Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks
The Kaliningrad Oblast, located in the westernmost part of Russia and bordering European Union countries, is a popular tourist destination. However, limited research has been conducted on the bacteria found in ticks in this region. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence of certain bacteria, incl...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Alexey V. Rakov Evgenii G. Volchev Ketevan Petremgvdlishvili Tatiana A. Chekanova |
| author_facet | Alexey V. Rakov Evgenii G. Volchev Ketevan Petremgvdlishvili Tatiana A. Chekanova |
| author_sort | Alexey V. Rakov |
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| description | The Kaliningrad Oblast, located in the westernmost part of Russia and bordering European Union countries, is a popular tourist destination. However, limited research has been conducted on the bacteria found in ticks in this region. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence of certain bacteria, including <i>Borrelia</i>, <i>Rickettsia</i>, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i>, as well as the genospecies of the spotted fever group <i>Rickettsia</i> (SFGR) in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> and <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> tick species. To accomplish this, we employed commercial qPCR for pathogen screening. We identified specific genospecies by sequencing the <i>gltA</i> and <i>ompA</i> gene fragments. In <i>I. ricinus</i> ticks, we found <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> sensu lato DNA in 35.6% of samples. We also found <i>Rickettsia helvetica</i> in 17.5% of ticks. Additionally, we detected <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i> in 1.7% and <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> in 2.6%, while <i>Ehrlichia chaffeensis</i>/<i>Ehrlichia muris</i> were present in 0.6%. In <i>D. reticulatus</i> ticks, we detected only <i>Rickettsia conorii</i> subsp. <i>raoultii</i> DNA, with a prevalence of 6.1%. These findings demonstrate a substantial risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections from early spring through late autumn, emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring for these pathogens in the region. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-f197c2b4bcd846708a0cd68bf8e476b22025-08-20T02:21:14ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-06-01136140310.3390/microorganisms13061403Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health RisksAlexey V. Rakov0Evgenii G. Volchev1Ketevan Petremgvdlishvili2Tatiana A. Chekanova3Laboratory for Natural Focal Infections Epidemiology, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, RussiaBiosafety and Radioecology NorthWest LLC, 236040 Kaliningrad, RussiaLaboratory for Natural Focal Infections Epidemiology, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, RussiaLaboratory for Natural Focal Infections Epidemiology, Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, 111123 Moscow, RussiaThe Kaliningrad Oblast, located in the westernmost part of Russia and bordering European Union countries, is a popular tourist destination. However, limited research has been conducted on the bacteria found in ticks in this region. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence of certain bacteria, including <i>Borrelia</i>, <i>Rickettsia</i>, <i>Anaplasma</i>, and <i>Ehrlichia</i>, as well as the genospecies of the spotted fever group <i>Rickettsia</i> (SFGR) in <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> and <i>Dermacentor reticulatus</i> tick species. To accomplish this, we employed commercial qPCR for pathogen screening. We identified specific genospecies by sequencing the <i>gltA</i> and <i>ompA</i> gene fragments. In <i>I. ricinus</i> ticks, we found <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> sensu lato DNA in 35.6% of samples. We also found <i>Rickettsia helvetica</i> in 17.5% of ticks. Additionally, we detected <i>Borrelia miyamotoi</i> in 1.7% and <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> in 2.6%, while <i>Ehrlichia chaffeensis</i>/<i>Ehrlichia muris</i> were present in 0.6%. In <i>D. reticulatus</i> ticks, we detected only <i>Rickettsia conorii</i> subsp. <i>raoultii</i> DNA, with a prevalence of 6.1%. These findings demonstrate a substantial risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections from early spring through late autumn, emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring for these pathogens in the region.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1403<i>Rickettsia</i><i>Borrelia</i><i>Anaplasma</i><i>Ehrlichia</i>ticks<i>Ixodes ricinus</i> |
| spellingShingle | Alexey V. Rakov Evgenii G. Volchev Ketevan Petremgvdlishvili Tatiana A. Chekanova Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks Microorganisms <i>Rickettsia</i> <i>Borrelia</i> <i>Anaplasma</i> <i>Ehrlichia</i> ticks <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> |
| title | Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks |
| title_full | Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks |
| title_fullStr | Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks |
| title_short | Comparative Analysis of Bacterial Tick-Borne Pathogens in Questing Ticks from Sambia Peninsula, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia: Spring and Autumn Prevalence and Public Health Risks |
| title_sort | comparative analysis of bacterial tick borne pathogens in questing ticks from sambia peninsula kaliningrad oblast russia spring and autumn prevalence and public health risks |
| topic | <i>Rickettsia</i> <i>Borrelia</i> <i>Anaplasma</i> <i>Ehrlichia</i> ticks <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/6/1403 |
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