is maintained in nature in an endemic vertebrate-tick-vertebrate cycle. The disease is prevalent in wide geographical areas including Asia, Africa, South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It is of great importance for the public health given its occasionally high case/fatality ratio of CCHFV in humans. Climate change and the detection of possible CCHFV vectors in Central Europe suggest that the establishment of the transmission in Central Europe may be possible in future. We have developed a compartment-based nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) system to model the disease transmission cycle including blood sucking ticks, livestock and human. Sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number R0 shows that decreasing the tick survival time is an efficient method to control the disease. The model supports us in understanding the influence of different model parameters on the spread of CCHFV. Tick-to-tick transmission through co-feeding and the CCHFV circulation through transstadial and transovarial transmission are important factors to sustain the disease cycle. The proposed model dynamics are calibrated through an empirical multi-country analysis and multidimensional plot reveals that the disease-parameter sets of different countries burdened with CCHF are different. This information may help decision makers to select efficient control strategies.
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6
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Tick bite risk resulting from spatially heterogeneous hazard, exposure and coping capacity. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2021.100967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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7
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Models for Studying the Distribution of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Animals: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis with a Focus on Africa. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070893. [PMID: 34358043 PMCID: PMC8308717 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBD) are constraints to the development of livestock and induce potential human health problems. The worldwide distribution of ticks is not homogenous. Some places are ecologically suitable for ticks but they are not introduced in these areas yet. The absence or low density of hosts is a factor affecting the dissemination of the parasite. To understand the process of introduction and spread of TTBD in different areas, and forecast their presence, scientists developed different models (e.g., predictive models and explicative models). This study aimed to identify models developed by researchers to analyze the TTBD distribution and to assess the performance of these various models with a meta-analysis. A literature search was implemented with PRISMA protocol in two online databases (Scopus and PubMed). The selected articles were classified according to country, type of models and the objective of the modeling. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy available data of these models were used to evaluate their performance using a meta-analysis. One hundred studies were identified in which seven tick genera were modeled, with Ixodes the most frequently modeled. Additionally, 13 genera of tick-borne pathogens were also modeled, with Borrelia the most frequently modeled. Twenty-three different models were identified and the most frequently used are the generalized linear model representing 26.67% and the maximum entropy model representing 24.17%. A focus on TTBD modeling in Africa showed that, respectively, genus Rhipicephalus and Theileria parva were the most modeled. A meta-analysis on the quality of 20 models revealed that maximum entropy, linear discriminant analysis, and the ecological niche factor analysis models had, respectively, the highest sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve effect size among all the selected models. Modeling TTBD is highly relevant for predicting their distribution and preventing their adverse effect on animal and human health and the economy. Related results of such analyses are useful to build prevention and/or control programs by veterinary and public health authorities.
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8
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Millins C, Leo W, MacInnes I, Ferguson J, Charlesworth G, Nayar D, Davison R, Yardley J, Kilbride E, Huntley S, Gilbert L, Viana M, Johnson P, Biek R. Emergence of Lyme Disease on Treeless Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:538-546. [PMID: 33496237 PMCID: PMC7853560 DOI: 10.3201/eid2702.203862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is usually associated with forested habitats but has recently emerged on treeless islands in the Western Isles of Scotland. The environmental and human components of Lyme disease risk in open habitats remain unknown. We quantified the environmental hazard and risk factors for human tick bite exposure among treeless islands with low and high Lyme disease incidence in the Western Isles. We found a higher prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato–infected ticks on high-incidence than on low-incidence islands (6.4% vs. 0.7%); we also found that residents of high-incidence islands reported increased tick bite exposure. Most tick bites (72.7%) occurred <1 km from the home, including many in home gardens. Residents of high Lyme disease incidence islands reported increasing problems with ticks; many suggested changing deer distribution as a potential driver. We highlight the benefits of an integrated approach in understanding the factors that contribute to Lyme disease emergence.
