Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans
Ticks carry numerous pathogens that, if transmitted, can cause disease in humans and animals. Research on pathogens transmitted from ticks to humans is essential for improving public health strategies against tick-borne diseases (TBDs). In this study, <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> ticks found on...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Marina Žekić Tjaša Cerar Kišek Vesna Cvitković-Špik Eva Ružić-Sabljić Vladimir Gajdov Aleksandar Potkonjak Aleksandar Jurišić Sara Savić |
| author_facet | Marina Žekić Tjaša Cerar Kišek Vesna Cvitković-Špik Eva Ružić-Sabljić Vladimir Gajdov Aleksandar Potkonjak Aleksandar Jurišić Sara Savić |
| author_sort | Marina Žekić |
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| description | Ticks carry numerous pathogens that, if transmitted, can cause disease in humans and animals. Research on pathogens transmitted from ticks to humans is essential for improving public health strategies against tick-borne diseases (TBDs). In this study, <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> ticks found on humans were collected and examined between 2019 and 2024. This study is about the molecular characteristics of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in the region of northern Serbia, including <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> sensu lato (s.l.), <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, and <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>. We identified <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.l. as the most prevalent in ticks (20.45%). Molecular analysis identified two genospecies, <i>B. afzelii</i> and <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s., indicating genetic diversity among <i>Borrelia</i> spirochetes. <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> was detected in ticks with a prevalence of (1.62%), while <i>C. burnetii</i> was not found in any of the ticks. Our findings highlight the necessity of monitoring tick pathogens in ticks removed from humans. Serbia is an endemic region for some tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. Regular surveillance of tick populations, with molecular identification of pathogens, offers insight into transmission dynamics, allowing for monitoring and public health interventions to be created if needed due to increased risk. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-e0e40037fb804abe914089dcae452d4d2025-08-20T02:21:57ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-05-0114652810.3390/pathogens14060528Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from HumansMarina Žekić0Tjaša Cerar Kišek1Vesna Cvitković-Špik2Eva Ružić-Sabljić3Vladimir Gajdov4Aleksandar Potkonjak5Aleksandar Jurišić6Sara Savić7Scientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, 21113 Novi Sad, SerbiaNational Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food, Department for Public Health Microbiology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaLaboratory for Diagnostics of Borreliosis and Lepotospirosis, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaLaboratory for Diagnostics of Borreliosis and Lepotospirosis, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaScientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, 21113 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaDepartment of Environmental and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, SerbiaScientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, 21113 Novi Sad, SerbiaTicks carry numerous pathogens that, if transmitted, can cause disease in humans and animals. Research on pathogens transmitted from ticks to humans is essential for improving public health strategies against tick-borne diseases (TBDs). In this study, <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> ticks found on humans were collected and examined between 2019 and 2024. This study is about the molecular characteristics of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in the region of northern Serbia, including <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> sensu lato (s.l.), <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>, and <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>. We identified <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.l. as the most prevalent in ticks (20.45%). Molecular analysis identified two genospecies, <i>B. afzelii</i> and <i>B. burgdorferi</i> s.s., indicating genetic diversity among <i>Borrelia</i> spirochetes. <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> was detected in ticks with a prevalence of (1.62%), while <i>C. burnetii</i> was not found in any of the ticks. Our findings highlight the necessity of monitoring tick pathogens in ticks removed from humans. Serbia is an endemic region for some tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. Regular surveillance of tick populations, with molecular identification of pathogens, offers insight into transmission dynamics, allowing for monitoring and public health interventions to be created if needed due to increased risk.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/528tick-borne diseasesBorreliaAnaplasma phagocytophilumCoxiella burnetiiSerbia |
| spellingShingle | Marina Žekić Tjaša Cerar Kišek Vesna Cvitković-Špik Eva Ružić-Sabljić Vladimir Gajdov Aleksandar Potkonjak Aleksandar Jurišić Sara Savić Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans Pathogens tick-borne diseases Borrelia Anaplasma phagocytophilum Coxiella burnetii Serbia |
| title | Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans |
| title_full | Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans |
| title_short | Molecular Detection and Characterization of Tick-Borne Pathogens in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> Ticks Collected from Humans |
| title_sort | molecular detection and characterization of tick borne pathogens in i ixodes ricinus i ticks collected from humans |
| topic | tick-borne diseases Borrelia Anaplasma phagocytophilum Coxiella burnetii Serbia |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/6/528 |
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