Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania
Tick-borne diseases pose a serious threat to human health in South-Eastern Europe, including Kosovo. While Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-known emerging infection in this area, there are no accurate data on Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Therefore, we sampled a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00038/full |
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| author | Kurtesh Sherifi Agim Rexhepi Kristaq Berxholi Blerta Mehmedi Rreze M. Gecaj Zamira Hoxha Anja Joachim Georg G. Duscher |
| author_facet | Kurtesh Sherifi Agim Rexhepi Kristaq Berxholi Blerta Mehmedi Rreze M. Gecaj Zamira Hoxha Anja Joachim Georg G. Duscher |
| author_sort | Kurtesh Sherifi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tick-borne diseases pose a serious threat to human health in South-Eastern Europe, including Kosovo. While Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-known emerging infection in this area, there are no accurate data on Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Therefore, we sampled and tested 795 ticks. Ixodes ricinus (n = 218), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 98), and Haemaphysalis spp. (n = 24) were collected from the environment by flagging (all from Kosovo), while Hyalomma marginatum (n = 199 from Kosovo, all from Kosovo) and Rhipicephalus bursa (n = 130, 126 from Albania) could be collected only by removal from animal pasture and domestic ruminants. Ticks were collected in the years 2014/2015 and tested for viral RNA of CCHF and TBE viruses, as well as for DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by real-time PCR. In Kosovo, nine ticks were positive for RNA of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and seven for DNA of B. burgdorferi s. l. None of the ticks tested positive for TBEV. CCHF virus was detected in one H. marginatum male specimen collected while feeding on grazing cattle from the Prizren region and in eight R. bursa specimens (five females and three males collected while feeding on grazing sheep and cattle) from the Prishtina region (Kosovo). B. burgdorferi s. l. was detected in seven questing ticks (four male and one female D. marginatus, two I. ricinus one female and one male) from the Mitrovica region (Kosovo). Our study confirmed that CCHF virus is circulating in Kosovo mainly in H. marginatum and R. bursa in the central areas of the country. B. burgdorferi s. l. was found in its major European host tick, I. ricinus, but also in D. marginatus, in the north of the Kosovo. In order to prevent the spread of these diseases and better control of the tick-borne infections, an improved vector surveillance and testing of ticks for the presence of pathogens needs to be established. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T16:43:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3cc32515fd340308ab87bb4e39121f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T16:43:32Z |
| publishDate | 2018-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3cc32515fd340308ab87bb4e39121f82022-12-21T20:13:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692018-03-01510.3389/fvets.2018.00038322898Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and AlbaniaKurtesh Sherifi0Agim Rexhepi1Kristaq Berxholi2Blerta Mehmedi3Rreze M. Gecaj4Zamira Hoxha5Anja Joachim6Georg G. Duscher7Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Pristina, KosovoFaculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Pristina, KosovoFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, AlbaniaFaculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Pristina, KosovoFaculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, Pristina, KosovoFaculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, AlbaniaDepartment of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Pathobiology, Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, AustriaTick-borne diseases pose a serious threat to human health in South-Eastern Europe, including Kosovo. While Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a well-known emerging infection in this area, there are no accurate data on Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Therefore, we sampled and tested 795 ticks. Ixodes ricinus (n = 218), Dermacentor marginatus (n = 98), and Haemaphysalis spp. (n = 24) were collected from the environment by flagging (all from Kosovo), while Hyalomma marginatum (n = 199 from Kosovo, all from Kosovo) and Rhipicephalus bursa (n = 130, 126 from Albania) could be collected only by removal from animal pasture and domestic ruminants. Ticks were collected in the years 2014/2015 and tested for viral RNA of CCHF and TBE viruses, as well as for DNA of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato by real-time PCR. In Kosovo, nine ticks were positive for RNA of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and seven for DNA of B. burgdorferi s. l. None of the ticks tested positive for TBEV. CCHF virus was detected in one H. marginatum male specimen collected while feeding on grazing cattle from the Prizren region and in eight R. bursa specimens (five females and three males collected while feeding on grazing sheep and cattle) from the Prishtina region (Kosovo). B. burgdorferi s. l. was detected in seven questing ticks (four male and one female D. marginatus, two I. ricinus one female and one male) from the Mitrovica region (Kosovo). Our study confirmed that CCHF virus is circulating in Kosovo mainly in H. marginatum and R. bursa in the central areas of the country. B. burgdorferi s. l. was found in its major European host tick, I. ricinus, but also in D. marginatus, in the north of the Kosovo. In order to prevent the spread of these diseases and better control of the tick-borne infections, an improved vector surveillance and testing of ticks for the presence of pathogens needs to be established.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00038/fullCrimean–Congo hemorrhagic feverLyme borreliosisHyalomma marginatumDermacentor marginatusIxodes ricinus |
| spellingShingle | Kurtesh Sherifi Agim Rexhepi Kristaq Berxholi Blerta Mehmedi Rreze M. Gecaj Zamira Hoxha Anja Joachim Georg G. Duscher Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania Frontiers in Veterinary Science Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever Lyme borreliosis Hyalomma marginatum Dermacentor marginatus Ixodes ricinus |
| title | Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania |
| title_full | Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania |
| title_fullStr | Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania |
| title_short | Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ticks from Kosovo and Albania |
| title_sort | crimean congo hemorrhagic fever virus and borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ticks from kosovo and albania |
| topic | Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever Lyme borreliosis Hyalomma marginatum Dermacentor marginatus Ixodes ricinus |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fvets.2018.00038/full |
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