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9
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Zhang X, Wu J. Synchronized Tick Population Oscillations Driven by Host Mobility and Spatially Heterogeneous Developmental Delays Combined. Bull Math Biol 2021; 83:61. [PMID: 33870474 PMCID: PMC8053666 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-021-00874-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
We consider a coupled system of delay differential equations for a single-species tick population dynamics, assuming feeding adult ticks are distributed by their hosts in a spatially heterogeneous environment consisting of two patches where egg ticks produced will complete their life cycles with different, normal and diapause, developmental delays. We show that the mobility of adult tick host and the diapause developmental delay combined drive a synchronized oscillation in the total tick populations around a uniquely defined positive equilibrium, and this synchronization makes the oscillatory patterns much simpler in comparison with multi-peak oscillations exhibited in the absence of host mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Zhang
- College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819 Liaoning China
| | - Jianhong Wu
- Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada
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10
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Daversa DR, Fenton A, Dell AI, Garner TWJ, Manica A. Infections on the move: how transient phases of host movement influence disease spread. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1807. [PMID: 29263283 PMCID: PMC5745403 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal movement impacts the spread of human and wildlife diseases, and there is significant interest in understanding the role of migrations, biological invasions and other wildlife movements in spatial infection dynamics. However, the influence of processes acting on infections during transient phases of host movement is poorly understood. We propose a conceptual framework that explicitly considers infection dynamics during transient phases of host movement to better predict infection spread through spatial host networks. Accounting for host transient movement captures key processes that occur while hosts move between locations, which together determine the rate at which hosts spread infections through networks. We review theoretical and empirical studies of host movement and infection spread, highlighting the multiple factors that impact the infection status of hosts. We then outline characteristics of hosts, parasites and the environment that influence these dynamics. Recent technological advances provide disease ecologists unprecedented ability to track the fine-scale movement of organisms. These, in conjunction with experimental testing of the factors driving infection dynamics during host movement, can inform models of infection spread based on constituent biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D R Daversa
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK .,Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - A Fenton
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - A I Dell
- National Great Rivers Research and Education Centre (NGRREC), East Alton, IL 62024, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, 1 Brookings Dr, St Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - T W J Garner
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - A Manica
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
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11
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Daversa DR, Manica A, Bosch J, Jolles JW, Garner TWJ. Routine habitat switching alters the likelihood and persistence of infection with a pathogenic parasite. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Daversa
- Institute of Integrative BiologyUniversity of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of London London UK
| | - Andrea Manica
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Jaime Bosch
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias NaturalesCSIC Madrid Spain
- Centro de InvestigaciónSeguimiento y EvaluaciónParque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama Rascafría Spain
| | - Jolle W. Jolles
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
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12
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Mierzejewska EJ, Estrada-Peña A, Bajer A. Spread of Dermacentor reticulatus is associated with the loss of forest area. