Crowdsourcing-based nationwide tick collection reveals the distribution of Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus and associated pathogens in Finland

A national crowdsourcing-based tick collection campaign was organized in 2015 with the objective of producing novel data on tick distribution and tick-borne pathogens in Finland. Nearly 20 000 Ixodes ticks were collected. The collected material revealed the nationwide distribution of I. persulcatus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging microbes & infections 2017, Vol.6 (1), p.1-7
Main Authors: Laaksonen, Maija, Sajanti, Eeva, Sormunen, Jani J, Penttinen, Ritva, Hänninen, Jari, Ruohomäki, Kai, Sääksjärvi, Ilari, Vesterinen, Eero J, Vuorinen, Ilppo, Hytönen, Jukka, Klemola, Tero
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Arachnids
Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia burgdorferi - genetics
Borrelia burgdorferi - isolation & purification
Borrelia burgdorferi - pathogenicity
Borrelia burgdorferi Group - classification
Borrelia burgdorferi Group - genetics
Borrelia burgdorferi Group - isolation & purification
Borrelia miyamotoi
Crowdsourcing
distribution
DNA, Bacterial
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - genetics
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - isolation & purification
Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne - pathogenicity
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - epidemiology
Encephalitis, Tick-Borne - virology
Finland - epidemiology
Humans
Ixodes - microbiology
Ixodes - virology
Ixodes persulcatus
Ixodes ricinus
Original
Pathogens
Seasons
Specimen Handling - methods
Tick Infestations - epidemiology
tick-borne encephalitis virus
tick-borne pathogens
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Summary:A national crowdsourcing-based tick collection campaign was organized in 2015 with the objective of producing novel data on tick distribution and tick-borne pathogens in Finland. Nearly 20 000 Ixodes ticks were collected. The collected material revealed the nationwide distribution of I. persulcatus for the first time and a shift northwards in the distribution of I. ricinus in Finland. A subset of 2038 tick samples containing both species was screened for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (the prevalence was 14.2% for I. ricinus and 19.8% for I. persulcatus), B. miyamotoi (0.2% and 0.4%, respectively) and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV; 0.2% and 3.0%, respectively). We also report new risk areas for TBEV in Finland and, for the first time, the presence of B. miyamotoi in ticks from mainland Finland. Most importantly, our study demonstrates the overwhelming power of citizen science in accomplishing a collection effort that would have been impossible with the scientific community alone. Emerging Microbes & Infections (2017) 6, e31; doi: 10.1038/emi.2017.17 ; published online 10 May 2017
ISSN:2222-1751
2222-1751
DOI:10.1038/emi.2017.17