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 72:399-413. [PMID: 28831655 PMCID: PMC5583311 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0160-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Changes in tick distribution and abundance are among the main drivers of the (re)emergence of transmitted pathogens. We aimed to uncover the reasons of the reported spread of Dermacentor reticulatus in Poland using a variety of proxies of environmental features, ground-measured temperature and remotely-sensed data of temperature and vegetation. Ground-measured temperature was recorded in 2013-2014, in sites where D. reticulatus presence (n = 16) or absence (n = 16) was confirmed. We specifically aimed to test whether changes in phenology of vegetation and the length of the growing season were correlated with field-derived data regarding the presence/absence of D. reticulatus. We also used categorical descriptions of the habitat to capture the vegetation patterns that might delineate the distribution of the tick. We demonstrated that temperature, phenology of vegetation and length of growing season have no correlation with the occurrence of D. reticulatus in Poland. There is, however, a clear association between the trends of the loss of forests and the presence of the tick. This parameter was two times higher at sites colonized by D. reticulatus in comparison to the sites where the population of the tick is not yet established. A spatial analysis demonstrated that the preferred territories for D. reticulatus are those of a highly fragmented landscape within a large patch of homogeneous vegetation, in the vicinity of permanent water courses or reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa J Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Delgado JD, Abreu-Yanes E, Abreu-Acosta N, Flor MD, Foronda P. Vertebrate Ticks Distribution and Their Role as Vectors in Relation to Road Edges and Underpasses. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:376-383. [PMID: 28402742 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Roads fragment vertebrate populations and affect the dynamics and dispersal patterns of vertebrate parasites. We evaluated how vertebrate ticks distribute near roads and road underpasses in human-caused road-fragmented landscapes in Seville, SW Spain. We sampled 49 stations with 93 individualized sampling points and assessed tick abundance. We explored the relationship between tick presence and abundance and distance to the nearest road and underpass (drainage culverts and other passages used by vertebrates), and landscape features through categorical regression and nonparametric statistics. The presence of the tick-borne pathogens Borrelia sp. and Bartonella sp. was also analyzed by PCR. We found preliminary evidence of high relative tick abundance next to roads and in the vicinity of road underpasses. Plant cover type was related to tick presence in this road context. Implications of road permeability and edge effect in patterns of vertebrate-tick relationships in road fragmentation contexts are discussed. Both Borrelia sp. and Bartonella sp. were detected in the ticks analyzed. This is the first report of these bacteria in ticks from Seville. The results confirm the potential risk of acquiring Lyme disease and bartonellosis in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Delgado
- 1 Área de Ecología, Departamento Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide , Sevilla, Spain
| | - Estefanía Abreu-Yanes
- 2 Infulab S.L. , La Laguna, Spain .,3 Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias , Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
| | | | | | - Pilar Foronda
- 3 Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias , Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Spain
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Cat J, Beugnet F, Hoch T, Jongejan F, Prangé A, Chalvet-Monfray K. Influence of the spatial heterogeneity in tick abundance in the modeling of the seasonal activity of Ixodes ricinus nymphs in Western Europe. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2017; 71:115-130. [PMID: 28127642 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-016-0099-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The seasonal weather-driven activity of the tick Ixodes ricinus is frequently explored using multisite surveys. This study aimed to investigate the statistical modeling of seasonal trends in the activity of I. ricinus nymphs when both the influence of abiotic factors and spatial heterogeneity were taken into account. Time series data of abiotic covariates (temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and photoperiod) and nymphal tick counts were recorded on several sites in The Netherlands, Belgium and in France in 2008 and 2009. The sites were divided into two subsets which were used for model construction or model validation. A generalized linear mixed model was set up, with aggregated abiotic covariates as fixed effects, and the collection site as a random effect to account for the site-varying density in nymphs. A linear regression model was developed to estimate the site effect against the observed local abundance on each site. The activity patterns simulated from the weather and photoperiod covariates realistically reproduced the observed seasonal trends in nymphal tick activity. The fit between observed and simulated nymphal count time series was greatly improved when the site-specific local abundance in nymphs was included. Our modeling approach allows indicators of local tick abundance and the temporal modeling of I. ricinus activity to be combined. The model presented here can also be used to study scenarios on the temporal patterns of I. ricinus activity in the present and in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Cat
- EPIA, INRA, 63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France.
- Université de Lyon, VetAgroSup, 1 av Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy-l'Etoile, France.
| | | | - Thierry Hoch
- BIOEPAR, INRA, Oniris, La Chantrerie, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - Frans Jongejan
- Utrecht Centre for Tick-borne Diseases (UCTD), FAO Reference Centre for Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Aurélie Prangé
- Direction interarmées du service de santé en Nouvelle Calédonie (DIASS-NC), 38 - 98843, Nouméa cedex, New Caledonia, France
| | - Karine Chalvet-Monfray
- EPIA, INRA, 63122, Saint Genès Champanelle, France
- Université de Lyon, VetAgroSup, 1 av Bourgelat, 69280, Marcy-l'Etoile, France
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15
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Li S, Gilbert L, Harrison PA, Rounsevell MDA. Modelling the seasonality of Lyme disease risk and the potential impacts of a warming climate within the heterogeneous landscapes of Scotland. J R Soc Interface 2016; 13:rsif.2016.0140. [PMID: 27030039 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The abundance of infected nymphal ticks is commonly used as a Lyme disease risk indicator. Temperature can influence the dynamics of disease by shaping the activity and development of ticks and, hence, altering the contact pattern and pathogen transmission between ticks and their host animals. A mechanistic, agent-based model was developed to study the temperature-driven seasonality of Ixodes ricinus ticks and transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato across mainland Scotland. Based on 12-year averaged temperature surfaces, our model predicted that Lyme disease risk currently peaks in autumn, approximately six weeks after the temperature peak. The risk was predicted to decrease with increasing altitude. Increases in temperature were predicted to prolong the duration of the tick questing season and expand the risk area to higher altitudinal and latitudinal regions. These predicted impacts on tick population ecology may be expected to lead to greater tick-host contacts under climate warming and, hence, greater risks of pathogen transmission. The model is useful in improving understanding of the spatial determinants and system mechanisms of Lyme disease pathogen transmission and its sensitivity to temperature changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Li
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Lucy Gilbert
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Paula A Harrison
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Mark D A Rounsevell
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
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16
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Hoch T, Breton E, Josse M, Deniz A, Guven E, Vatansever Z. Identifying main drivers and testing control strategies for CCHFV spread. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 68:347-359. [PMID: 26174420 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9937-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is an emerging zoonotic disease. The causative agent is a virus (CCHFV), mainly transmitted by ticks of the species Hyalomma marginatum in Eastern Europe and Turkey. In order to test potential scenarios for the control of pathogen spread, the basic reproduction number (R0) for CCHF was calculated. This calculation was based on a population dynamics model and parameter values from the literature for pathogen transmission. The tick population dynamics model takes into account the major processes involved and gives estimates for tick survival from one stage to the other and number of feeding ticks. It also considers the influence of abiotic (meteorological variables) and biotic factors (host densities) on model outputs, which were compared with data collected in Central Anatolia (Turkey). R0 computation was thereafter used to test control strategies and especially the effect of acaricide treatment. Simulation results indicate that such treatments could have valuable effects provided that the acaricide is applied regularly throughout the spring and summer, and over several years. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to abiotic and biotic factors showed that, even though temperature has a strong impact on model outputs, host (mainly hare) densities also play a role. The kind of model we have developed provides insight into the ability of different strategies to prevent and control disease spread and has proved its relevance when associated with field trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Hoch
- INRA, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France.
- LUNAM Université, ONIRIS, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France.
| | - E Breton
- INRA, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France
- LUNAM Université, ONIRIS, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - M Josse
- INRA, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France
- LUNAM Université, ONIRIS, UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque en santé animale, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - A Deniz
- Etlik Central Veterinary Control and Research Institute, Ankara, Turkey
| | - E Guven
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Z Vatansever
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey
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17
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Tick-borne infectious agents in nature: Simulated effects of changes in host density on spatial-temporal prevalence of infected ticks. Ecol Modell 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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18
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Vanwambeke SO, Van Doninck J, Artois J, Davidson RK, Meyfroidt P, Jore S. Forest classes and tree cover gradient: tick habitat in encroached areas of southern Norway. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2016; 68:375-385. [PMID: 26692382 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-0007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Forest, in particular deciduous forest, is a key element in determining areas with a high probability of tick presence. The way forest is generally monitored may be ill suited to some landscapes where Ixodes ricinus is found, as forest is usually characterised using crisp land cover classes. However, tree vegetation can be found outside of forests and continuous gradations of tree density can be found in a variety of landscapes. In this paper we investigate the probability of tick presence in southern Norway using landscape description based both on land cover classes and continuous data describing the tree cover fraction. Both perspectives on the landscape are significant in the logistic model, indicating that the usual approach based solely on land cover classes may not be comprehensive enough in capturing tick habitat, and characterising the landscape with variables focused on single specific elements may be insufficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- S O Vanwambeke
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - J Van Doninck
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium
| | - J Artois
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium
| | - R K Davidson
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, Kjeller, Norway
| | - P Meyfroidt
- Georges Lemaître Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain, Belgium
- F.R.S.-FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
| | - S Jore
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Norwegian Public Health Institute, Oslo, Norway
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Perez G, Bastian S, Agoulon A, Bouju A, Durand A, Faille F, Lebert I, Rantier Y, Plantard O, Butet A. Effect of landscape features on the relationship between Ixodes ricinus ticks and their small mammal hosts. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:20. [PMID: 26767788 PMCID: PMC4714450 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1296-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The consequences of land use changes are among the most cited causes of emerging infectious diseases because they can modify the ecology and transmission of pathogens. This is particularly true for vector-borne diseases which depend on abiotic (e.g. climate) and biotic conditions (i.e. hosts and vectors). In this study, we investigated how landscape features affect the abundances of small mammals and Ixodes ricinus ticks, and how they influence their relationship. Methods From 2012 to 2014, small mammals and questing I. ricinus ticks were sampled in spring and autumn in 24 sites located in agricultural and forest landscapes in Brittany, France. We tested the effects of landscape features (composition and configuration) on the abundances of small mammal species and immature ticks and their relationship. Additionally, we quantified the larval tick burden of small mammals in 2012 to better describe this relationship. Results The nymph abundance was positively influenced by the larval occurrence and the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus abundance the previous spring because they hosted tenfold more larvae than the bank vole Myodes glareolus. The bank vole abundance in spring and autumn had a negative and positive effect, respectively, on the nymph abundance. In agricultural landscapes, wood mice were positively influenced by woodland cover and woodland/hedgerow-grassland ecotone, whereas bank voles showed the opposite or non-significant responses to these landscape variables. The woodland cover had a positive effect on immature ticks. Conclusion The landscape configuration, likely by affecting the landscape connectivity, influences the small mammal communities in permanent habitats. Our study showed that the wood mouse, due to its dominance and to its tolerance to ticks, feeds a substantial proportion of larvae. The acquired resistance to ticks in the bank vole can reduce its role as a trophic resource over time. The nymph abundance seems indirectly influenced by landscape features via their effects on the small mammal community. To enhance our understanding of the epidemiology of tick-borne diseases within landscapes, further studies will integrate data on pathogen prevalence and investigate explicitly the effect of landscape connectivity on host-vector-pathogen systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Perez
- UMR 6553 Ecosystème, Biodiversité, Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Rennes 1, Avenue du Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France. .,UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Suzanne Bastian
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Albert Agoulon
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Agnès Bouju
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Axelle Durand
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Frédéric Faille
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Isabelle Lebert
- UR0346 Epidémiologie Animale, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Route de Theix, Saint-Genès-Champanelle, 63122, France.
| | - Yann Rantier
- UMR 6553 Ecosystème, Biodiversité, Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Rennes 1, Avenue du Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France.
| | - Olivier Plantard
- UMR1300 Biologie, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique-LUNAM Université, Oniris, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, Agroalimentaire et de l'Alimentation Nantes-Atlantique, Atlanpole, la Chantrerie, Nantes, 44307, France.
| | - Alain Butet
- UMR 6553 Ecosystème, Biodiversité, Evolution, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Université de Rennes 1, Avenue du Général Leclerc, Rennes, 35042, France.
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20
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Impacts of deer management practices on the spatial dynamics of the tick Ixodes ricinus: A scenario analysis. Ecol Modell 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2013.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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21
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Climate and environmental change drives Ixodes ricinus geographical expansion at the northern range margin. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:11. [PMID: 24401487 PMCID: PMC3895670 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Global environmental change is causing spatial and temporal shifts in the distribution of species and the associated diseases of humans, domesticated animals and wildlife. In the on-going debate on the influence of climate change on vectors and vector-borne diseases, there is a lack of a comprehensive interdisciplinary multi-factorial approach utilizing high quality spatial and temporal data. Methods We explored biotic and abiotic factors associated with the latitudinal and altitudinal shifts in the distribution of Ixodes ricinus observed during the last three decades in Norway using antibodies against Anaplasma phagocytophilum in sheep as indicators for tick presence. Samples obtained from 2963 sheep from 90 farms in 3 ecologically different districts during 1978 – 2008 were analysed. We modelled the presence of antibodies against A. phagocytophilum to climatic-, environmental and demographic variables, and abundance of wild cervids and domestic animals, using mixed effect logistic regressions. Results Significant predictors were large diurnal fluctuations in ground surface temperature, spring precipitation, duration of snow cover, abundance of red deer and farm animals and bush encroachment/ecotones. The length of the growth season, mean temperature and the abundance of roe deer were not significant in the model. Conclusions Our results highlight the need to consider climatic variables year-round to disentangle important seasonal variation, climatic threshold changes, climate variability and to consider the broader environmental change, including abiotic and biotic factors. The results offer novel insight in how tick and tick-borne disease distribution might be modified by future climate and environmental change.
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22
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Simulation of climate–host–parasite–landscape interactions: A spatially explicit model for ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). Ecol Modell 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Li S, Heyman P, Cochez C, Simons L, Vanwambeke SO. A multi-level analysis of the relationship between environmental factors and questing Ixodes ricinus dynamics in Belgium. Parasit Vectors 2012; 5:149. [PMID: 22830528 PMCID: PMC3419667 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 07/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Ticks are the most important pathogen vectors in Europe. They are known to be influenced by environmental factors, but these links are usually studied at specific temporal or spatial scales. Focusing on Ixodes ricinus in Belgium, we attempt to bridge the gap between current “single-sided” studies that focus on temporal or spatial variation only. Here, spatial and temporal patterns of ticks are modelled together. Methods A multi-level analysis of the Ixodes ricinus patterns in Belgium was performed. Joint effects of weather, habitat quality and hunting on field sampled tick abundance were examined at two levels, namely, sampling level, which is associated with temporal dynamics, and site level, which is related to spatial dynamics. Independent variables were collected from standard weather station records, game management data and remote sensing-based land cover data. Results At sampling level, only a marginally significant effect of daily relative humidity and temperature on the abundance of questing nymphs was identified. Average wind speed of seven days prior to the sampling day was found important to both questing nymphs and adults. At site level, a group of landscape-level forest fragmentation indices were highlighted for both questing nymph and adult abundance, including the nearest-neighbour distance, the shape and the aggregation level of forest patches. No cross-level effects or spatial autocorrelation were found. Conclusions Nymphal and adult ticks responded differently to environmental variables at different spatial and temporal scales. Our results can advise spatio-temporal extents of environment data collection for continuing empirical investigations and potential parameters for biological tick models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Li
- Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Li S, Hartemink N, Speybroeck N, Vanwambeke SO. Consequences of landscape fragmentation on Lyme disease risk: a cellular automata approach. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39612. [PMID: 22761842 PMCID: PMC3382467 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The abundance of infected Ixodid ticks is an important component of human risk of Lyme disease, and various empirical studies have shown that this is associated, at least in part, to landscape fragmentation. In this study, we aimed at exploring how varying woodland fragmentation patterns affect the risk of Lyme disease, through infected tick abundance. A cellular automata model was developed, incorporating a heterogeneous landscape with three interactive components: an age-structured tick population, a classical disease transmission function, and hosts. A set of simplifying assumptions were adopted with respect to the study objective and field data limitations. In the model, the landscape influences both tick survival and host movement. The validation of the model was performed with an empirical study. Scenarios of various landscape configurations (focusing on woodland fragmentation) were simulated and compared. Lyme disease risk indices (density and infection prevalence of nymphs) differed considerably between scenarios: (i) the risk could be higher in highly fragmented woodlands, which is supported by a number of recently published empirical studies, and (ii) grassland could reduce the risk in adjacent woodland, which suggests landscape fragmentation studies of zoonotic diseases should not focus on the patch-level woodland patterns only, but also on landscape-level adjacent land cover patterns. Further analysis of the simulation results indicated strong correlations between Lyme disease risk indices and the density, shape and aggregation level of woodland patches. These findings highlight the strong effect of the spatial patterns of local host population and movement on the spatial dynamics of Lyme disease risks, which can be shaped by woodland fragmentation. In conclusion, using a cellular automata approach is beneficial for modelling complex zoonotic transmission systems as it can be combined with either real world landscapes for exploring direct spatial effects or artificial representations for outlining possible empirical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Li
- Georges Lemaître Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Hoch T, Goebel J, Agoulon A, Malandrin L. Modelling bovine babesiosis: a tool to simulate scenarios for pathogen spread and to test control measures for the disease. Prev Vet Med 2012; 106:136-42. [PMID: 22341037 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2012.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Tick-borne diseases are of increasing concern in many countries, particularly as a consequence of changes in land use and climate. Ticks are vectors of numerous pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa) that can be harmful to humans and animals. In the context of animal health, bovine babesiosis poses a recurrent threat to cattle herds. In this study, we use a modeling approach to investigate the spread of babesiosis and evaluate control measures. A previously developed tick population dynamics model (here, Ixodes ricinus) is coupled with a pathogen spread model (here, the protozoan Babesia divergens), which describes pathogen spread in a dairy herd through the following processes: transmission, acquisition, transovarial transmission, transstadial persistence, and clearance of the pathogen. An assessment of the simulated B. divergens prevalence levels in ticks and cattle in the context of existing knowledge and data suggested that the model provides a realistic representation of pathogen spread. The model was then used to evaluate the influence of host density and the effect of acaricides on B. divergens prevalence in cattle. Increasing deer density results in an increase in prevalence in cattle whereas increasing cattle stocking rate results in a slight decrease. A potential increase in deer density would thus have an amplification effect on disease spread due to the increase in the number of infected ticks. Regular use of acaricides produces a reduction in pathogen prevalence in cattle. This model could be adapted to other tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Hoch
- INRA, UMR 1300 Bio-Agression, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Nantes, F-44307, France.
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26
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Agoulon A, Malandrin L, Lepigeon F, Vénisse M, Bonnet S, Becker CAM, Hoch T, Bastian S, Plantard O, Beaudeau F. A Vegetation Index qualifying pasture edges is related to Ixodes ricinus density and to Babesia divergens seroprevalence in dairy cattle herds. Vet Parasitol 2011; 185:101-9. [PMID: 22079425 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2011.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Revised: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Babesia divergens, transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus, is the main agent of bovine piroplasmosis in France. This Apicomplexa often is present in asymptomatic carriers; however, clinical cases are rare. While numerous factors are known to influence tick density, no risk factor of contact with B. divergens has been identified for cattle. Our study aimed to explore whether a Vegetation Index could serve as an indirect indicator of within-herd B. divergens seroprevalence. In February 2007, blood samples were taken from all of the cows in 19 dairy cattle herds in Western France and IFAT serology was performed individually to measure B. divergens seroprevalence. The following spring, I. ricinus nymphs were collected by drag sampling along transects on the vegetation of each farm's pasture perimeters. Tick density was related significantly to a Vegetation Index (V.I., ranging from 1 to 5) that took into account the abundance of trees and bushes on the edge of pastures: most ticks (57%) were found in transects with the highest V.I. (covering 15% of the explored surface in the study area). At the farm level, the proportion of transects presenting I. ricinus nymphs was significantly related to B. divergens seroprevalence: the farms with more than 15% of transects with I. ricinus had a significantly higher risk of high seroprevalence. The proportion of pasture perimeters where the V.I.=5 also was significantly related to B. divergens seroprevalence: the farms where more than 20% of transects had a V.I.=5 had a significantly higher risk of high seroprevalence. Given that the Vegetation Index is a steady indicator of the potential I. ricinus density in the biotope, we recommend that the risk of high B. divergens seroprevalence in cows be evaluated using this tool rather than drag samplings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Agoulon
- LUNAM Université, Oniris, UMR 1300 Bio-Agression, Epidémiologie et Analyse de Risque, Nantes, F-44307, France.
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Reproducibility of local environmental factors for the abundance of questing Ixodes ricinus nymphs on pastures. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2011; 2:104-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2011.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2010] [Revised: 02/10/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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